The Penny Dreadfuls
Encyclopedia
The Penny Dreadfuls are a British sketch-comedy
troupe consisting of comedians Humphrey Ker
, David Reed
and Thom Tuck
. The sketch team perform regularly on the London comedy circuit.
based improv comedy show The Improverts
in 2001. They performed together for the next four years before forming, along with founding member Jamie Anderson, The Penny Dreadfuls. In 2006, they made their debut appearance at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
with their Victorian-themed sketch show Aeneas Faversham and an improv show entitled Shamwagon, also featuring Edinburgh comics Peter Cameron and Idil Sukan.
Their first appearance on television soon followed with a sketch in BBC Three
's Comedy Shuffle before returning to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2007 with another sketch show, Aeneas Faversham Returns. From here they made the transfer onto radio with their own show, The Brothers Faversham, broadcast in January 2008 on BBC 7
and guest starred Miles Jupp
and Ingrid Oliver
. Each episode of the four-part series followed the life and demise of one of the Faversham brothers; Horatius, Theseus, Leonidas and Augustus. A second series, More Brothers Faversham, was broadcast in October 2008 and later transferred onto BBC Radio 4
over Christmas and New Year. Their 2008 Edinburgh Fringe show, entitled Aeneas Faversham Forever, was a departure from their live sketch roots to a full narrative in the vein of their radio shows. The story followed a mild mannered children's author as he tried to foil a mysterious plot surrounding the newly constructed Tower Bridge
. Following on from this shift to writing narrative comedy, in 2009 they wrote a comic retelling of the story of Guy Fawkes for the afternoon play slot on Radio 4
. They returned to the sketch format for their 2010 Edinburgh Fringe show.
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
troupe consisting of comedians Humphrey Ker
Humphrey Ker
Humphrey Ker is a British actor and an award winning comedian. He is one third of comedy troupe The Penny Dreadfuls.-History:Between 2001 and 2005, Humphrey performed with Edinburgh based improvisational comedy troupe The Improverts...
, David Reed
David Reed (comedian)
David Reed is a British actor, writer and comedian and one third of comedy troupe The Penny Dreadfuls.-Career:Between 2001 and 2005, David performed with Edinburgh based improvisational comedy troupe The Improverts in their weekly short form improvised sketch show as well as regularly appearing in...
and Thom Tuck
Thom Tuck
Thom Tuck is a British actor and comedian and one third of comedy troupe The Penny Dreadfuls.-History:Between 2001 and 2005, Thom acted in over thirty productions at the Bedlam Theatre in Edinburgh as well as directing and writing shows and performing with improv troupe The Improverts.In 2006, he...
. The sketch team perform regularly on the London comedy circuit.
History
The Dreadfuls met performing in EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
based improv comedy show The Improverts
Improverts
The Improverts is the long-running improvisational comedy troupe of the Edinburgh University Theatre Company which primarily performs out of the Bedlam Theatre, Edinburgh...
in 2001. They performed together for the next four years before forming, along with founding member Jamie Anderson, The Penny Dreadfuls. In 2006, they made their debut appearance at the Edinburgh Festival 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...
with their Victorian-themed sketch show Aeneas Faversham and an improv show entitled Shamwagon, also featuring Edinburgh comics Peter Cameron and Idil Sukan.
Their first appearance on television soon followed with a sketch in 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 Comedy Shuffle before returning to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2007 with another sketch show, Aeneas Faversham Returns. From here they made the transfer onto radio with their own show, The Brothers Faversham, broadcast in January 2008 on BBC 7
BBC 7
BBC Radio 4 Extra, formerly known as BBC 7 and BBC Radio 7, is a British digital radio station broadcasting comedy, drama, and children's programming nationally 24 hours a day. It is the principal broadcasting outlet for the BBC's archive of spoken-word entertainment...
and guest starred Miles Jupp
Miles Jupp
Miles Jupp is a British actor and comedian, probably best known as Archie in the children's television series Balamory....
and Ingrid Oliver
Ingrid Oliver
Ingrid Oliver is a British actress and comedian, and one half of comedic double act Watson and Oliver.-Career:In September 2005, Ingrid Oliver and Lorna Watson performed their first show together at The Canal Cafe Theatre in London...
. Each episode of the four-part series followed the life and demise of one of the Faversham brothers; Horatius, Theseus, Leonidas and Augustus. A second series, More Brothers Faversham, was broadcast in October 2008 and later transferred onto 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...
over Christmas and New Year. Their 2008 Edinburgh Fringe show, entitled Aeneas Faversham Forever, was a departure from their live sketch roots to a full narrative in the vein of their radio shows. The story followed a mild mannered children's author as he tried to foil a mysterious plot surrounding the newly constructed Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, England, over the River Thames. It is close to the Tower of London, from which it takes its name...
