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The Penny Dreadfuls
The Penny Dreadfuls are a British sketch comedy troupe consisting of comedians Humphrey Ker, David Reed and Thom Tuck, often supported by Margaret Cabourn-Smith. The troupe are best known for writing and performing ''The Brothers Faversham'' and ''The Penny Dreadfuls Present...,'' comic plays on BBC Radio 4. History Early history and Fringe shows (2006-2010) Ker, Reed and Tuck first met as students at the University of Edinburgh through the student comedy troupe The Improverts in 2001. They performed together for the next four years before forming, along with founding member Jamie Anderson, The Penny Dreadfuls. In 2006, they made their debut appearance at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with their Victorian-themed sketch show ''Aeneas Faversham''. The show's executive producer was Idil Sukan, while its associate producer and technical director were Steve Greer and Neil E Hobbs respectively. This group would go on to produce each Fringe show for the troupe for the next four ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Humphrey Ker
David Humphrey Rivers Ker (; born 11 October 1982) is a British actor, writer and comedian who is a member of the sketch comedy troupe The Penny Dreadfuls. Early life and education Ker was born to David Peter James Ker, a fine art dealer, and Alexandra Mary, daughter of Vice-Admiral Sir Dymock Watson. He is also a descendant on his father's side of the politician Henry Howard, 18th Earl of Suffolk. Ker is 6'7" (2.01 m) tall. He was educated at Eton College, and read history at the University of Edinburgh. During his time at the University of Edinburgh, Ker performed in Edinburgh University Theatre Company pantomime productions. Ker performed with fellow students David Reed and Thom Tuck as a member of this comedy troupe. Career In 2006, Ker, together with Reed and Tuck, formed The Penny Dreadfuls, who have performed their Victorian sketch shows across Britain, including at The Edinburgh Festival Fringe with ''Aeneas Faversham'' in 2006 and ''Aeneas Faversham Returns' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Afternoon Drama
''Drama'' (formerly ''Afternoon Theatre'', ''Afternoon Drama,'' ''Afternoon Play'') is a BBC Radio 4 radio drama, broadcast every weekday at 2.15pm. Generally each play is 45 minutes in duration and approximately 190 new plays are broadcast each year. More or less three-quarters are self-contained dramas. The remainder are short series of 2 to 6 episodes. As well as original drama series, the ''Afternoon Play'' has included a number of adaptations of popular works such as ''The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency''. History In one form or another, the ''Afternoon Play'' has been a feature of afternoons on Radio 4 since its launch in 1967, although the strict 45 minute format was not enforced until the reorganisation of Radio 4 by James Boyle in 1998, whereby the play directly follows the 2.00pm repeat of ''The Archers''. Several ''Afternoon Plays'' were amongst programmes held in 20 underground radio stations of the BBC's Wartime Broadcasting Service The Wartime Broadcasting S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tony Gardner
Tony Gardner (born 10 January 1964) is an English actor and doctor. He sits on the national governing body of the actors' trade union Equity. Career Gardner qualified as a physician at Guy's Hospital in 1987, then as a general practitioner in 1993. He combined medicine and comedy during the 1990s as half of the award-winning comedy duo ''Struck Off and Die'' with Phil Hammond. Acting career Gardner eventually left medicine to become an actor, starring in a number of TV commercials, including that for the Renault Mégane. He reached prominence playing Brian Johnson in CITV's ''My Parents Are Aliens'' (episodes of which he also wrote) and Michael, the café owner in Jack Dee's BBC sitcom ''Lead Balloon''. In 2009–10 he starred in three plays directed by Sir Peter Hall. In 2011 he played Professor Tony Shales in the Channel 4 series '' Fresh Meat''. Between 2012 and 2020, he played John in five series of the critically acclaimed romantic drama series '' Last Tango in Halifa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amanda Abbington
