| Marcus Brigstocke | |
|---|---|
 Brigstocke at theGlastonbury Festival in 2015 | |
| Birth name | Marcus Alexander Brigstocke |
| Born | (1973-05-08)8 May 1973 (age 51) Guildford, England[1] |
| Medium | Television,radio,stand up |
| Education | University of Bristol |
| Subject(s) | Politics |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Notable works and roles | Argumental The Now Show |
Marcus Alexander Brigstocke (born 8 May 1973) is a Britishcomedian and actor. He has worked instand-up comedy,television,radio andmusical theatre. He has appeared on manyBBC television and radio shows.
Brigstocke is the son of Nick Brigstocke, a stockbroker from a Welsh landed gentry family,[2] and Carol, daughter of senior Royal Air Force officerAir Marshal SirWalter Pretty.[3][4] He was raised in Surrey,[5] and educated atSt Edmunds School in the village ofHindhead inSurrey,[6] atWestbourne House School[7] inChichester,West Sussex,King's School, Bruton inSomerset,[5] and Hammersmith & Fulham College in west London.[8] He then attended theUniversity of Bristol,[6] where he studied drama, but did not complete his degree.[9]
In his youth, Brigstocke struggled with alcohol and drugaddiction.[10]
Aged 19, Brigstocke worked on aNorth Sea oil rig,[11] and later as a podium dancer (being featured onElectric Circus); he used his earnings to travel, and the experiences as inspiration for a stand-up routine. Brigstocke is also a World Cheese Judge and an Academy of Cheese alumnus.[6][12]
Many of the central themes of Brigstocke's work were first addressed during his time as a student at the University of Bristol. While at Bristol he often performed in the comedy trio Club Seals (withDan Tetsell andDanny Robins), which later made the transition to television in the series of short programmesWe Are History (2000-2001).
Brigstocke's first stand-up comedy DVD,Planet Corduroy, was released in November 2007.[13]
In April 2008, Brigstocke and fellow comedian and snowboarderAndrew Maxwell founded a comedy and music festival in the ski resort ofMeribel, in theFrench Alps.
In 2009, Brigstocke starred in the British tour of the American live improvisation showTotally Looped.[14] His second stand-up show,God Collar, toured in 2009.
In June 2010, he announced that he had signed a publishing deal withTransworld to turn theGod Collar Tour into a book,[15] which was released in 2011 to mixed reviews.[16]
In 2023, he was the comedy headliner of themay ball atQueens' College, Cambridge.
Brigstocke has a radio career includingThe Now Show (1998-2024, withSteve Punt andHugh Dennis) andGiles Wemmbley-Hogg Goes Off (2002–2011).
On 9 April 2006, Brigstocke appeared asBertie Wooster inBBC Radio 4's adaptation ofThe Code of the Woosters (1938), withAndrew Sachs asJeeves. Brigstocke hostedThe Late Edition (2005–2008), which was promoted by the BBC as "Newsnight with jokes".[17]
Brigstocke has hosted a talk show,I've Never Seen Star Wars, onBBC Radio 4 since 2008,[18] transferring it to TV for one series asI've Never Seen Star Wars forBBC Four in 2009.
From 2013 to 2015, he hostedThe Brig Society on BBC Radio 4.[19]
In September 2017, BBC Radio 4 broadcast his first serious drama,The Red,[20] drawing on his own experience of recovery. It won the Best Single Drama award in the BBC Audio Drama Awards 2018.[21]
In December 2017, BBC Radio 4 broadcast his new 4-part sitcom,The Wilsons Save The World, in which Brigstocke plays a father leading a family trying to live ethically. A second 4-part series followed in 2019.[22]
Brigstocke plays an arts journalist named Marcus in theNeil Gaiman filmA Short Film About John Bolton (2003) and a radio DJ in theRichard Curtis filmLove Actually (2003) and its sequelRed Nose Day Actually (2017).
Brigstocke's television work has includedHave I Got News for You andLive at the Apollo. He took part in theBBC Two programmeExcuse My French (2006) withRon Atkinson andEsther Rantzen. They were immersed in theFrench language by staying in a French town inProvence. Brigstocke's ultimate assignment was to perform a live stand-up comedy act in French to a French audience.
In September 2008, Brigstocke was a team captain for the first series of a comedy panel show,Argumental (2008-2012), for the British television channelDave. He was the captain of the Red Team, competing againstRufus Hound with a variety of guest participants, under the chairmanship ofJohn Sergeant.[23]
He has also worked for television shows aimed at children forCBBC:Stupid! (2004-2007) andSorry, I've Got No Head (2008-2011).
Brigstocke appeared in the first series ofThe Jump in 2014. He reached the final, but had to withdraw when he snapped his cruciate ligaments, an injury that prevented him working for a year.[24]
In 2000, he successfully claimed publishing rights after a sample of his voice was used in the song "I Don't Smoke" byDJ Dee Kline.[25]
In 2010, Brigstocke made his musical theatre debut asKing Arthur in the British tour ofSpamalot for a limited engagement. He then starred inThe Railway Children as Albert Perks at theWaterloo Station Theatre in 2011.[28] He appeared in the role of Ali Hakim at two semi-staged concert performances ofOklahoma! at theProms with theJohn Wilson Orchestra on 11 August 2017.
In late 2017, Brigstocke played the title role in a revival ofBarnum at theMenier Chocolate Factory. For this, he acquired specialist circus skills including magic and walking a tightrope. He chronicled his motivation and progress in an article forThe Guardian.[29]
In 2019, Brigstocke adapted his radio playThe Red into a theatrical play staged at Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh.[30] It was later adapted into an online version released during 2022.[31]
In 2001, Brigstocke married film-maker Sophie Prideaux, daughter of John Prideaux, former chairman ofUnion Railways;.[32][33][34] they have a son and a daughter.[35] They divorced in 2013 following his affair withHayley Tamaddon with whom he co-starred in the musicalSpamalot in 2010.[36] Since April 2018, he has been in a relationship with fellow comedianRachel Parris. They were engaged on 25 December 2018 and married on 14 September 2019.[37] Their son was born in August 2021.[38]
Brigstocke established a stand-up tour in the Alps and a comedy festival called TheAltitude Festival.[39] He has performed inbeatboxing battles on stage withShlomo and Bellatrix.[40]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
