WestBeth Artists
Featured Artist
Bill Bailey
Official Website: www.billbailey.com
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Since he was nominated for a Perrier Award for his first solo show at the Edinburgh Festival in 1996, Bill has completed five major UK and International tours and was awarded the Best Stand-up at the British Comedy Awards in 1999.
Following on from a successful residency at New York's Westbeth Theatre in the Spring of 2002 with his show, Bewilderness, Bill was invited back to the USA in 2002, where he performed the show for a two-month run at the 47th Street Theatre, New York. Bewilderness featured the unique blend of comedy and music that has earned Bill great critical acclaim and an international fan base. The New York Times wrote, 'He is an unalloyed pleasure, a treat for the funny bone, the brain and the ear.'
On his return from New York, Bill performed to sell-out crowds at the 2003 New Zealand Comedy Festival, where he hosted the annual Gala, in Japan and at the prestigious US Comedy Arts Festival 2003 in Aspen.
Bill took his live show, Part Troll, to The Hague, Brussels, Antwerp, Glastonbury, the Ealing Comedy Festival and to the Edinburgh Festival, where he performed the first full preview at the Pleasance on 30th July. The show ran at the Pleasance until 25th August.
In addition to his own show, Bill also starred in Guy Masterson's production of 12 Angry Men at the Assembly Rooms throughout August.
In October 2003 Bill took Part Troll to London's West End at the Wyndhams Theatre for a week's run (from October 13th) and to the 2003 Brighton Comedy Festival. He sold out 52 dates of his UK Part Troll tour throughout May, June and July in 2004 and finished the year with an extended 10 week run in the West End at the Apollo Theatre.
in 2005 Bill performed at Kilkenny and Hay Festivals and completed a hugely successful tour of Australia.
He also returned to Edinburgh where he played Oscar in Guy Masterson's production of The Odd Couple throughout August. His performance was widely acclaimed.
The following year Bill presented an episode of the animal conservation show Final Chance to Save for Sky One and hosted a new wildlife show, Wild Thing I Love You for Channel 4.
Bill returned to Edinburgh for the festival in August to perform his show Steampunk at the EICC.
In February 2007 Bill starred in and executive produced 'Pinter's People', a play at The Royal Theatre Haymarket, featuring 14 of Harold Pinter's sketches from 1959 to 2006.
In the same month Bill peformed 2 shows with the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Queen Elizabeth Hall and Watford Coliseum. Cosmic Shindig offered fans the unique experience of hearing a selection of Bill's favourite songs and sketches performed with a full orchestral backing.
You can currently see Bill in Edgar Wright's new film Hot Fuzz.
Bill's TV and film credits include 3 series of Black Books, in which he stars as Manny alongside Dylan Moran, Team Captain on BBC2's Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Q.I., Jonathan Creek and Wild West for BBC1, his own 1998 series, Is It Bill Bailey, and the feature film, Saving Grace.
WHAT THE PRESS HAVE SAID:
"He is an unalloyed pleasure"
The New York Times
"He is a treat for the funny bone, the brain and the ear"
The New York Times
"Bill Bailey, won't you please come back"
The New York Times
"Bill Bailey's live shows are a treat"
The Observer
"His show is a consistently brilliant collage of musical parodies, anecdotes and off-the-wall surrealism"
The Observer
"His shows are as perfect a comedy package as you could hope to find"
The Times
"His redneck parody had all the tart vigour of a Tom Lehrer song"
The Times
"The finest stand-up comedian this country has to offer"
The Times
"Hilarious, unmissable…leaves you gasping"
The Sunday Times
"Hugely Funny… hugely talented"
Time Out
About Black Books:
"The funniest programme on television"
The Observer
"Bailey and Moran have graduated triumphantly from the stand-up circuit"
Daily Mail