Hilton was notified recently he'd been shortlisted, alongside John Cleese and Whose Line is it Anyway, for Best Comedy Act for Dubai's Timeout Nightlife Awards 2013. He is the first South African comedian to be invited to perform at the prestigious Madinat Jumeirah Theatre in Dubai. His performances on Thursday, 21; Friday, 22; and Saturday, 23 February were met with rave reviews and rapturous applause. The show came about when fans kept asking for their old favourites.

A professional, successful comedian and corporate entertainer for 30 years, his previous Dubai performance was to a sold out audience at The Address Hotel in 2010. The show organiser, Gail Clough, owner of The Laughter Factory Dubai, said: “We just want to thank you for coming to the Middle East and absolutely rocking both Doha and Dubai. We have had so many compliments about the show I don’t know where to begin. The Laughter factory is delighted with the response. Our Aussie, USA and British members loved your comedy.”

Barry Hilton B.E.E. -Best of Everything Ever showcases some of Hilton’s current work as well as audience favourites that span a phenomenal 30 years on stage as a successful, professional comedian. With his relaxed stage demeanour and gregarious personality, he continues to strive and thrive, performing both locally and internationally. During 2012, he performed to rave reviews on five of the seven continents and extensively throughout Africa proving that audiences of every nationality can relate to his humour. Steering clear of political satire, swearing, explicit content and blasphemy, the comedy stalwart’s fan base continues to grow and his unique international appeal has ensured a fan base that spans the globe.

With more comedians on the South African comedy scene than ever before, Hilton still tops the list with theatres, corporates and advertising agencies. He has stayed on the scene by ‘keeping it clean’ and continually coming up with new material which he sources mostly by just being observant, keeping up to date with the news, living his life to the full and seeing the funny side of everything.

Hilton last performed in Cape Town in 2012 with New Zealand comic, Mike King, and before that, he sold out the GrandWest Arena in 2010 and 2011. Zimbabwean by birth, he spent his high school years in Cape Town where he attended Observatory Boys High School and where he went on to do an apprenticeship as an electrician, living and working in the Mother City for some years before moving to Johannesburg to further his early career as a comedian.

Barry Hilton B.E.E. - Best of Everything Ever is at the Baxter Theatre on Friday, 26 and Saturday, 27 April 2013 at 20:30 with tickets costing R120 via Computicket. Advance booking is recommended.