About
.
“It is a rare occasion for a talent so good to render a free service for an altruistic purpose.”
Tai Liang Choong. Principal, Xishan Primary School. 14 April 1997
Currently based in Hong Kong, Big Ben does:
(Click away for videos!)
Juggling, Unicycling, Magic, Bubbles, Balloon sculpting, Mime, Living statue, Stiltwalking, Acting, Stand up comedy, Fire acts, Inside the Giant Balloon, Ventriloquism, Amazing Puppet Acts, Acrobatic and Balancing Acts,
and Workshop leader for all of the above!
.
Starting as a juggler and unicyclist at Oxford University,
Big Ben has constantly expanded his act to include all things funny.
His one man circus and variety show has been seen in
Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, India, China
and, of course, in his native UK.
He entertains all ages,
from adults at corporate dinners, to children at school shows,
and from international arts festivals to private birthday parties.
In South East Asia he is one of the most popular artists in his field,
personally performing over 350 shows a year since 1998.
Whilst continuously developing his own skills
through studying mime, stand up comedy and the like,
he has also helped create nation wide interests in circus
through his pro bono work in founding
Singapore’s first ever juggling and unicycling organizations.
Some little known facts about Big Ben:
He was, once upon a time,
president of the Oxford University Juggling Club and
Singapore’s first registered busker,
as well as
twice competing in the
Career highlights
Circus and Comedy work
- 1992-3 Fire Noise (England’s premiere fire juggling circus)
- 1996-2006 one-man juggling and unicycling shows in all Singapore’s major hotels, shopping centers, museums and tourist attractions. (OVER 350 SHOWS A YEAR).
- 1997-9 Birthday shows for the His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei
- 1998 Team Thirteen (a one man clown show for the Singapore International Arts festival)
- 1999 The Danger Brothers (a two man show for the Singapore International Arts festival)
- 1999 Cirque du Soleil’s outreach programme instructor in Singapore
- 2000 Featured artist: The Singapore River International Buskers’ Festival
- 2001 Team Thirteen presents Formless Formby (Singapore International Arts festival)
- 2002-2006 Corporate work including dinner and dance shows and workshops for multinational companies such as Fuji, Microsoft, IBM, Motorola, Cycle and Carriage, Phillips, Hitachi, Shell, HSBC, Mitsubishi, Minolta, Proctor and Gamble, Pfizer pharmaceuticals, British American Tobacco, the US Air Force, Singapore International Airlines, Singapore’s Army, Navy, Police force and Airforce, Citibank, Hyatt hotels and many many many more!
- 2007 Expanded business to Hong Kong (as well as Singapore and London)
- 2007 to Present day. Featured artist in Lan Kwai Fong Carnivals in Hong Kong and mainland China
- 2008 Summer season clown show at Ocean Park. Opening act for 2008 Hong Kong International Comedy Festival.
- 2009 Abu Dhabi tour. Featured act at the Summer in Abu Dhabi Festival
- 2011 Finalist in the 2011 Hong Kong International Comedy Festival
- 2011 Opening act for Lan Kwai Fong Carnival: Chengdu, China
- 2013 Christmas shows at City Plaza
- 2014 AIA Great European Carnival
- 2015 standup comedy act on Comedy Central (TV show)
- 2015 to 2020 Main Stage Solo Act at the AIA Great European Carnival
- 2021 Featured online artist in ONLINE Brazilian circus convention (Convencao na Nuvem by Circo no beco). Participated from Hong Kong via Zoom
- Up to Present Day: Children’s party entertainer in Hong Kong
Theatre
The Miller’s tale (Oxford 1990), If only I had a heart made out of Levis, (Singapore Arts Fest 1999), Something Totally Uneducational (1999), commander of the USS Enterprise in the Star Trek World Tour (Dec 1999-Feb 2000), Luna-id’s: Alice in Wonderless Land (Singapore Arts Fest 2000), Imaginart’s Sparkleshark (Singapore’s Drama center 2001), Luna-id’s: Joined at the Head (Raffles Hotel Jubilee Hall 2001), Singapore Repertory Theatre’s Little Victories (2004), Wild Rice’s the Visit of the Tai Tai (Victoria theatre 2004), the leading role in Begum a musical (Hyderabad India 2005) and many more!
TV & movies
- 1996 30 minute special on UTV
- 1998 Artbeat, Seasons of Love (Drama)
- 2000 Trailer for Channel i
- 2001 TV Commercial for Courts furniture malls
- 2001 TV Commercial for American Express
- 2004 Sir Stamford Raffles in The History of Malays in Singapore
- 2009 Extra in Aaron Kwok movie
- 2010 Lead role as marathon runner in credit card TV commercial
- 2015 Comedy Central
- 2018 Lead role as juggling clown in shopping mall video commercial
- 2019 AIA Carnival advert
- And many more!
Mime Shows
Cinemime (Singapore’s Drama Centre1997), Was It Something I Said? (1998), MimeMobile (Singapore Art Museum 1999), Mime Unlimited’s Cinderella dreams (2002), and many more!
Colleges/educational shows (endorsed by Singapore’s National Arts Council)
Over 75 primary and secondary schools, as well as junior colleges, polytechnics and universities.
Reviews and testimonials
“Mr. Ben is on my list of favourites.”
Lee Yew Hin. the Straits Times.
“He charmed the audience.. and then thrilled them.”
Eunice Quek. the Straits Times.
“rib-tickling performances by Ben Matthews”
Today Newspaper.
“hilarious facial expressions”
the Flying Inkpot (Singapore’s online theatre review)
“Ben Matthews … drew the most laughs”
the Straits Times.
“He makes strangers laugh…The kids roared with laughter”
the New Paper
“Hilarious… fantastic one liners… Ben Matthews was the scene stealer.”
Happening.com
“It is a rare occasion for a talent so good to render a free service for an altruistic purpose.”
Tai Liang Choong. Principal, Xishan Primary School. 14 April 1997
Big Ben the Funnyman
3 Seymour Road,
Unit D
37/F
Mid-level
HONG KONG