Sean Lock
| Sean Lock | |
|---|---|
 Sean Lock, at The Hexagon in Reading - 2008 |
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| Born | 22 April 1963 Chertsey, Surrey, England[1] |
| Medium | Television, stand-up |
| Nationality | British |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Genres | Observational comedy, surreal humour |
| Subject(s) | Television, Current events, Human interaction |
| Influences | Sam Kinison, Lenny Bruce, Johnny Vegas, Lee Cornes |
| Notable works and roles | 15 Storeys High 8 Out of 10 Cats TV Heaven, Telly Hell QI Argumental |
| British Comedy Awards | |
| Best Live Stand-up 2000 |
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Sean Lock (born 22 April 1963)[1] is an English comedian and actor. He began his comedy career as a stand-up comedian. He won the British Comedy Award in 2000 in the category of Best Live Comic, and was nominated for the Perrier Comedy Award. He is also well known for his appearances on television and radio. He has written material for such comics as Bill Bailey, Lee Evans and Mark Lamarr and was voted the 55th greatest stand-up comic on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups in 2007 and again in the updated 2010 list as the 25th greatest stand-up comic.
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[edit] Early life and career
Lock was born in Chertsey, Surrey.[1]. He attended St. John the Baptist Secondary School, Woking. Prior to becoming a comedian, he was a labourer[2] on building sites.[3] During this time, he developed skin cancer.[3] His first television appearance was in 1993, when he appeared in a supporting role alongside Rob Newman and David Baddiel in their TV show Newman and Baddiel in Pieces. He toured with the duo as their support act, and, as a result, became the first comedian to perform at Wembley Arena. Newman and Baddiel were widely promoted as being the first comedians to have performed at Wembley but, in his capacity as their warm-up, Lock technically takes this honour. However, Lock has conceded the honour to the duo on several occasions, including on the BBC Radio 4 show Loose Ends. In 1995, Lock played an escaped murderer in an episode of The World of Lee Evans, alongside Lee Evans and Phil Daniels.
[edit] 15 Minutes of Misery and 15 Storeys High
Continuing with stand-up as the mainstay of his workload, Lock also made regular appearances on various radio panel shows, script-edited for Bill Bailey's 1998 BBC2 series, Is It Bill Bailey? and had his own show on BBC Radio, 15 Minutes of Misery.
As the title suggested, these shows filled a 15-minute time-slot and also featured Kevin Eldon and Hattie Hayridge. The premise involved Lock eavesdropping on his neighbours in his South London tower block (all played by Lock, Eldon and Hayridge) using a bugging device fitted by his plumber, "Hot Bob" (Eldon), which was known as "The Bugger King" (and had "nothing to do with meat or sex").
15 Minutes of Misery lasted for one series of six programmes in late 1998 and early 1999, and would later be expanded into the half-hour series 15 Storeys High. From ostensibly the same tower block, Lock's character was now given a flatmate (the hapless Errol) and a job at the local swimming baths, as well as a somewhat dour and intolerant demeanour.
The bugging device was no longer used, but the antics of Lock's neighbours still featured heavily in the show. The plots for this series were more linear in a "traditional" sitcom style, although they still showed Lock's brand of dark, surreal humour.
15 Storeys High would transfer to television after two radio series, with Lock's character renamed 'Vince', for a further two series in 2002 and 2004.
[edit] Other work
Lock wrote the screenplay for Andrew Kötting's 2001 feature film This Filthy Earth, based on the novel La Terre by Émile Zola.
In 2004, Lock had a guest appearance in television's first ever "dope opera", Top Buzzer, written by Johnny Vaughan. In 2005 he became a regular team captain on the panel game 8 Out of 10 Cats.
In spring 2006, he hosted his own entertainment show on Channel 4 called TV Heaven, Telly Hell. Lock narrated for the BBC production World Cup Goals Galore in 2006. In 2008 he appeared on The Big Fat Quiz of the Year, on a team with James Corden. Lock has also appeared on many popular British TV panel shows including Have I Got News for You, QI and They Think It's All Over. Lock has become "The Curator" for the second radio series of The Museum of Curiosity, in 2009, taking over from Bill Bailey.
In 2010, Lock took part in Channel 4's Comedy Gala, a benefit show held in aid of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, filmed live at the O2 Arena. He has also appeared in a spoof video produced by Shelter (charity), the housing charity, to highlight the problem of rogue landlords.[4]
[edit] Personal life
Lock lives in East London with his partner and their four children, three daughters and a son. He is a fan of Chelsea football club. Sean suffers from mild Down Syndrome.[5]
[edit] Stand-Up DVDs
| Title | Released | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Live | 17 November 2008 | Live at London's HMV Hammersmith Apollo |
| Lockipedia Live | 22 November 2010 | Live at London's HMV Hammersmith Apollo |
[edit] References
- ^ a b c "A word with comedian Sean Lock" The Courier (27 October 2010)
- ^ "Comedy – People A-Z – Sean Lock". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/people/sean_lock_person_page.shtml. Retrieved 2009-07-05.
- ^ a b Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, 25 June 2010
- ^ Rogue Landlords (video)|publisher=Shelter|accessdate=2011-03-30
- ^ aletta10 wrote: (2009-02-09). "How We Met: Johnny Vaughan & Sean Lock – Profiles, People". The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/how-we-met-johnny-vaughan--sean-lock-1488505.html. Retrieved 2009-07-05.
[edit] External links
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Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Sean Lock |
- Sean Lock at the Internet Movie Database
- Sean Lock writes the foreword for the novel Nappy Rash by Mark Kotting on Wrecking Ball Press ISBN 1-903110-16-5
- ShortList.com – Exclusive Sean Lock Interview 2008-12-12
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- 1963 births
- Living people
- 20th-century actors
- 21st-century actors
- 20th-century writers
- 21st-century writers
- Alumni of the Drama Centre London
- British male comedians
- English comedians
- English radio personalities
- English stand-up comedians
- English television actors
- English television personalities
- English television writers
- Skin cancer survivors
- Alumni of the University of the Arts London
- Alumni of the University of the Arts
