Phil Kay

Phil Kay

Phil Kay burst on to the comedy circuit in 1989, when he won the new act contest So You Think You're Funny in only its second year.

His unpredictable, freestyle approach won him a Perrier nomination in 1993 and the award for best stand-up at the 1994 British Comedy Awards, and he was given his own Channel 4 show, Phil Kay Feels..., in 1997, which was recorded in front of a live audience to try to capture his manic energy

However, the showcase failed to make him a star and, aside from the occasional panel game appearance, his career is now limited mainly to shows at Edinburgh and other festivals.

He has recently started hosting kids’ shows on the festival scene, where his silly style has proved popular with the younger audience.

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They laugh and laugh.. and then they laugh some more

Phil Kay chooses his Perfect Playlist

I'm only choosing one clip for my perfect playlist and it's Laurel and Hardy...

One night I was hitch-hiking back from a gig in Aberdeenshire and got stuck a bit by Huntly, right between the 24-hour Asda and the 24-hour Tesco, when the police passed me as I was going for  pee in the bushes and they got suspicious….

After managing to avoid getting arrested, I then got a lift to Elgin from a pimped-up, lowered-down Nova with the neon underlights and three guys in it, two of them rolling spiffs thick as their wrists and swaying like skittles on a boat as we took those roundabouts that bejewel the glorious A96 in the nighttime fashion of minimal diversion from a straight line as possible.

They dropped me at the far edge of Elgin at that small bridge over where the river Lossie is still leapable for humans and salmon alike. And as I got out, the smoke departed upwards in a massive shape resembling the interior of the car, floating up into the hills to join with the mist and the atoms of all the real fires in this area.

Now I'm by the road that leads up to the Moray Single Malt Distillery and I consider breaking in there for the night and at least steeling an Angel's Share of fumes as comfort till dawn, yet I remember that one Christmas, where the Moray was on special offer of £13.99 for a LITRE and we had three and now I can't drink it anymore. And so I decide to hitch a white van which is coming my way.

The van stops and the windows wind down and Jim says: 'Is that you Phil Kay?' I say 'Yeh', and get in and go back to his to drink red wine and watch his Laurel and Hardy Box set...

I direct him to Blotto, a film where Stan has nicked some 'booze' from his wife's cupboard but she has replaced it with tabasco sauce and hot mustard and vinegar, and they go to a nightclub and sneak it into cups of prohibition milk and get pissed anyway and laugh and laugh at their successful naughtiness… and then.. .they're laughing and laughing until Stan turns to see his wife has followed them there and is sitting glowering at them holding a shotgun wrapped in brown paper...and... they... and laugh more..

Fell off the sofa.

Phil Kay will lead the madness of Soirée Subterranea, a variety might in a secret underground chamber in London tomorrow (Saturday November 29). Tickets, priced £25, are available here.

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Published: 28 Nov 2014

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Past Shows

Edinburgh Fringe 2001

Goose Nights

Phil Kay


Edinburgh Fringe 2003

Express Excess

Phil Kay


Edinburgh Fringe 2005

All In The Timing

Phil Kay


Edinburgh Fringe 2007

Phil Kay [2007]

Phil Kay: Justice


Edinburgh Fringe 2011

Phil Kay: Free Hash


Edinburgh Fringe 2014

Phil Kay: The Wholly Viable II


Edinburgh Fringe 2016

Phil Kay: Laugh & Death


Edinburgh Fringe 2017

Phil Kay: Euphoric


Edinburgh Fringe 2018

Phil Kay: Lighter Hour


Edinburgh Fringe 2021

Phil Kay: Alphalfa Male...


West End run

Crack


Agent

We do not currently hold contact details for Phil Kay's agent. If you are a comic or agent wanting your details to appear here, for a one-off fee of £59, email steve@chortle.co.uk.

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