Andy Parsons

Andy Parsons

Parsons in 2007
Birth name Andrew John Parsons
Born 1967
Weymouth, Dorset, England
Medium Stand-up
Nationality British
Education Law
Alma mater Christ's College, Cambridge
Years active 1992–present
Genres Satire
Influences Peter Cook[1]
Notable works and roles Parsons and Naylor's Pull-Out Sections (2001–07)
Mock the Week (2005–2015)
Website Official website

Andrew John "Andy" Parsons (born 1967)[2] is an English comedian and writer, who regularly appears on Mock the Week. With comedy partner Henry Naylor, he has written and presented nine seasons of Parsons and Naylor's Pull-Out Sections for BBC Radio 2.

Early life

Parsons was born in Weymouth, Dorset.[3] He attended Parc Eglos Primary School and Helston Comprehensive School (Cornwall), and Churston Ferrers Grammar School, Torbay (Devon)[4] before going to Christ's College, Cambridge to study Law,[5] where he met and formed a double act with Henry Naylor which twice toured with the National Student Theatre Company and once with the Footlights.[6] After completing his studies, Parsons got a job working as a legal clerk on a case at the Greenock shipyards, which he describes as "the most tedious thing I'd ever done."[6][7] With Naylor he established TBA, London's first sketch comedy club.[8]

Writing/Television

His first TV writing job was for Spitting Image and he went on to become one of the main writers. He has also appeared as a guest on They Think It's All Over, QI, and BBC Radio 5 Live's Fighting Talk. He has missed only five episodes of Mock the Week and became a regular panellist at the beginning of Series 3. He, like the other regular panellists on Mock the Week, keeps the same seat throughout the series, Parsons being the one on host Dara Ó Briain's left.

He has also presented The PMQ show on BBC Radio 5 Live and was a regular during the 2010 World Cup on the BBC Radio 2 show Never Write Off The Germans.

Andy also appeared in World's Most Dangerous Roads alongside Ed Byrne, travelling along the Road of Bones in Siberia, visiting the coldest inhabited place on Earth and sleeping in a tent at -53°c.

After writing for Week Ending, Parsons and Naylor were offered their own show Parsons and Naylor's Pull-Out Sections in 2001. They have also performed live versions of the show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (1993–2001) and at international comedy festivals in Sydney (1998/99), Melbourne and Adelaide (both 1998).

Stand-up comedy

Parsons regularly performs solo shows at comedy festivals, and also at The Comedy Store. He is the Time Out Comedy Award Winner 2002. In 2008, he co-wrote and starred in a BBC Radio 4 sitcom called The Lost Weblog of Scrooby Trevithick and a second series, Scrooby Trevithick, aired in 2010. He toured in the UK with his show Andy Parsons: Citizens! in 2009.[9] The show was recorded at the Lyric Theatre, London on 28 September 2009 and released on DVD in November that year under the title Britain's Got Idiots which was shown on BBC2 in October & December 2010.

In 2010, Parsons took part in Channel 4's Comedy Gala, a benefit show held in aid of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, filmed live at the O2 Arena in London on 30 March.[10]

His 2011 UK National Tour was called 'Gruntled'.[3] and his 2013 tour was called 'I've Got A Shed'. His third DVD 'Slacktivist' was released on 25 November 2013 and was televised on BBC2 in December 2014. His 2015 tour is entitled Live & Unleashed - But Naturally Cautious. [11] Also in 2015 Andy started the Slacktivist Action Group. Occurring monthly with MPs, journalists, experts and comedians.[12]

Stand-Up DVDs

References

  1. ↑ Parsons, Andy (6 May 2015). "Andy Parsons on Peter Cook: the pure filth that inspired my career". The Guardian.
  2. ↑ "Andy Parsons". Chortle. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
  3. 1 2 "What's on: Andy Parsons' Gruntled". The Westmorland Gazette. 4 April 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
  4. ↑ "Andy Parsons reveals his West Country roots". North Devon Journal. 12 March 2009. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
  5. ↑ "Christ's College – Alumni". christs.cam.ac.uk.
  6. 1 2 "What's on leisure – Andy Parsons". Cambridge News. 12 April 2011.
  7. ↑ "Doubled up: Parsons and Naylor's comedy careers". Chortle. 6 July 2003. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007.
  8. ↑ BBC – Comedy – Parsons And Naylor's Pull-Out Sections
  9. ↑ Parsons lands R4 show : News 2007 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide
  10. ↑ Chamberlain, Julia (31 March 2010). "C4 Comedy Gala at the O2, London". Chortle. Archived from the original on 3 April 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
  11. ↑
  12. ↑ "SLACKTIVIST ACTION GROUP". andyparsons.co.uk.

External links

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