Comic Evans breaks crowd record

Lee Evans first hit the big time as a Perrier Award-winner

Comedian Lee Evans has set a world record for a solo act performing to the biggest comedy audience.

Evans put on a show for 10,108 people at the Manchester Evening News Arena, breaking the previous record of 8,700, set by fellow comic Eddie Izzard.

Evans grabbed the record while halfway through his 32-date nationwide tour.

"When I started out 20 years ago I could never have imagined that I would be selling out more nights at Wembley than Coldplay," said Evans.

Festival

Craig Glenday, editor of Guinness World Records, said: "It's an incredible achievement to sell out these huge arenas night after night and he fully deserves his place in the Guinness World Records books."

Evans first hit the big time as a stand-up comedian in 1993 when he won the prestigious Perrier Award for comedy at the Edinburgh Festival. Since then he has sold out increasingly larger venues.

Evans has also shown his talent for acting with film roles in Mousehunt, There's Something About Mary and Funny Bones.

He also voiced the character of the Train in the recent movie version of The Magic Roundabout.

And Evans recently received an Olivier nomination for his part as Leo Bloom in the musical The Producers on the West End stage.