. Following on from this shift to writing narrative comedy, in 2009 they wrote a comic retelling of the story of Guy Fawkes for the afternoon play slot on 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...
. They returned to the sketch format for their 2010 Edinburgh Fringe show.
Notable appearances
- In June 2008 they appeared in The Supersizers Go... Victorian alongside Sue PerkinsSue PerkinsSue Perkins is an English comedienne, broadcaster, actress, and writer.-Education:Perkins was educated at Croham Hurst School, an independent school for girls in Croydon in South London, at the same time as the BBC Breakfast News presenter Susanna Reid...
and Giles CorenGiles CorenGiles Coren is a British food critic, television presenter and novelist. He is known for expressing controversial opinions, and for his television appearances with the comedian Sue Perkins.-Personal:...
. - In 2009 they appeared in the UK tour of hit improv show, Totally Looped, alongside Phill JupitusPhill JupitusPhillip Christopher Jupitus is an English stand-up and improvised comedian, actor, performance poet, musician and podcaster....
, Marcus BrigstockeMarcus BrigstockeMarcus Alexander Brigstocke is an English comedian, actor and satirist who has worked extensively in stand-up comedy, television, radio and in 2010-2011 musical theatre. He is particularly associated with the 6.30pm comedy slot on BBC Radio 4, having frequently appeared on several of its shows...
, Sanjeev BhaskarSanjeev BhaskarSanjeev Bhaskar, OBE is a British Indian comedian, actor and broadcaster, best known for his work in the BBC Two comedy series Goodness Gracious Me and as host of The Kumars at No. 42...
and Hattie HayridgeHattie HayridgeHattie Hayridge is a British stand-up comedienne and actress, best known for the role of the female version of Holly in Red Dwarf during the third, fourth and fifth series, along with the role of Hilly in Parallel Universe, the final episode of the second series.After graduating from the...
. - In 2009 they provided additional voices for Joan of Arc, and How She Became a Saint, a radio play written by Patrick BarlowPatrick BarlowPatrick Barlow is an English actor, comedian and playwright. His comedic alter ego, Desmond Olivier Dingle, is the founder, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of the two-man National Theatre of Brent, which has performed on stage, on television and on radio.-Radio:Barlow is the scriptwriter, as...
for 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...
, starring Dawn French, Jim BroadbentJim BroadbentJames "Jim" Broadbent is an English theatre, film, and television actor. He is known for his roles in Iris, Moulin Rouge!, Topsy-Turvy, Hot Fuzz, and Bridget Jones' Diary...
and Kevin Eldon. - In 2009 they presented a broadcast for 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...
's Afternoon Play slot, Guy Fawkes. This covered the life of Guy FawkesGuy FawkesGuy Fawkes , also known as Guido Fawkes, the name he adopted while fighting for the Spanish in the Low Countries, belonged to a group of provincial English Catholics who planned the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605.Fawkes was born and educated in York...
, his failed attempt to blow up Parliament and his subsequent interrogation in the Tower of LondonTower of LondonHer Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
. Guest starring Kevin Eldon as Guy Fawkes, and also featuring Miles JuppMiles JuppMiles Jupp is a British actor and comedian, probably best known as Archie in the children's television series Balamory....
and Andrew Pugsley. It was re-broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra on 5 November 2011. - In 2011 they presented a broadcast for 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...
's Saturday Play slot, Revolution. This takes place during the French RevolutionFrench RevolutionThe French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
and covered an imagined meeting in prison between Maximilien RobespierreMaximilien RobespierreMaximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre is one of the best-known and most influential figures of the French Revolution. He largely dominated the Committee of Public Safety and was instrumental in the period of the Revolution commonly known as the Reign of Terror, which ended with his...
and the imprisoned Marie-Therese, the 16-year-old daughter of King Louis XVI and Marie AntoinetteMarie AntoinetteMarie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....
. Guest starring Richard E. GrantRichard E. GrantRichard E. Grant is a Swaziland-born British actor, screenwriter and director. His most notable role came in the film Withnail and I. He holds dual British and Swazi citizenship.-Early life:...
as Robespierre and Sally HawkinsSally HawkinsSally Cecilia Hawkins is an English actress. Her performance as Poppy in the 2008 film Happy-Go-Lucky won her several international awards, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy...
as Marie-Therese, and also featuring Margaret Cabourn-SmithMargaret Cabourn-SmithMargaret 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:...
.
Awards
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Edinburgh Festival 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... |
Three Weeks Editors Award | Aeneas Faversham Returns | |
| 2008 | Brighton Festival Fringe Brighton Festival Fringe The Brighton Festival Fringe is an open access arts festival held annually in Brighton, England. It is the largest annual arts festival in England.- Introduction :... |
Latest 7 Best Comedy Award | Aeneas Faversham Forever | |
| 2008 | Edinburgh Festival 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... |
Total Theatre Award | Aeneas Faversham Forever | |