Peter Kay

December 2nd, 2009Peter Kay Tickets UK Tour

Peter Kay

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December 2nd, 2009Biography

About Peter Kay

In 1997 despite being a fresh comic and had only did 2 gigs Peter Kay had just won North West comedian of the year. 7 Years later that man has became one of Britain’s most celebrated performers and comedian. Before Peter Kay became a well know comedian he worked in a cinema. Peter Kay was born and bred in Bolton in 1974 he still lives there to this day.

1997: Had been performing stand-up comedy for less than 1 year when he won the Channel 4 “So You Think You’re Funny?” competition.

1998: Nominated for the prestigious Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and for Top Stand Up and Top TV Comedy Newcomer at the British Comedy Awards.
- Presented the Big Breakfast (Channel 4) and the Sunday Show (BBC2).
- Performed at the Royal Variety Performance.
- His first big break as writer / performer was a one off entitled ”The Services”, a mock-documentary style comedy, set in a service station, commissioned and broadcast as part of Channel 4s Comedy Lab - a series which nurtures new comedy talent.

1999: Sellout tour of the North West of England, which included 3,000 seat venues. Peters first live stand-up video Peter Kay Live at the Top of the Tower, which was filmed at Blackpool tower, has recently been released on video.

January/February 2000:
co-wrote, co-produced and starred in several roles in “That Peter Kay Thing” (set in and around Bolton) a collection of 6 individual comedies shot documentary style. Transmitted on Channel 4. TPKT won Best New Comedy Series at the prestigious British Comedy Awards 2000.

2001:
co-wrote, co-produced and starred as three characters in Phoenix Nights (Channel 4). This 6-part comedy drama set in a northern social club. Has just finished filming his second series of Phoenix Nights, which was transmitted earlier this year. This series was his directorial debut. He also married his wife Susan Kay

2002:
first national “Mum Wants a Bungalow Tour”, culminating in two weeks at the Lowry in Salford.

2003:
Peter finished his “Mum Wants a Bungalow Tour” and takes a three year break from stand up comedy. Peter’s wife Susan Kay becomes pregnant. Peter records 2 episodes in one of Britain’ favorite TV soap Coronation Street.

2004:
Peter’s first born child is born. Peter also appears in Coronation Street
- Coronation Street (Granada): played a carpenter
- Born to Run (BBC) alongside Keith Allen and Billie Whitelaw
- Butterfly Collectors (Granada Film) with Pete Postlethwaite.
- 24 Hour Party People directed by Michael Winterbottom.
- John Smith’s bitter commercials
- Going Off Big time directed by Jim Doyle
- Blow Dry directed by Paddy Breathnach
- Jonathan Ross
- Max & Paddys Road To Know Where
- John Smith Advert

2005:

- Comic Relief video shown on comic relief night
- Parkinson (ITV)
- Released Amaerillo
- Amarillo number one in the official top 40

2006:
- Appeared on Sports Relief
- Voice over for the Brit Awards
- Featured and Directed the Texas video “Sleep”
- Featured in Doctor Who
- John Smith Advert

2007:
- Comic Relief Does Little Britian “I Would Walk 1000 Miles”
- Peter Kay U Kay Stand up DVD
- Roary Racing Car – Voice Over Work
- Paul O Grady (C4)
- Bride Of Britian

2008:
- Britain’s Got The Pop Factor and Possible a new celebrity Jesus Christ soap star superstar…..(TV)
- The Winners Song (CD)
- Special Kay (DVD)
- Geraldine The Winners Story (TV)
- Once Upon A Christmas Song (CD)

Peter Kay Biography

After leaving Mount St Joseph High School, Kay took several menial jobs, including working in a toilet roll factory, Netto supermarket, Cash and Carry, and a bingo hall, which later inspired episodes or sequences in That Peter Kay Thing. He attended the University of Salford where he studied a Higher National Diploma in Media Performance. This involved a stand-up course at which he excelled. His first stand-up was a competition in Manchester, hosted by later co-star and co-writer of Phoenix Nights, Dave Spikey. Peter was last on the bill and won the competition, beating fellow stand-up comedian Johnny Vegas.

Kay’s earliest TV appearance was an interview with Granada Television in which he listed the contents of his room, as well as detailing his experience meeting Jimmy Savile. This would later be used in That Peter Kay Thing, in the role of Leonard De-Thompkinson.

Kay’s experience working at the Manchester Evening News Arena inspired him to wear the official yellow jacket of the MEN Arena for the final performance of his Mum Wants a Bungalow tour. Kay has said that he sought a career in comedy. During his time working as a cinema usher, he experimented with stand-up, participating in several local events, as well as others at the Comedy Store in Manchester. After losing his job at the cinema, Kay was presented with the choice between finding another menial job or moving into comedy. After being told by several of his family that he was talented, he chose stand-up. Kay also states that he became a comedian partly to clear debt – though this is believed to be a joke, referring only to the fact that he was out of work.

After he entered and won Channel 4’s So You Think You’re Funny contest in 1997, his first semi-professional stand-up appearances were at the 1998 Edinburgh Fringe festival, where he received a prestigious Perrier Award nomination. During this time, he also appeared at various other clubs, such as London’s influential Comedy Store, and the Barracuda Club in Lincoln. Although this led to a certain level of public recognition, it was only after his heavily-promoted show Live at the Top of the Tower in 2000 that Kay attained mainstream recognition.

During this period, he appeared on several chat shows, such as Parkinson and Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, where he had previously been a warm-up man. Production also began on Phoenix Nights, which was to see him achieve critical acclaim as well as mainstream success. Subsequent advertisements for John Smith’s Bitter, which imitate the realistic style of Phoenix Nights, saw Kay develop his now much-repeated catchphrases "’Ave it!" and "Two Lamb bhunas".

In 2003, he was listed in The Observer as one of the 50 Funniest British Comedians. In addition, he made an appearance in a 2005 poll of comedians and critics to find The Comedian’s Comedian, a search for the 50 greatest funnymen of all time. In March 2005 he also came top in a survey sponsored by the Jongleurs comedy club chain to find Britain’s favourite comedian.

In 2006, a Channel 4 television show voted him as number two in 100 Funniest Moments, most notably for his stand-up act, and in particular for his description of a family wedding.

On 18 April 2006, Channel 4 broadcast a "Peter Kay Night", showing out-takes from Phoenix Nights (previously featured on DVD), a behind-the-scenes documentary of the Mum Wants a Bungalow tour and also the whole Peter Kay Live in Manchester show. During this evening, Kay was seen in character as Max (from Max and Paddy’s Road to Nowhere & Phoenix Nights) discussing the tribute with Paddy (Patrick McGuinness). Max stated that he disliked Peter Kay and thought that Channel 4 was going downhill for dedicating an entire night to him. Paddy wondered why ITV have not snapped up Kay. Max is shown to be ignorant of current events, failing to realise that civil partnerships are now legal and that Elton John has made use of it, to controversial news stories involving Michael Barrymore, Gary Glitter, Diana, Princess of Wales and Michael Jackson. Channel 4 repeated the "Peter Kay Night" on 25 March 2007.

On April 21st 2007, it was revealed that Peter will team up with Craig Cash, of The Royle Family, to write a new sitcom in which Peter will play a binman. They are currently in talks with broadcasters.