Meet Hackney Empire’s New Act of the Year, 2008. Steve Weiner is a comic writer and performer. He burst on to the stand up scene in 2007, reaching the prestigious finals of the Amused Moose Laugh Off and Comedy Café Best New Act of that year. With his energetic style, intelligent material and a flair for acting and character comedy, Steve can be seen at some of the biggest comedy clubs in the country, including the Comedy Store and Jongleurs.

Steve regularly casts his bespectacled eyes on the day’s news for Sky News and also for BBC Breakfast. He’s working on various exciting writing projects, and writes and presents And that's Tea, a weekly cricket magazine podcast available on iTunes. He’s also featured on BBC Radio 4's Front Row and Talksport Radio (the Ian Collins Show).

A versatile performer with a keen observational wit... and ...reminiscent of Matt Lucas Chortle

His perfect mix of crowd-pleasing gags and subtle observation suggests a bright future Bruce Dessau, Evening Standard

Steve Weiner is a skilled caricaturist, able to recreate a bunch of everyday archetypes as raucously funny comic grotesques, yet keep them grounded in astutely observed reality Chortle

Phenomenal winner of the Hackney Empire New Act Competition 2008 Time Out