Helen Keen
| Helen Keen | |
|---|---|
 Helen Keen performs at the Hackney Empire, London, on 28 January 2007 |
|
| Born | Yorkshire, England |
| Medium | stand-up, radio |
| Nationality |  British |
Helen Keen is an English alternative comedian and writer born in Yorkshire, now living in London.
Contents |
[edit] Career
In 2005, along with writing partner Miriam Underhill, she won the first Channel 4 New Comedy Writing Initiative award.[1][2] Judges included station executives, as well as Annie Griffin, Victoria Pile and Arthur Mathews.[3] She also reached the 2005 UK Funny Women final.[4] In 2006, she was a finalist for the hotly-competed Hackney Empire New Act of the Year title.[5] In 2007, she performed in the second annual tribute to Malcolm Hardee.[6][7] Her broadcast writing has included regular credits on BBC Radio 1's late-night experimental comedy show The Milk Run and BBC Radio 4's long-running The Now Show as well as the Dog Almighty edition of Channel 4's Comedy Lab series and the 2007 series of Channel 4's The Friday Night Project.
Keen's subject matter tends towards the unusual and esoteric.[8][9] At the Buxton Festival Fringe in July 2008, her first full-length solo show It Is Rocket Science! was nominated as Best Show and she won the Best Individual Performer award.[10] She then performed the show throughout the Edinburgh Fringe in August, 2008.[11]
Her second full-length show Helen Keen: The Primitive Methodist Guide to Arctic Survival ran throughout the Edinburgh Fringe in August, 2009. Also in this show and in interviews[12] Keen, a postman's daughter, discussed her working class family background and her early experience of selective mutism.
[edit] Radio
In December 2010 Keen recorded her first BBC Radio 4 series, It Is Rocket Science. She created, wrote and performed in the 4-part series based on her 2008 Edinburgh show It Is Rocket Science! Alongside Keen, the show starred Susy Kane and Peter Serafinowicz and was produced by Gareth Edwards. The first episode was broadcast on 9 March, 2011. A second series has been commissioned and will be broadcast in 2012.[13]
[edit] Awards
Helen Keen is currently Comedian in Residence at the Newcastle Centre for Life Science Village - this is the first time this position has been awarded.
Channel 4 New Comedy Writing Award 2005[1]
Buxton Festival Fringe Best Comedy Performance 2008[10]
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Channel 4 announcement". http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/comedy/microsites/N/newcomedywriters/introduction.html.
- ^ "Writers' Guild announcement". http://writersguild.blogspot.com/2005/09/channel-4-comedy-winners.html.
- ^ "The Stage". http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/9894/one-off-kelly-drama-cold-blood-ready-for.
- ^ "Review on Chortle, UK comedy industry website". http://www.chortle.co.uk/shows/misc_live_shows/f/11509/funny_women_final_2005/review/.
- ^ "List of Hackney finalists". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackney_Empire_New_Act_of_the_Year.
- ^ Maxwell, Dominic (30 January 2007). "Review in The Times (London), 30th January, 2007". http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/comedy/article1303169.ece. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
- ^ "Review on Chortle, UK comedy industry website". http://www.chortle.co.uk/shows/misc_live_shows/m/15055/malcolm_hardee_charity_cabaret_2007/review/.
- ^ "Review on Chortle, 2007". http://www.chortle.co.uk/comics/h/568/review?original=1.
- ^ Kettle, James (20 March 2010). "Guardian Review, 2010". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2010/mar/20/comedy-picks-of-the-week. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
- ^ a b "List of Buxton Festival Fringe finalists". http://www.buxtonfringe.org.uk/awards2008.html.
- ^ Time Out, 10–16 April 2008
- ^ "Interview on Woman's Hour, Jan 2010". http://www.chortle.co.uk/comics/h/568/review?original=1.
- ^ "BBC Radio 4 webpage for It Is Rocket Science". http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00zt22n#synopsis.
