A SWANSEA comic is preparing for the biggest gig of his career to date — after landing a support slot with television favourite Alan Davies.
Simon Emanuel from Morriston will perform for up to 1,000 people at Cardiff's Millennium Centre on Sunday, a day after appearing as a guest on the Rhod Gilbert Show on Radio Wales.
The slots are part of the 28-year-old's prize for winning the Welsh Unsigned Stand-Up Award, which initially attracted hundreds of entrants.
See Simon in action:And the former performing arts student, who studied at Swansea's Llwyn y Bryn campus, said he fully intended to enjoy the experience, following the nail-biting atmosphere of the comedy competition.
"I think I'm going to be able to relax more than the competition.
"I normally perform for around an hour, and my slot is just ten minutes. And my performance is quite physical, and there's a massive stage at the Millennium Centre, so I am looking forward to moving around that.
"I think that will be the last competition I enter.
"I'm normally pretty relaxed before a gig, but a competition makes you realise you are competing against others, and it brings a bit of the fear back."
As well as stand-up, Simon also works part time as a children's entertainer at the World of Play at Cwmdu Industrial Estate.
He took up comedy after developing an interest as a student, and took part in a competition run at The Garage venue in Uplands.
And he regularly jets off to Norway, where he has been running a comedy night.
He said: "I have a friend who lives there, and he knew I did comedy, and told me that English was a second language for virtually everyone.
"So we saw a gap in the market, and set up the monthly comedy night.
"I go back there about once a month to sort it all out."
The Welsh Unsigned Stand-Up Award is now in its fourth year.
After winning early rounds of the competition held at Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff, Simon went head to head with five other finalists.
The former Cefn Hengoed pupil can next be seen in Swansea in November, when his show, Now ID required, arrives at the Mountain Dew pub as part of a European tour which includes dates in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Barcelona.