Amanda Abbington (born Amanda Jane Smith; 28 February 1974) is an English actress. She is best known for playing Miss Mardle in ''Mr Selfridge'' and Mary Watson in '' Sherlock'', the BBC adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories. Early life An only child, Abbington was brought up in Hertfordshire, England. Career She appeared in the TV series ''The Bill'' until 2007 playing various characters. During that time she also appeared in the TV series '' Wycliffe'', ''Casualty'', ''Dream Team'', ''The Sins'', '' Shades'', ''Doc Martin'', ''Coupling'', and ''Teachers''. She appeared in the 2005 comedy sketch show ''Man Stroke Woman'' and the 2007–2008 comedy '' After You've Gone'' with Nicholas Lyndhurst. She has also appeared in recurring series such as '' Bernard's Watch'' and '' Case Histories''. In 2013, she began appearing in the television series ''Mr Selfridge'' as Miss Mardle alongside Jeremy Piven and Frances O'Connor. In 2014, Abbington appeared in th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sylvester McCoy
Percy James Patrick Kent-Smith (born 20 August 1943), known professionally as Sylvester McCoy, is a Scottish actor. Gaining prominence as a physical comedian, he became best known for playing the seventh incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' from 1987 to 1989—the final Doctor of the original run—and briefly returning in a television film in 1996. He is also known for his work as Radagast in ''The Hobbit'' film series (2012–2014). Early life McCoy was born Percy James Patrick Kent-Smith in Dunoon, on the Cowal peninsula, to an Irish mother and an English father who had been killed in action in World War II a couple of months before his son was born. He was brought up by his maternal grandmother and aunts and met his father's family at the age of 17. He was raised religious, but is now an atheist. He was brought up primarily in Dunoon, where he attended St. Mun's School; he then studied for the priesthood at Bl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mark Heap
Mark Heap (born 13 May 1957) is an English actor and comedian. He is known for his roles in television comedies, including, '' Brass Eye'', '' Big Train'', ''Spaced'', '' Jam'', ''Green Wing'', ''Friday Night Dinner'', '' Upstart Crow'' and ''Benidorm''. Early life Heap was born in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, India, to an English father and American mother, the youngest of four boys. He began his acting career in the 1980s as a member of the Medieval Players, a touring company performing medieval and early modern theatre, and featuring stilt-walking, juggling and puppetry. His brother, Carl Heap who is also an actor, was the artistic director of the company. After its demise, he became part of the street theatre duo ''The Two Marks'' (with Mark Saban) who appeared on television shows '' Ghost Train'', '' Saturday Live'' and '' 3-2-1''. Television Heap has appeared in a variety of television comedy roles, often playing eccentric and self-deluded characters and drama including strug ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lolly Adefope
Ololade "Lolly" Adefope (born 14 September 1990) is a British stand-up comedian and actress, specialising in character comedy. She is known for playing the role of Fran in the Hulu comedy series '' Shrill'', and as Kitty, the ghost of a Georgian noblewoman in BBC comedy ''Ghosts'', for which she was nominated for a National Comedy Award in 2021. Early life and education Adefope was born in Sutton, South London to Nigerian parents and is of Yoruba descent. She went to Loughborough University to study English literature. While at university, she started performing with a sketch comedy group. Career After university, Adefope applied to drama school but was rejected, so she began working in an office. She began her career as a stand-up comic and transitioned into acting after receiving positive attention for solo shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2015 and 2016. Also in 2015, she was selected for the BBC Writersroom comedy programme, and in 2016 she was nominated for two ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robert Webb
Robert Patrick Webb (born 29 September 1972) is an English comedian, actor, writer, and television personality. He is one half of the double act Mitchell and Webb, alongside David Mitchell. Webb and Mitchell both starred in the Channel 4 sitcom ''Peep Show'', in which Webb plays Jeremy "Jez" Usbourne. The two also starred in the sketch comedy programme '' That Mitchell and Webb Look'', for which they then performed a stage adaption, '' The Two Faces of Mitchell and Webb''. The duo starred in the 2007 film ''Magicians,'' and in the short-lived series ''Ambassadors''. Webb headed the critically acclaimed sitcom '' The Smoking Room'' and was a performer in the sketch show '' Bruiser''. Since 2017, he has starred alongside Mitchell in the Channel 4 comedy-drama '' Back''. Webb is also a regular comedy panelist, appearing on television shows, such as ''The Bubble'', '' Have I Got News for You'', '' Never Mind the Buzzcocks'', '' QI'', '' Mastermind'', '' Was It Something I Said'', ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Susan Calman
