Michael Legge (comedian)
Encyclopedia
Michael Legge is a Northern-Irish stand-up comedian
and television host. He has written for the BBC
, ITV
, Channel 4
, MTV
, VH1
and other media, and has appeared in numerous venues throughout the UK as well as in Australia
, USA, Canada
, Singapore
, Holland, Germany
and Dubai
. Legge has also performed Warm-Up for television shows such as 8 Out of 10 Cats
, Would I Lie To You?
and many others. Before becoming a professional comedian
, Legge featured in several TV commercials.
Michael began performing in 1991 along with the writer Stella Duffy
and fellow comedian John Gordillo
in the London version of the improvised comedy stage show Theatresports
. He became Artistic Director of London Theatresports
in 1995 and performed in their popular weekly show, Scriptease, at the Tristan Bates Theatre.
He has performed in several Edinburgh Festival shows including The Conversation (2004) with John Voce
, The Clock Hour (2008) and King of Everything (2009) with Johnny Candon.
Michael co-founded and performed in the cult comedy sketch show The Real Daniel O'Donnell Show (2007–2008) at The Albany, London. The monthly show featured Michael along with Paul Litchfield & Jeremy Limb of sketch group The Trap and Margaret Cabourn-Smith
& Zoe Gardner
of The Congress of Oddities along with contributions from Dan Mersh. It also regularly featured stand-up comedian guests and live bands. The Real Daniel O'Donnell Show spawned the 2008 Edinburgh Festival show The Clock Hour.
Legge was nominated for a BAFTA award for his writing on the MTV
website of the show The Osbournes
.
His blog won the 2009 Chortle award for Best off-stage contribution.
Michael also co-hosts a Podcast called Precious Little Podcast with James Hingley. The podcast regularly features Michael shouting at everything. Through the podcast, Michael has occasionally filled in for Richard Herring
on his 6 Music radio show with Andrew Collins
.
Michael's first solo show is Curse Sir Walter Raleigh and will debut at the Edinburgh Festival in 2011.
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...
and television host. He has written for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
, Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
and other media, and has appeared in numerous venues throughout the UK as well as in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, USA, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Holland, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
. Legge has also performed Warm-Up for television shows such as 8 Out of 10 Cats
8 Out of 10 Cats
8 out of 10 Cats is a television comedy panel game made by Zeppotron for Channel 4. It was first broadcast on 3 June 2005. The show is based on statistics and opinion polls, and draws on polls produced by a variety of organizations and new polls commissioned for the programme, carried out by...
, Would I Lie To You?
Would I Lie to You?
"Would I Lie to You?" is a song recorded by British pop duo Eurythmics. It was written by band members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart. Released in the UK and the U.S. from Eurythmics' fifth album Be Yourself Tonight, the song was the first by the duo to feature their change in musical direction...
and many others. Before becoming a professional comedian
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...
, Legge featured in several TV commercials.
Michael began performing in 1991 along with the writer Stella Duffy
Stella Duffy
Stella Duffy is a writer and performer born in London who spent her childhood in New Zealand before returning to the UK.-Biography:Born to a New Zealander father and an English mother, Duffy is the youngest in a family of seven children. The family moved to New Zealand when Duffy was five, and...
and fellow comedian John Gordillo
John Gordillo
John Gordillo is a Perrier Award-nominated English director and Comedian who has directed shows by the Comedian Eddie Izzard and was the host and co-creator of The RDA , a daily late-night topical comedy show...
in the London version of the improvised comedy stage show Theatresports
Theatresports
Theatresports is a form of improvisational theatre, which uses the format of a competition for dramatic effect. Opposing teams can perform scenes based on audience suggestions, with ratings by the audience or by a panel of judges...
. He became Artistic Director of London Theatresports
Theatresports
Theatresports is a form of improvisational theatre, which uses the format of a competition for dramatic effect. Opposing teams can perform scenes based on audience suggestions, with ratings by the audience or by a panel of judges...
in 1995 and performed in their popular weekly show, Scriptease, at the Tristan Bates Theatre.
He has performed in several Edinburgh Festival shows including The Conversation (2004) with John Voce
John Voce
John Voce is an English actor. He has portrayed William Kempe in the period drama A Waste of Shame and the recurring character Tim Parker in Primeval . He has also appeared in the 2001 film Crush and the 2008 film Penelope...
, The Clock Hour (2008) and King of Everything (2009) with Johnny Candon.
Michael co-founded and performed in the cult comedy sketch show The Real Daniel O'Donnell Show (2007–2008) at The Albany, London. The monthly show featured Michael along with Paul Litchfield & Jeremy Limb of sketch group The Trap and Margaret Cabourn-Smith
Margaret Cabourn-Smith
Margaret Cabourn-Smith is a British comedy actress. She is known for her roles in shows such as the IT Crowd, Miranda, Bigipedia, Katy Brand's Big Ass Show, Peep Show, Lab Rats and The Maltby Collection.-External links:...
& Zoe Gardner
Zoe Gardner
Zoe Gardner is a comedy writer/actress in television, radio and theatre.Gardner studied at Cambridge University and is half of the comedy team The Congress of Oddities...
of The Congress of Oddities along with contributions from Dan Mersh. It also regularly featured stand-up comedian guests and live bands. The Real Daniel O'Donnell Show spawned the 2008 Edinburgh Festival show The Clock Hour.
Legge was nominated for a BAFTA award for his writing on the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
website of the show The Osbournes
The Osbournes
The Osbournes is an American reality television program featuring the domestic life of heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne and his family. The series premiered on MTV on March 5, 2002, and in its first season, was cited as the most-viewed series ever on MTV...
.
His blog won the 2009 Chortle award for Best off-stage contribution.
Michael also co-hosts a Podcast called Precious Little Podcast with James Hingley. The podcast regularly features Michael shouting at everything. Through the podcast, Michael has occasionally filled in for Richard Herring
Richard Herring
Richard Keith Herring is a British comedian and writer, whose early work includes his involvement in the double-act, Lee and Herring...
on his 6 Music radio show with Andrew Collins
Andrew Collins (broadcaster)
Andrew Collins is the creator and writer of Radio 4 sitcom Mr Blue Sky. His TV writing work includes EastEnders and the sitcoms Grass and Not Going Out .-Personal life:Collins was a member of the Labour Party between the late 1980s and early 1990s, leaving after Labour's...
.
Michael's first solo show is Curse Sir Walter Raleigh and will debut at the Edinburgh Festival in 2011.