Lucy Porter
Encyclopedia
Lucy Donna Porter is an English
actress, writer and comedienne
.
She has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe
, the Brighton Festival
and many clubs around Britain. She has also a regular voice on BBC Radio 4
in various panel shows, including Quote... Unquote
and The Personality Test
.
She is short, describing herself as 4 inch when appearing on The Rob Brydon Show
, and her stand-up style is characterised as chatty and charming while dealing with adult themes from a woman's point of view.
, Greater London
. She is married to Justin Edwards
with one child.
, on programmes such as The Mrs Merton Show
. Her first performance was at a club in Chester
, because that was far enough from home that if it went badly no one would know her.
As an actress, she has made brief appearances in Life's a Pitch and Absolute Power
. Her first high profile acting role was alongside Christian Slater
in the stage version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2004. She reprised her role of a nurse for the 2005 London production.
In 2005, she made regular appearances on Broken News
as Claudia Van Sant.
She has been one of the writers for all nine series of Parsons and Naylor's Pull-Out Sections
, appearing as a special guest performer in many editions. Porter also starred in The Powder Room alongside Julia Morris
and Gina Yashere
, which was also broadcast on BBC Radio 2
.
She is also the script writer for two series of BBC Three
's Anthea Turner: Perfect Housewife
.
In July 2006 she appeared in the first episode of Rob Brydon
's Annually Retentive panel show-based comedy. She was a panelist on show 7 of satirical news quiz show Have I Got News For You's
32nd series, and has appeared on other popular UK panel shows, such as Never Mind The Buzzcocks
and Mock the Week
.
In May 2007, Porter became host of a The Guardian
podcast
, Many Questions
and more recently 'The Heckle'. In June 2007, Porter came second in a celebrity edition of The Weakest Link
. Porter appeared in 2007 on ITV2
's Comedy Cuts
, a programme showcasing the best of the British stand-up comedy circuit.
In 2008, Porter began work as a team captain on the BBC Radio 4
panel game
Act Your Age
.
Lucy Porter has recorded her stand-up show The Good Life for a DVD release by independent label Go Faster Stripe
, and appeared in the 2008 and 2009 series of Mock The Week
.
She is also regularly seen as the warm-up act for Mitchell & Webb's television series screenings at the BBC TV Centre.
In 2009 Lucy took her show 'The Bare Necessities' on a tour of the UK, playing 30 dates between February - June.
In September 2009 Lucy appeared on The One Show
on BBC One
to do a feature on heights. During this feature she was measured and was found to be 4 ft 11in (1,5m).
In November 2009 Lucy appeared at LIVEstock 2009, Friends of the Earth’s comedy and music event at the Hammersmith Apollo in support of the green campaign group’s Food Chain Campaign for planet-friendly farming.
In November 2009 Lucy appeared on Celebrity Mastermind
achieving a record-breaking score of 35 with Steve Martin
as her specialist subject.
Lucy's marriage to her long-term partner, fellow-comedian Justin Edwards
, at the end of 2009, led to substantial re-write of her successful 2009 Edinburgh Festival Fringe show “Fool’s Gold” for her UK tour during 2010. In the original Lucy claimed she was unlikely to ever marry because of an “allergy to gold”, and therefore would never be able to put on a wedding ring; on tour, she makes self-deprecating reference to the original material, given that she is now married.
Lucy was also the presenter of FirstPlay
, a weekly digital "magazine" for European customers on the PlayStation 3
.
Recently, Lucy worked alongside Ed Byrne as her partner in Pointless Celebrities, eventually losing in the penultimate round.
2003:
2004:
2005:
2006:
2007:
2008:
2009: Edinburgh Festival Fringe: Fool's Gold LIVEstock 2009, Friends of the Earth's comedy and music event
UK tours:
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
actress, writer and comedienne
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
.
She has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe
Edinburgh Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the world’s largest arts festival. Established in 1947 as an alternative to the Edinburgh International Festival, it takes place annually in Scotland's capital, in the month of August...
, the Brighton Festival
Brighton Festival
The Brighton Festival is an annual arts festival which takes place in the city of Brighton and Hove in England each May. It was founded in 1966, and is the largest multi-art form festival in England...
and many clubs around Britain. She has also a regular voice on 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...
in various panel shows, including Quote... Unquote
Quote... Unquote
Quote... Unquote is a long-running panel game broadcast on BBC Radio 4 based on quotations. Every episode since the beginning of the series in 1976 has been chaired by its deviser, Nigel Rees. In July 2011, the programme began a new series, being broadcast at 1.30pm on Mondays, repeated on...
and The Personality Test
The Personality Test
The Personality Test is a British radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4, which sees a weekly guest host present a series of questions about themselves to a panel consisting of comedians....
.
