Marcus Brigstocke

Marcus Brigstocke
Brigstocke at the Glastonbury Festival in 2015
Birth nameMarcus Alexander Brigstocke
Born (1973-05-08) 8 May 1973 (age 51)
Guildford, England[1]
MediumTelevision, radio, stand up
EducationUniversity of Bristol
Subject(s)Politics
Spouse
Sophie Prideaux
​
​
(m. 2001; div. 2013)​
​
(m. 2019)​
Children3
Notable works and rolesArgumental
The Now Show

Marcus Alexander Brigstocke (born 8 May 1973) is a British comedian and actor. He has worked in stand-up comedy, television, radio and musical theatre. He has appeared on many BBC television and radio shows.

Early life

Brigstocke is the son of Nick Brigstocke, a stockbroker from a Welsh landed gentry family,[2] and Carol, daughter of senior Royal Air Force officer Air Marshal Sir Walter Pretty.[3][4] He was raised in Surrey,[5] and educated at St Edmunds School in the village of Hindhead in Surrey,[6] at Westbourne House School[7] in Chichester, West Sussex, King's School, Bruton in Somerset,[5] and Hammersmith & Fulham College in west London.[8] He then attended the University of Bristol,[6] where he studied drama, but did not complete his degree.[9]

In his youth, Brigstocke struggled with alcohol and drug addiction.[10]

Aged 19, Brigstocke worked on a North Sea oil rig,[11] and later as a podium dancer (being featured on Electric 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]

Live comedy career

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 (with Dan Tetsell and Danny Robins), which later made the transition to television in the series of short programmes We 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 snowboarder Andrew Maxwell founded a comedy and music festival in the ski resort of Meribel, in the French Alps.

In 2009, Brigstocke starred in the British tour of the American live improvisation show Totally Looped.[14] His second stand-up show, God Collar, toured in 2009.

In June 2010, he announced that he had signed a publishing deal with Transworld to turn the God Collar Tour into a book,[15] which was released in 2011 to mixed reviews.[16]

In 2023, he was the comedy headliner of the may ball at Queens' College, Cambridge.

Radio work

Brigstocke has a radio career including The Now Show (1998-2024, with Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis) and Giles Wemmbley-Hogg Goes Off (2002–2011).

On 9 April 2006, Brigstocke appeared as Bertie Wooster in BBC Radio 4's adaptation of The Code of the Woosters (1938), with Andrew Sachs as Jeeves. Brigstocke hosted The 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, on BBC Radio 4 since 2008,[18] transferring it to TV for one series as I've Never Seen Star Wars for BBC Four in 2009.

From 2013 to 2015, he hosted The 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]

Other radio credits

Film and television

Brigstocke plays an arts journalist named Marcus in the Neil Gaiman film A Short Film About John Bolton (2003) and a radio DJ in the Richard Curtis film Love Actually (2003) and its sequel Red Nose Day Actually (2017).

Brigstocke's television work has included Have I Got News for You and Live at the Apollo. He took part in the BBC Two programme Excuse My French (2006) with Ron Atkinson and Esther Rantzen. They were immersed in the French language by staying in a French town in Provence. 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 channel Dave. He was the captain of the Red Team, competing against Rufus Hound with a variety of guest participants, under the chairmanship of John Sergeant.[23]

He has also worked for television shows aimed at children for CBBC: Stupid! (2004-2007) and Sorry, I've Got No Head (2008-2011).

Brigstocke appeared in the first series of The 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" by DJ Dee Kline.[25]

Other television credits

Other film credits

Theatre

In 2010, Brigstocke made his musical theatre debut as King Arthur in the British tour of Spamalot for a limited engagement. He then starred in The Railway Children as Albert Perks at the Waterloo Station Theatre in 2011.[28] He appeared in the role of Ali Hakim at two semi-staged concert performances of Oklahoma! at the Proms with the John Wilson Orchestra on 11 August 2017.

In late 2017, Brigstocke played the title role in a revival of Barnum at the Menier Chocolate Factory. For this, he acquired specialist circus skills including magic and walking a tightrope. He chronicled his motivation and progress in an article for The Guardian.[29]

In 2019, Brigstocke adapted his radio play The Red into a theatrical play staged at Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh.[30] It was later adapted into an online version released during 2022.[31]

Personal life

In 2001, Brigstocke married film-maker Sophie Prideaux, daughter of John Prideaux, former chairman of Union Railways;.[32][33][34] they have a son and a daughter.[35] They divorced in 2013 following his affair with Hayley Tamaddon with whom he co-starred in the musical Spamalot in 2010.[36] Since April 2018, he has been in a relationship with fellow comedian Rachel 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 The Altitude Festival.[39] He has performed in beatboxing battles on stage with Shlomo and Bellatrix.[40]

