Gemma Layton

I grew up in the Black Country, trained as an actor at Bretton Hall and Birmingham School of Acting, and have been performing and writing ever since. I began doing stand up in 2009 as my character Mercedes Benson and, as her, I’ve been a semi finalist in competitions with Laughing Horse and Funny Women. My song (performed as Mercedes) ‘Shopping in Lidl’ went viral with millions of views.

I have written and performed two one woman multi-character comedy shows, the first of which earned me ‘Performance of the Festival’ at Birmingham Fest in 2014. In 2017 I was a nominated for the Birmingham Comedy Festival Breaking Talent Award for my character Beverley Vegas, the Black Country Singer.

Predominantly, I perform on the stand up and cabaret circuit as Mercedes Benson, Beverley Vegas, or as make up guru, Carol Ann.

I have also worked in two sketch groups. With ‘Funbags’, I co-wrote and performed in three shows at the Edinburgh Fringe, where we were finalist in the Gilded Balloon’s ‘So You Think. That’s Funny’ competition in 2014. As a double act with Beth Granville, I co-wrote and performed ‘Flick & Julie’s Pop Up Penny Pinchers’ which we took to Edinburgh in 2015.

As an actress I have appeared in Doctors and Peaky Blinders and I am represented by Malcolm Browning at MMB Creative.

Review by Steve Bennett, Chortle, of Beverley Vegas, the Black Country Cabaret Singer:

“Bold and brassy, she could be a character straight out of ITV’s Benidorm, as Layton fully inhabits this credible, if over-the-top creation. There are some nice touches in the writing, too, her coining the sly malapropism ‘unseparatable’ was especially true to character, while her version of the song rewrite – giving new lyrics to Buck Fizz classic Making Your Mind Up to refer to her ex, Dave – was a banging crowdpleaser, earning her probably the warmest audience reaction of the night and giving everyone an earworm to take home. It’s certainly a fine calling card for Layton’s abilities as an actor able to work with convincing, exaggerated alter-egos.”

You can see more of my work at www.gemmalayton.co.uk