NEIL MCFARLANE

Neil McFarlane has been performing on the Scottish comedy circuit for four years, and people are now quite regularly paying him to do so. Otherwise he refuses to vacate the stage. Lately he's also been gigging in the north of England, inspiring widespread panic. He writes all his own stuff (as far as he knows), has never considered dyeing his hair or changing his name, and is still wondering what happened to Level 42.

Relentlessly and unspeakably middle class, Neil has given up claiming in his act that he comes from Glasgow because he actually comes from Bearsden, which is a posh suburb of that city and therefore doesn't count. He has a reasonable day job, comes from a very secure and stable background with a good education and a high standard of living, and his parents are both still alive and happily married - all of which, from the perspective of artistic integrity and creative angst, are matters of intense irritation to him.

Neil reached the Scottish semi-final of the BBC New Comedy Awards in 2001, so technically that means he's been on the telly (for the 7 people who had BBC THREE at the time). If you really want to stretch the point, he's also been on 15 to 1 twice, and has the dubious honour of being the only contestant in the show's history to have been told off by William G. Stewart for slouching. He has never had a review, and yet he suspects he is under surveillance...

Neil is available for support or compère work and has had all his jabs. Allow him to gently divert you from the horrific truth of your own existential plight, and to occasionally use the word 'seepage'.

Background
University of Alabama, August 1996 - June 1997: 1st and 2nd Gentlemen in Othello; Balthazar in The Merchant of Venice; 15 comedy sketches, originally performed by Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie; three stand-up gigs, featuring material by Woody Allen, Lenny Henry and Billy Connolly.

First Open Spot: Blackfriar's Comedy Club, Glasgow, September 1999. Now gigging regularly on the Scottish circuit, and occasionally further afield. Wholly original material.

Support (10-25 mins): Offshore Comedy Club, Glasgow
Crazy Ape Comedy Club, Glasgow Reg Anderson's Comedy Cellar, Christie's, Edinburgh
Canvas Comedy Club, Arta, Glasgow
Vigorous Lime Comedy Club, Nice 'n' Sleazy, Glasgow
Queen Margaret Student Union, Glasgow University
Glasgow University Postgraduate Research Club
Madcap Comedy Club, The State Bar, Glasgow
Jongleurs Scottish Talent Showcase, Edinburgh Fringe 2001
Bruce Morton Presents, The Stand Comedy Club, Glasgow
Bruce Morton Presents, The Stand Comedy Club, Edinburgh
Fred MacAulay Presents, The Stand Comedy Club, Edinburgh
The Empire Laughs Back, The Empire, Belfast
Fin McCool's, Edinburgh
The Comic Club, Blackfriars, Glasgow
Craic at the Sac, Cul de Sac, Glasgow
Aberdeen North College Student's Union
The Comedy Module, Solid Rock Café in the West, Glasgow
Carnegie Hall, Dunfermline
Stirling Comedy Club
The Stand Comedy Club, Edinburgh
The Stand Comedy Club, Glasgow
The Live Floor Show (rehearsals), BBC Scotland, at The Stand Glasgow
Abertay University Union, Dundee
The Comic Club at the Brunswick Hotel, Glasgow
The Comic Club at The Duke, Dennistoun, Glasgow
The Laughing Horse Comedy Club, Richmond, London
The Laughing Horse Comedy Club, King's Cross, London
Monty's, Dunfermline
Bonkerz, Altamont Springs Holiday Inn, Florida
Spirit Aid Laugh for Peace, Stand Comedy Club, Glasgow
Cobb's Comedy Club, San Francisco CA
Brainwash Comedy Club, San Francisco CA
Jongleurs, Glasgow
XS Malarky, Bar XS, Manchester
The Iguana, Manchester
Wildcat @ The Blue Cat Café, Manchester
Laugh @ The Union, Strathclyde University Student Union
Rawhide, Liverpool

Compère Work: Vigorous Lime Comedy Club, Nice 'n' Sleazy, Glasgow
Bulbous Fish Comedy Club, Strathclyde University, Glasgow
Angel Eye Scotland (Purple Vision), Edinburgh. (Compèring for Jason Byrne)
Crieff Hydro Hotel Staff Social Club, Perthshire
The Comedy Coop, O'Neill's Merchant City, Glasgow
The Comedy Module, Solid Rock Café West, Glasgow
Red Raw, The Stand Comedy Club (Edinburgh)
Madcap Comedy Club, The State Bar, Glasgow

Fringe 1999: Performed in profit-share production Scotland 2010: An Independent Country? Sketch and music.
Fringe 2000: Performed in and co-wrote Tone Dead, comedy play with music, at Gilded Balloon.

Extra Work and Small Film/TV Roles: One Life Stand (feature, Elemental Films)
Vids (TV Series, Ideal World for Channel 4)
Leonard (Stella Maris Films for Scottish TV)
Something Else (lo-budget sitcom pilot, supporting role)

Other work: Regular weekly comedy quiz, Reasonable Neil's Cocktail Therapy, at Queen Margaret Union,
Glasgow University.
Regular contributor, The Fred MacAulay Show, BBC Radio Scotland (producer Nick Astor).

BBC New Comedy Awards 2001: Semi-finalist, Glasgow
BBC New Comedy Awards 2003: Regional Finalist (Scotland)
Jongleurs Stand and Deliver Competition: Regional Finalist (Scotland)

Accents: Broad Scots, Received Pronunciation, London / South East, Upper Class English, Manchester, Belfast, Dublin, comedy German, comedy French, comedy Italian, comedy Middle East, Russian / Eastern Europe, Deep South USA, New York (Jewish, Italian, standard), California.