References

  1. ^ Nevin, Charles (19 November 2005). "When you're smiling". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 August 2007.
  2. ^ Burke's Landed Gentry 18th edition, vol. 3, 1972, ed. Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd, 'Brigstocke formerly of Blaenpant' pedigree
  3. ^ "Pretty family history" (PDF). Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  4. ^ "People and Business: Surprise party - 30 years on". The Independent. 12 May 1999. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  5. ^ a b "Marcus Brigstocke: I could easily empty the fridge – I just don't". Evening Standard. 27 January 2010. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  6. ^ a b c Oglethorpe, Tim (21 April 2001). "Interview: Marcus Brigstocke - Savage past of Marcus; Marcus Brigstocke of The Savages on his misspent youth and how he got back on the straight and narrow". The Express (London, England). MGN Ltd. (archive)
  7. ^ "The king of laughs". York Press. 19 June 2010. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  8. ^ Ing, Will (20 January 2020). "RetroFirst: Architect behind 1970s college calls for retrofit over demolition". Architects Journal. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  9. ^ "Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled". Who Do You Think You Are?. 9 August 2014. Dave.
  10. ^ Edwards, Chris (25 February 2019). "Marcus Brigstocke shares addiction battle in Famous and Fighting Crime". Digital Spy. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  11. ^ "Would I Lie to You?". BBC TV. 24 August 2009.
  12. ^ Brew, Simon (23 March 2009). "Marcus Brigstocke interview". DenOfGeek.com.
  13. ^ Marcus Brigstocke – Planet Corduroy (DVD Region 2). The Shaw Theatre, London, England: Sony/BMG. 26 November 2007. ASIN B000X21NIS.
  14. ^ "Totally Looped". Totally Looped. Retrieved 13 March 2009.
  15. ^ "Marcus Brigstocke Official Twitter Page". Twitter. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
  16. ^ "God Collar, by Marcus Brigstocke". The Independent. 19 June 2011. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
    - "Marcus Brigstocke's God Collar is all punchlines and no punch". Metro. 28 June 2011. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  17. ^ "Four - The Late Edition". BBC. 23 January 2008. Retrieved 13 March 2009.
  18. ^ Elan, Priya (15 January 2015). "I've Never Seen Star Wars – review: a few gentle, pleasant first-time challenges for Rebecca Front". The Guardian.
  19. ^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Brig Society". Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  20. ^ "BBC Radio Drama". BBC. 5 September 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  21. ^ "BBC Audio Drama Awards". BBC. 28 January 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  22. ^ "BBC Radio Comedy". BBC. 5 December 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  23. ^ Sweney, Mark (10 November 2009). "Argumental to air on BBC2". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited. Archived from the original on 13 November 2009. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
  24. ^ Baillie, Katie (10 February 2016). "The Jump: Former contestant Marcus Brigstocke says his injury on the show 'f***ed up a year of my life'". Metro. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  25. ^ Topham, Gwyn (2 June 2000). "Comic trio enjoy financial rewards of a sample life". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
  26. ^ "The Blame Game Series 22 episode 1". BBC. 2 November 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  27. ^ "Famous and Fighting Crime". Channel 4. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  28. ^ Paddock, Terri (29 March 2010). "Spamalot Crowns Brigstocke, Nicholas' Pirate King". What's on Stage. Archived from the original on 9 February 2013. Retrieved 30 March 2010.
  29. ^ "Marcus Brigstocke: my bruising bid to become PT Barnum, the greatest showman on earth". The Guardian. 8 November 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  30. ^ Vale, Paul (4 August 2019). "The Red". The Stage. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  31. ^ Akvar, Arifa (18 March 2022). "The Red review – Marcus Brigstocke probes the psychology of the addict". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  32. ^ "No. 53696". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 June 1994. p. 10.
  33. ^ "Prideaux, John Denys Charles Anstice, (Born 8 Aug. 1944), Chairman: Festiniog Railway Company, since 2006; Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways Trust (Formerly Festiniog Railway Trust), since 1998; Danube Eastern Railway Company, since 2013". Who's Who. 2007. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U31462. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4.
  34. ^ Visitation of England and Wales, vol. 16, Frederick Arthur Crisp, pp. 36–40, Prideaux pedigree
  35. ^ "Making an exhibition of themselves". Chortle. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
    - "Marcus Brigstocke: The comedian now arriving at Waterloo ..." The Independent. 18 June 2011. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  36. ^ Dominic Maxwell (27 November 2017). "Marcus Brigstocke: 'I've got a job I love, but a lot of the time I am really struggling'". The Times. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  37. ^ Dessau, Bruce (3 April 2018). "Rachel Parris talks The Mash Report, Piers Morgan and savaging Donald Trump". Evening Standard.
    - Silverman, Rosa (9 February 2019). "Marcus Brigstocke: 'I'm an addict in recovery but I'm a nice posh boy so it's been relatively easy for me'". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  38. ^ Leahy, Kate (14 February 2021). "Rachel Parris and Marcus Brigstocke on addiction, stepchildren and online gigs". The Times. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  39. ^ "Official Site for the stand-up comic, writer, presenter & actor". Marcus Brigstocke. Archived from the original on 1 April 2009. Retrieved 13 March 2009.
  40. ^ "Shlomo’s Glasto diary 09 – Part 4 – Marcus Brigstocke vs Bellatrix beatbox battle". Shlomo Beatboxing Adventures blog. 21 September 2009.
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