Susan Grace Calman (born 6 November 1974) is a Scottish comedian, television presenter, writer and panellist on a number of BBC Radio 4 shows including ''The News Quiz'' and ''I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue''. She has written and starred in two series of her radio sitcom ''Sisters'', two series of stand-up show ''Susan Calman is Convicted'' and a series of stand-up show ''Keep Calman Carry On'', all on BBC Radio 4. She was one of the relief presenters for Fred MacAulay on his BBC Radio Scotland show ''MacAulay and Co'' which ran until March 2015. Other television work includes playing ‘Miss Adventure’ in the second season of the CBBC show School of Silence. She has also presented the CBBC programme ''Extreme School'' and providing the comic voiceover on the CBBC series ''Disaster Chefs''. She is a team captain on the BBC Northern Ireland comedy panel show ''Bad Language''. She has presented the children's game show on CBBC, ''Top Class'', quiz show '' The Lie'' on STV, and t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Greg McHugh
Greg McHugh (born 5 January 1980) is a Scottish actor. He is the creator, writer and star of the BBC1 comedy series '' Gary: Tank Commander''. He also played Howard in the Channel 4 comedy '' Fresh Meat''. Early life and education Greg McHugh was born in Morningside, Edinburgh, on 5 January 1980. His father was a civil servant, and his mother a teacher. McHugh has two elder brothers. McHugh attended St Peter's RC primary school and then St Thomas of Aquin's High School. He studied business at the University of Stirling and trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow. Initially, McHugh had intended to study sports science but found it too difficult. McHugh's native accent is a softer variation of the Edinburgh accent. Career McHugh can be seen briefly on screen in the '' Still Game'' episode "Faimly" as a friend or relative visiting the patient in the bed beside Winston Ingram. McHugh played Josh Elvey in the TV movie ''Not Safe for Work''. In 201 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Justin Edwards (actor)
Justin Matthew Edwards is a British actor and writer. Screen career His television work includes the role of Ben Swain in political comedy '' The Thick of It'', the lead role in Channel 5 sitcom '' Respectable'', roles in ''Black Books'', '' Endeavour'', '' The Suspicions of Mr Whicher'', ''The Old Guys'', '' Skins'', ''Secret Diary of a Call Girl'', '' The Trip'', '' Veep'''', '' Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle'', and ''Black Mirror'' amongst many others. He won an RTS Award in 2014 for Best Male Actor for his performance in ''Father Brown'' ("The Daughters of Jerusalem"). He has played Jeremy Clarkson three times for television, twice for'' Harry & Paul'', and once for ''Murder in Successville''. In 2016 he played Mr Rumbold in the BBC remake of ''Are You Being Served?'' His film work includes the role of Charles Vernon in Whit Stillman's ''Love & Friendship'', Spartak Sokolov in ''The Death of Stalin'', John Forster in '' The Man Who Invented Christmas'', Inept Policemen in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marek Larwood
Marek Ryan Larwood (born 2 June 1976) is an English comedian and actor. He is best known for the BBC Three sketch show '' Rush Hour'' and for being one third of the comedy trio '' We Are Klang''. Early life Born in Norwich, Norfolk, Larwood lived in Wales before moving to the Isle of Wight. His forename is of Polish origin, as his mother had seen a 1975 documentary about a Polish schoolboy with a heart defect, who was looking forward to an operation. The operation was unsuccessful, and Marek's mother thought to name her son after the Polish schoolboy. Career Stand-up comedy Larwood won the Laughing Horse New Act of The Year competition in 2003. He is part of the comic trio We Are Klang, along with Steve Hall and Greg Davies. They took their show ''Klangbang'' to the 2006 Edinburgh Fringe festival and were nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Awards.Bunbury, Stephanie (2007)Insults in flight as Klang mixes it, ''The Age'', 4 April 2007, retrieved 2010-11-22 Television Larwood has ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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