Confusion as Mexicans turn up to new comedy night hoping to see a famous Latin crooner

One is a 67-year-old Mexican singer with a string of hit Latin ballads going back to the 1970s. The other is a very new British open-spot comedian in his twenties.

Although both go by the single name Emmanuel, you might have thought they moved in different enough circles for no confusion to arise.

Yet when a performer called Emmanuel was advertised as playing a new act comedy night in a London pub, ten Mexican women rocked up expecting to see the chart-topping balladeer.

Apparently, they weren't too disappointed to find that the holder of a Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award was not, in fact, playing Camden's Monkey Business on Thursday night.

'They took it in good spirits and seemed to enjoy the evening anyway,' said promoter Martin Besserman. 'They all seemed to see the funny side of it, and were very cool.'

Comic Rory O'Hanlon, who was also on the bill, asked the group why they thought such a star singer would be playing in a pub, and was told that sometimes he has been known to play tiny venues. Had he shown up, the £7.50 the group each paid to het in would have been a bargain compared to the £200 a ticket he can command in his native Mexico. 

To allay any disappointment, Besserman offered the group free tickets. But only to another of his comedy shows, not to one of the singer's concerts...

Published: 2 Apr 2023