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Improverts
The Improverts is a improvisational comedy troupe from the Edinburgh University Theatre Company, which primarily performs at the Bedlam Theatre, Edinburgh. They perform weekly during Edinburgh University's term time and every night during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. History The Edinburgh University Theatre Company's improvised comedy troupe now known as The Improverts was founded in Edinburgh in 1989 by Canadian-born Toph Marshall. He named it Theatresports after the form of competitive improvisation developed by director Keith Johnstone in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in 1976. As the show grew in popularity the name was changed, during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, (for copyright reasons) to Impro-Vegetables and then finally, in the 90s, to The Improverts. The Improverts was adopted as a permanent, year-round name from September 1997 onwards. Since the show's inception it has kept the Bedlam Theatre as its primary performance space, running weekly during Edinburgh Universit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Edinburgh University
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 1582 and officially opened in 1583, it is one of Scotland's four ancient universities and the sixth-oldest university in continuous operation in the English-speaking world. The university played an important role in Edinburgh becoming a chief intellectual centre during the Scottish Enlightenment and contributed to the city being nicknamed the "Athens of the North." Edinburgh is ranked among the top universities in the United Kingdom and the world. Edinburgh is a member of several associations of research-intensive universities, including the Coimbra Group, League of European Research Universities, Russell Group, Una Europa, and Universitas 21. In the fiscal year ending 31 July 2021, it had a total income of £1.176 billion, of which £3 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maria Bamford
Maria Bamford (born September 3, 1970) is an American actress and stand-up comedian. Her work has drawn critical acclaim and controversy because her humor often uses self-deprecating and dark topics, including her dysfunctional family, depression, anxiety, suicide, and mental illness. Her first comedy album and tour was '' The Burning Bridges Tour'' (2003), followed by eight more albums and specials. One of her first feature films is ''Lucky Numbers'' (2000), and she voiced characters on many animated shows, including Shriek on ''CatDog'', and many more on ''American Dad!'', '' Ugly Americans'', ''Adventure Time'', and ''BoJack Horseman''. Her film work includes ''Stuart Little 2'' (2002), '' Charlotte's Web 2: Wilbur's Great Adventure'' (2003), '' Barnyard'' (2006), '' Heckler'' (2007), and '' Hell and Back'' (2015). She voices Talking Ginger and Talking Becca in the ''Talking Tom and Friends'' web series. Her live television work began in ''Louie'' (2012), ''Arrested Development ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kevin McKidd
Kevin McKidd (born 9 August 1973) is a Scottish actor and television director. Before playing the role of Dr. Owen Hunt in ''Grey's Anatomy'', for which he is widely known, McKidd appeared as Tommy Mackenzie in Danny Boyle's '' Trainspotting'' (1996), Count Vronsky in the BBC miniseries ''Anna Karenina'' (2000), Lucius Vorenus in the historical drama series ''Rome'' (2005–2007) and Dan Vasser in the NBC series ''Journeyman'' (2007). He provided the voice of John "Soap" MacTavish in the video games '' Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2'' and '' Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3''. He also played Poseidon in the film '' Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief'', and Father Deegan in the ''Father Ted'' Christmas special. Early life McKidd was born on 9 August 1973, in Elgin, Moray, the son of Kathleen, a secretary, and Neil McKidd, a plumber. He grew up in a council estate in Elgin. At 17, McKidd worked at the Macallan distillery in Speyside. He later went to work with the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Miles Jupp
Miles Hugh Barrett Jupp (born 8 September 1979) is an English actor, singer, and comedian. He began his career as a stand-up comedian before playing the role of the inventor Archie in the children's television series ''Balamory''. He also played John Duggan in ''The Thick of It,'' Nigel in the sitcom '' Rev,'' and appeared on many comedy panel shows. In September 2015, Jupp replaced Sandi Toksvig as the host of ''The News Quiz'' on BBC Radio 4. Early life Jupp was born in 1979 in Newcastle upon Tyne and spent most of his childhood in London. He is the son of a minister in the United Reformed Church. For much of his life, Jupp believed he was of Belgian stock, descended from 16th-century Huguenot immigrants. However, while creating a programme for BBC Radio 4 in 2015, he discovered his roots are actually in Sussex. He attended three independent schools: The Hall School in Hampstead, North London; St George's School in Windsor; and Oakham School in Rutland. He studied Divinity at ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bedlam Theatre
Bedlam Theatre is a theatre in the Old Town of Edinburgh, Scotland. The building was completed in 1848 for the New North Free Church. After closing as a church in 1941, the building served as a chaplaincy centre and then a store for the University of Edinburgh before reopening in 1980 as the student-run theatre of Edinburgh University Theatre Company (EUTC). The New North Free Church originated in the Disruption of 1843, when Charles John Brown, minister of the New North Church, led many of his congregation out of the Church of Scotland and into the newly established Free Church. The church was noted for its active mission and its ministry to students. After its congregation united with Greyfriars in 1941, the University of Edinburgh occupied the building as a chaplaincy centre then, from 1975, as a store. The university gifted the building to EUTC, who reopened it as the Bedlam Theatre in 1980. It is named for the city bedlam, which once stood nearby. With a capacity of 90, t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ewen MacIntosh
Ewen Douglas MacIntosh (born 25 December 1973) is a British actor and comedian known for his role as Keith Bishop in ''The Office'' (2001–2003). Early life MacIntosh was born in Merionethshire. He was educated at Repton School in Derbyshire, and studied linguistics at the University of Edinburgh. While at university, he was actively involved in the Edinburgh University Theatre Company and The Improverts. Career MacIntosh's big break in television came when he was cast as the deadpan accountant Keith Bishop in ''The Office''. MacIntosh has also appeared on various shows such as '' Miranda'' and ''Little Britain''. He formed a double act with Tim FitzHigham and they performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2007. In 2009, MacIntosh appeared alongside several other celebrities in a charity music video for the Chris Rea song "Driving Home for Christmas". In early 2013, he prepared to play at a new West End show ''Geek! A New Musical'' at the Tristan Bates Theatre, which open ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lucy Kirkwood
