Stand-Up Comedians

stand-up comedian The UK has produced a large number of incredibly talented and highly respected stand-up comedians over the years, and the stand-up industry in the UK (with comedy festivals, clubs, and competitions) is set to encourage the further development of British comic talent.

Currently the stand-up industry is basking in the success of people like Peter Kay and Jimmy Carr, who are performing in front of sell-out shows and also have DVDs, books, and television projects on the side. Festival favourites such as Ross Noble and Al Murray are also incredibly popular internationally, and frequently win stand-up awards and other accolades. Other successful comedians have tackled a number of mediums – Ben Elton, Ricky Gervais and Dave Gorman have successful performed as stand-up comedians but have also written, directed, produced or starred in documentaries (Gorman) or television shows. Omid Djalili is another well established British comedian who has recently starred in his own skit-based television series.

Of course there are the perennial favourites who may not perform as often as they once did but who are famous internationally for their cult sets, television shows, and rapid-fire deliveries. John Cleese and Billy Connolly enjoy success all over the world and are instantly recognisable. Eddy Izzard and Harry Hill have also enjoyed years of success and have made a number of television shows, DVDs and special appearances. The influence of Rowan Attkinson is also hard to ignore – his many characters, movies and television shows have changed the shape of the British comedy industry and he continues to be incredibly successful internationally.