DLT Entertainment invests in Mark Watson's Impatient Productions

Production company DLT Entertainment has invested in Impatient Productions, the independent comedy creation outfit set up by comedian Mark Watson and producer Lianne Coop.

The deal marks a further expansion for DLT Entertainment in the world of comedy and talent representation. The company has also recently invested in The Soho Agency, Blue Book Artist Management and Andrew Roach Talent. They say: "The synergy created by these investments has the potential to create new opportunities for DLT, the agencies and their clients, by providing a 360 approach to collaborating, sourcing and developing new projects within the company."

Producing live and scripted comedy projects with comedians such as Josie Long, Daliso Chaponda, Sofie Hagen, Shappi Khorsandi and Laura Lexx, Impatient Productions was one of the first performer-led independents to venture into live promotion.

They are also known as a radio production company, having made stand-up shows such as Angela Barnes: You Can't Take It With You, The Price Of Happiness and Mark Watson Talks A Bit About Life for Radio 4.

Talking about the company's recent activities, DLT explains: "In response to the nationwide lockdown, and with many comedy tours and shows currently on hiatus, Mark has recently embarked on Mark Watson's Carpool Comedy Club, a hugely successful Drive & Dine Theatre tour. In partnership with Pub in The Park, the UK's biggest food and drink tour, it was a drive-in comedy experience with a delicious twist, offering audience members a tasty dish from an exclusive menu curated by Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge.

"Impatient Productions produced 24 of these shows across twelve nights around the country, enjoying the best sales figures of any drive-in shows and winning acclaim across the industry. Meanwhile, Mark's live-streamed 24-hour show raised more than £40,000 for three different charities (including one to support out of work comedians) and was one of the most-watched comedy events of the lockdown. Impatient Productions has also begun moving into the world of podcasts, with Jen Brister's Women Talking Bollocks their first release under an exclusive agreement with Acast, and more in the pipeline."

As part of the investment deal, DLT Entertainment president Donald Taffner Jr. will have a seat on the board to provide his professional experience and commercial knowledge. He says: "We've been fans of Mark and Lianne's and everything they've been doing at Impatient Productions for a long time. Despite being hugely successful already there's no doubt that the industry faces new challenges and Impatient Productions' creativity and adaptability (especially during lockdown) has been so impressive and illustrates their work ethic and innovation. We're excited to officially welcome them into the DLT family and can't wait to see what the future holds as we delve into new territories, collaborations and ideas."

Lianne Coop says: "Donald has been a fantastic ally to Impatient ever since we started sharing ideas and discussing collaboration. His infectious energy and enthusiasm have given us courage to do the many and varied things that we have in the past couple of years, and they've been particularly welcome in the extremely challenging landscape of 2020. We're proud of the way Impatient and DLT have navigated this together, and proud to go forward as part of such a talented family."

Mark Watson adds: "This is a major moment in the eventful history of Impatient Productions. We started out in a low-profile way and weren't taken seriously by some sections of the industry at first. But we have built a lot in a short space of time and I'm very happy to be pooling our talents with the clout and dynamism of a team like DLT's. It's already proved to be a fruitful partnership and we are only just getting started. This year has been very tough for everyone, but we're coming out of it in a strong position and this new alliance is another big step forward for us, giving us the muscle to pursue even more of the projects that have made people talk about us."