Lucy Ann Kirkwood (born October 1983) is a British playwright and screenwriter. She is writer in residence at Clean Break. In June 2018 Kirkwood was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in its "40 Under 40" initiative. Early life Kirkwood was born in Leytonstone and raised in east London. She has a degree in English literature from the University of Edinburgh where she performed as part of improvisational comedy troupe, the Improverts and wrote for the Edinburgh University Theatre Company. In 2005, she wrote and starred in her first play, ''Grady Hot Potato'', at the Bedlam Theatre. It was also selected for the National Student Drama Festival. Career Plays The following year she took two productions of her second play, ''Geronimo'' to the Edinburgh Fringe, under the title ''The Umbilical Project''. The two productions, ''Cut'' and ''Uncut'', were an experiment in cutting the cord between writer and production. ''Uncut'' was directed by Kirkwood herself and ''Cut' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mitch Benn
Mitchell John Benn (born 20 January 1970) is an English comedian, author and musician known for his comedy rock songs performed on BBC radio. He was, until 2016, a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4's satirical programme ''The Now Show'', and has hosted other radio shows. Benn has performed at several music festivals, and at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. He has also released seven studio albums. His first science fiction novel, entitled ''Terra'', was published in July 2013 by Gollancz. Early life Mitch Benn was born in Liverpool. He was educated at Dovedale Primary School, the then all boys voluntary aided Liverpool Blue Coat School, followed by the University of Edinburgh, where he was a prominent member of the Edinburgh University Theatre Company at the Bedlam Theatre and performed in the Improverts improvised comedy troupe. He began his comedy career in Edinburgh in 1994, moved to London in 1996 and quickly established himself as a comedy club headliner as well as a favour ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mark Dolan
Mark Dolan (born 17 March 1974) is an English comedian, writer, and presenter. He currently hosts ''Mark Dolan Tonight'' on GB News. He was the host of '' Balls of Steel'' from 2005 until 2008 on Channel 4. Early life Dolan attended University College School and the University of Edinburgh, where he received an MA in politics. Whilst an undergraduate at Edinburgh, he performed in the improvisational comedy troupe The Improverts. Career Stand-up comedy Dolan started as a stand-up comedian in 2000, reaching the final of Channel 4's ''So You Think You're Funny'' competition in his first year of performing.. He has toured the world as a live comic and has performed 11 runs at the Edinburgh Fringe. He won an award at the 2018 Leicester Mercury Comedy Festival for best joke of the festival and later performed online during the COVID-19 pandemic. Radio Dolan's career in media began as a radio producer, working for the female-only Viva Radio, 963 Liberty and the original incarnation ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jenny Colgan
Jenny Colgan (born 14 September 1972, Prestwick, Ayrshire) is a Scottish writer of romantic comedy fiction and science-fiction. She has written for the ''Doctor Who'' line of stories. She writes under her own name and using the pseudonyms Jane Beaton and J. T. Colgan. She won the Romantic Novel of the Year award in 2013 for ''Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop of Dreams'' and the Romantic Novelists' Association award for Comedy Novel of the Year in 2018 for ''The Summer Seaside Kitchen''. Biography Jenny Colgan studied at the University of Edinburgh and worked for six years in the health service, moonlighting as a cartoonist and a stand-up comic. She is married to Andrew Beaton, a marine engineer, and has three children. She splits her time between France and London. In 2000, she published her first novel, the romantic comedy ''Amanda's Wedding''. In 2004 one of her stories was included in ''Scottish Girls About Town''. In 2013, her novel ''Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweetsho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Balls Of Steel (TV)
''Balls of Steel'' is a British television comedy game show hosted by Mark Dolan. Dolan's special guests perform stunts and hold their nerve during hidden camera set-ups in the presence of celebrities or the British public. ''Massive Balls of Steel'', the spin-off series to ''Balls of Steel'' was broadcast on E4, showing highlights of the show. Format There were a total of 12 acts. In each episode, six acts competed with one of them being the winner from the previous episode. At the end of each episode the studio audience had to decide which act had the biggest 'Balls of Steel' by voting on a keypad. The Balls of Steel format is distributed internationally by DRG. Acts There were various acts seen frequently on the show, presented by the regular performers. Transmissions ''Balls of Steel'' internationally UK version broadcasts It aired on The Comedy Channel in Australia in 2011 and 2013 and in the past, has also been shown on the Nine Network. In Latin America, it is b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fast And Loose (2011 TV Series)
''Fast and Loose'' is a British television series which was broadcast on BBC Two in 2011. Conceived by Dan Patterson, one of the creators of the TV series ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'', it mirrors the series in format and style with the addition of some new games. Guests take part in improvised sketches in which each comedian inhabits a certain character or film genre. The only series was eight episodes long and hosted by comedian Hugh Dennis. ''Fast and Loose'' is the inspiration for the 2012 American show '' Trust Us with Your Life'' on ABC, hosted by Fred Willard and featuring a celebrity guest on each episode. Format The style and format was similar to Channel 4's ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' and ''Mock the Week'' both of which are also produced by Dan Patterson. Each episode had six performers, with an additional guest performer for one of the sketches. Games *Forward/Rewind: Participants are given a scenario to act out and the host may call out "forward" or "rewind" as he pl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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