She is short, describing herself as 4 inch when appearing on The Rob Brydon Show
The Rob Brydon Show
The Rob Brydon Show is a British talk show hosted by comedian Rob Brydon. The first series started on 17 September 2010 and consists of six regular episodes, a compilation episode and a Christmas special...
, and her stand-up style is characterised as chatty and charming while dealing with adult themes from a woman's point of view.
Personal life
Porter was born and grew up in CroydonCroydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
, Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
. She is married to Justin Edwards
Justin Edwards
Justin Edwards is an English actor and writer.Born in Hampshire, Justin studied at Manchester University, before training at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. He was a member of sketch trio The Consultants, alongside Neil Edmond and James Rawlings...
with one child.
Career
After a degree in English Literature from Manchester University, and working as a journalist on the Big Issue, Lucy began to perform stand-up comedy whilst working as a researcher for Granada TelevisionGranada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
, on programmes such as The Mrs Merton Show
The Mrs Merton Show
The Mrs Merton Show is a mock talk show starring Caroline Aherne as the elderly host Mrs Merton. It ran from 1994 to 1998, and was produced by Granada Television.The writers included Aherne, Craig Cash, Dave Gorman and Henry Normal....
. Her first performance was at a club in Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
, because that was far enough from home that if it went badly no one would know her.
As an actress, she has made brief appearances in Life's a Pitch and Absolute Power
Absolute Power (series)
Absolute Power is a British comedy series, set in the offices of Prentiss McCabe, a fictional public relations company in London, run by Charles Prentiss and Martin McCabe ....
. Her first high profile acting role was alongside Christian Slater
Christian Slater
Christian Michael Leonard Slater is an American actor. He made his film debut with a small role in The Postman Always Rings Twice before playing a leading role in the 1985 film The Legend of Billie Jean...
in the stage version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (play)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a play based on Ken Kesey's 1962 novel of the same name. Dale Wasserman's stage adaptation, with music by Teiji Ito, made its Broadway preview on November 12, 1963, its premiere on November 13, and ran until January 25, 1964 for a total of one preview and 82...
at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2004. She reprised her role of a nurse for the 2005 London production.
In 2005, she made regular appearances on Broken News
Broken News
Broken News is a comedy programme shown on BBC Two in autumn 2005 and in Australia on SBS-TV from the 17 July 2006. The show poked fun at the world of 24-hour rolling news channels. The title of the show is a play on the phrase "Breaking News". It had six thirty-minute episodes...
as Claudia Van Sant.
She has been one of the writers for all nine series of Parsons and Naylor's Pull-Out Sections
Parsons and Naylor's Pull-Out Sections
Parsons and Naylor’s Pull-Out Sections is a BBC Radio 2 satirical comedy show starring Andy Parsons and Henry Naylor. It also stars Richie Webb, and one female "special guest"....
, appearing as a special guest performer in many editions. Porter also starred in The Powder Room alongside Julia Morris
Julia Morris
Julia Morris is an Australian writer, comedian, actress, television presenter and television producer who has worked extensively in Australian and British television and radio. She has toured widely with her solo stand-up comedy shows. In Australia, she is best known as one of the stars of the...
and Gina Yashere
Gina Yashere
Gina Obedapo Yashere is a British comedian of Nigerian descent.-Early life:Yashere was born in Bethnal Green, London, England. Her mother was an immigrant from Nigeria...
, which was also broadcast on BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
.
She is also the script writer for two series of BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
's Anthea Turner: Perfect Housewife
Anthea Turner: Perfect Housewife
Anthea Turner: Perfect Housewife is a reality show that ran on BBC Three from 2006 to 2007 and is hosted by Anthea Turner. In each episode, two housewives are introduced who have difficulties running their home efficiently. Anthea helps them by giving tips in the art of housekeeping, homemaking...
.
In July 2006 she appeared in the first episode of Rob Brydon
Rob Brydon
Rob Brydon is a BAFTA-nominated Welsh actor, comedian, radio and television presenter, singer and impressionist...
's Annually Retentive panel show-based comedy. She was a panelist on show 7 of satirical news quiz show Have I Got News For You's
Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show...
32nd series, and has appeared on other popular UK panel shows, such as Never Mind The Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy panel game television show with a pop music theme, currently without a permanent presenter. It stars Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding as team captains. The show is produced by Talkback Thames for the BBC, and is usually aired on BBC Two...
and Mock the Week
Mock the Week
Mock the Week is a British topical celebrity panel game hosted by Dara Ó Briain that launched in 2005. The game is influenced by improvised topical stand-up comedy, with several rounds requiring players to deliver answers on unexpected subjects on the spur of the moment.It is made by independent...
.
In May 2007, Porter became host of a The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
, Many Questions
Many Questions
Many Questions is a comedy audio podcast, on the Guardian Unlimited website. The show is based on question/answer current affairs programs such as Any Questions? and Question Time, but given a comical element....
and more recently 'The Heckle'. In June 2007, Porter came second in a celebrity edition of The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link is a television game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and will end its run in 2012 when its host Anne Robinson ends her contract. The original British version of the show airs around the world on BBC Entertainment...
