On the Pope

From his 2011 DVD

More Chris Addison videos

Chris Addison started his comedy career by winning Manchester’s City Life Comedian of the Year Award in 1995.

Three years later, he performed his first solo show at the Edinburgh Fringe, which earned him a nomination for Perrier best newcomer. He was shortlisted for the main award twice more: for 2004's Civilisation – which also won him a Barry Award nomination at the Melbourne Comedy Festival and was later made into a Radio 4 series – and 2005's Atomicity.

He won the Chortle Award for best compere in 2003 and was nominated for best headliner in 2005.

In 2000 , he co-hosted Channel 4's short-lived Dotcomedy with Gail Porter, featuring gags taken from the internet. He is now best known for starring in BBC Two's political comedy The Thick Of It, and its 2009 movie spin-off In The Loop, playing an out-of-his-depth spin doctor. And he alsoo starred in his own BBC Two sitcom Lab Rats, a surreal, gaggy venture which received a lukewarm critical reception.

Addison also co-wrote and co-starred in Radio 4's political satire The Department, along with John Oliver and Andy Zaltzman, which ran for 14 episodes between 2004 aand 2006.

He has alwo written two novels: Cautionary Tales For Grown-Ups in 2006 and It Wasn't Me: Why Everybody Is To Blame And You're Not in 2008.

Original Review:

His core appeal may be to middle-class people, like himself, who are smugly proud of their education, but he’s first to mock his own self-satisfaction. If You Like QI, you’ll love Chris Addison.

Alongside the clever stuff subject matter, the meat of his set his sometimes silly, sometimes surreal, sometimes passionate and insightful; there really is something here for everyone.

Addison’s usual trick is to take an obscure, over-intellectual theme then hang all manor of observational routines on to it, covering anything from dinosaurs to Masai warriors. It’s sharply written and performed with an impressively physical vigour, even if sometimes his exaggerated tomfoolery seems more to his benefit than ours. But he’s never less than entertaining.

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Saw Chris at Bloomsbury Theatre earlier this month, he was great. Despite such a long show he had the material and physical strength to never let the audience down. lovely stuff

Pat Garnett, April 2009

Watched Chris as part of Edinburgh and Beyond at the New Players Theatre and he was amazing.

Tim, October 2006

The best comedian I've ever seen at the Edinburgh festival (and I've seen lots).

Jass, March 2006

I noticed a few Bill Hicks gags too, but it didn't matter, they were but drops in an ocean of outstanding material. Since I last saw him, Addison's grown every more gangly and a little foppish, but he hits the comedy nail with some force. His act had everything from puerile (but funny) silliness right up to gags about rhetorical structures, all delivered at breackneck speed and with unswerving enthusiasm. Really, really good.

Jason Holdcroft, November 2005

I saw Chris at the Wales Millennium Centre last night. I thoroughly enjoyed the show. He had very well thought and original material; it's just a shame he had to steal one of Bill Hicks' classics! With that incident aside, it was an excellent show.

Ifan Rhys, November 2005

Fantastic! Really made me laugh and think at the same time - a novel experience

[Anon], November 2005

I was blown away. It's great when a comedian makes you think as well as laugh.

Dan, October 2005

Saw Chris in Hull tonight, brilliant. Second time Ive seen him - thought he was wonderful frist time but he exceeded my expectations tonight. Come round our house Chris, we could all rant at the telly together.

Karen, September 2005

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