Ian Macpherson (comedian)
Encyclopedia
Ian Macpherson is an Irish
writer and performer. He is perhaps most famous for his stand-up comedy (especially his work in alternative comedy
of the 1980s) and his comic novel
, Deep Probings: the autobiography of a genius (1999), which loosely parallels his own life. In 2004, Deep Probings was featured as a BBC Radio 4
Book at Bedtime
.
He has also written a number of children's books including Late Again! (2000).
in 1951, Macpherson moved to Dublin at the age of two. He studied and obtained a degree from University College, Dublin.
Later, in London he became involved with children’s, street and fringe theatre. He wrote and acted in such shows as One For The Road, Mutiny on the Bountiny (sic) and The Good, The Bad and The Banana. He later moved into stand-up comedy to great acclaim and won the first Time Out Comedy Award in 1988.
Several one-man shows followed at the Edinburgh festival
, including The Chair at the Assembly Rooms (2001) and The Joy Of Death (2002) at the Pleasance. At this time he was also writing comedy scripts and radio plays.
He now lives in Glasgow
.
He has a lifelong gra for his old Irish teacher the remarkable 'Redser' and keeps an altar to him in his bedroom. Beside his collection of 'Our Boys' mags.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
writer and performer. He is perhaps most famous for his stand-up comedy (especially his work in alternative comedy
Alternative comedy
Alternative comedy is a term that originated in the 1980s for a style of comedy that makes a conscious break with the mainstream comedic style of an era, and typically avoids relying on a standardised structure of a sequence of jokes with punch lines. Patton Oswalt defines it as "comedy where the...
of the 1980s) and his comic novel
Comic novel
A comic novel is a work of fiction in which the writer not only seeks to amuse the reader, but also to make the reader think about controversial issues, sometimes with subtlety and as part of a carefully woven narrative; sometimes, above all other considerations...
, Deep Probings: the autobiography of a genius (1999), which loosely parallels his own life. In 2004, Deep Probings was featured as a BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
Book at Bedtime
Book at Bedtime
Book at Bedtime is a long-running radio programme on BBC Radio 4, broadcast each weekday evening at 10.45–11.00 pm.Book at Bedtime offers fiction including modern classics, new works by leading writers and literature from around the world. Books are usually abridged and serialised each evening for...
.
He has also written a number of children's books including Late Again! (2000).
Biography
Born in BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
in 1951, Macpherson moved to Dublin at the age of two. He studied and obtained a degree from University College, Dublin.
Later, in London he became involved with children’s, street and fringe theatre. He wrote and acted in such shows as One For The Road, Mutiny on the Bountiny (sic) and The Good, The Bad and The Banana. He later moved into stand-up comedy to great acclaim and won the first Time Out Comedy Award in 1988.
Several one-man shows followed at the Edinburgh festival
Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
, including The Chair at the Assembly Rooms (2001) and The Joy Of Death (2002) at the Pleasance. At this time he was also writing comedy scripts and radio plays.
He now lives in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
.
He has a lifelong gra for his old Irish teacher the remarkable 'Redser' and keeps an altar to him in his bedroom. Beside his collection of 'Our Boys' mags.
External links
- Ian Macpherson Official site
- Discombobulated Ian's Blog
- Deep Probings at Amazon.co.uk
- Bottled Air Ian's series of short stories on BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
- Ian Macpherson at Comedy CV
- "Supporting the Arts" A short satirical piece by Ian Macpherson about arts subsidies
- Late Again! at Amazon.co.uk