. Porter appeared in 2007 on ITV2
ITV2
ITV2 is a 24 hour, free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998, and is available on digital television via satellite, cable, IPTV and terrestrial platforms. The channel has the...
's Comedy Cuts
Comedy Cuts
Comedy Cuts is a comedy programme on the British TV channel ITV2 that aims to provide an opportunity for new comedy performers to present their talents. Featuring 40 performers demonstrating a mix of stand up and sketches, the series is shot entirely on location...
, a programme showcasing the best of the British stand-up comedy circuit.
In 2008, Porter began work as a team captain on the 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...
panel game
Panel game
A panel game or panel show is a radio or television game show in which a panel of celebrities participates. Panelists may compete with each other, such as on The News Quiz; facilitate play by guest contestants, such as on Match Game/Blankety Blank; or do both, such as on Wait Wait.....
Act Your Age
Act Your Age (radio series)
Act Your Age is a panel game on BBC Radio 4 hosted by Simon Mayo. The series, created by Ashley Blaker and Bill Matthews , was first broadcast on 27 November 2008...
.
Lucy Porter has recorded her stand-up show The Good Life for a DVD release by independent label Go Faster Stripe
Go Faster Stripe
Go Faster Stripe is an independent film production and distribution company that operates out of the Chapter Arts Centre, in Cardiff, Wales. The company specialises in the recording of live shows by stand-up comedians who, while in the public eye, may not normally be able to get a DVD released...
, and appeared in the 2008 and 2009 series of Mock The Week
Mock the Week
Mock the Week is a British topical celebrity panel game hosted by Dara Ó Briain that launched in 2005. The game is influenced by improvised topical stand-up comedy, with several rounds requiring players to deliver answers on unexpected subjects on the spur of the moment.It is made by independent...
.
She is also regularly seen as the warm-up act for Mitchell & Webb's television series screenings at the BBC TV Centre.
In 2009 Lucy took her show 'The Bare Necessities' on a tour of the UK, playing 30 dates between February - June.
In September 2009 Lucy appeared on The One Show
The One Show
The One Show is a topical magazine-style daily television programme broadcast live on BBC One and BBC One HD, hosted by Alex Jones and Matt Baker. Chris Evans joins Jones to present the programme on Friday...
on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
to do a feature on heights. During this feature she was measured and was found to be 4 ft 11in (1,5m).
In November 2009 Lucy appeared at LIVEstock 2009, Friends of the Earth’s comedy and music event at the Hammersmith Apollo in support of the green campaign group’s Food Chain Campaign for planet-friendly farming.
In November 2009 Lucy appeared on Celebrity Mastermind
Celebrity Mastermind
Celebrity Mastermind is a British television quiz show broadcast by BBC television. The show is a spin-off of the long running quiz show Mastermind, with the exception that all the contestants are celebrities. As with the main show, John Humphrys is the host and question-master...
achieving a record-breaking score of 35 with Steve Martin
Steve Martin
Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....
as her specialist subject.
Lucy's marriage to her long-term partner, fellow-comedian Justin Edwards
Justin Edwards
Justin Edwards is an English actor and writer.Born in Hampshire, Justin studied at Manchester University, before training at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. He was a member of sketch trio The Consultants, alongside Neil Edmond and James Rawlings...
, at the end of 2009, led to substantial re-write of her successful 2009 Edinburgh Festival Fringe show “Fool’s Gold” for her UK tour during 2010. In the original Lucy claimed she was unlikely to ever marry because of an “allergy to gold”, and therefore would never be able to put on a wedding ring; on tour, she makes self-deprecating reference to the original material, given that she is now married.
Lucy was also the presenter of FirstPlay
FirstPlay
FirstPlay was a video gaming online magazine published by Future Publishing for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. It was produced by the team behind PlayStation Official Magazine and features video reviews and previews and screenshots of upcoming and recently released PlayStation 3 games...
, a weekly digital "magazine" for European customers on the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
.
Recently, Lucy worked alongside Ed Byrne as her partner in Pointless Celebrities, eventually losing in the penultimate round.
Live shows
2002:- The Stonewall Gala
2003:
- Live At The Underbelly
2004:
- Lady Luck
- One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
2005:
- Happiness
- Stand Up For Freedom
2006:
- The Good Life
- Stand Up For Freedom
2007:
- Lucy Porter's Love In
2008:
- Lucy And Des Show Off
- Edinburgh Festival Fringe: The Bare Necessities
2009: Edinburgh Festival Fringe: Fool's Gold LIVEstock 2009, Friends of the Earth's comedy and music event
UK tours:
- 2009 The Bare Necessities:
- 2010 Fool's Gold