Steve Punt
| Steve Punt | |
|---|---|
 Steve Punt (right) with Hugh Dennis on The Now Show. |
|
| Birth name | Stephen Punt |
| Born | Rochford, Essex |
| Medium | Radio, Television |
| Nationality | British |
| Genres | Sketch comedy, Stand-up comedy |
| Subject(s) | Satire |
| Notable works and roles | The Mary Whitehouse Experience The Now Show It's Been a Bad Week |
Stephen Punt (born 1962) is a British writer, comedian and actor, best known for his long-time comedy partnership with Hugh Dennis. Punt lives in Wimbledon with his girlfriend and two children.
[edit] Life and career
Punt was educated at Whitgift School, an independent school for boys in Croydon, Greater London, and at St. Catharine's College, Cambridge University, where he read English. He met Dennis when a member of Footlights, of which he[clarification needed] was vice-president.
While at university he began writing for the BBC Radio 4 series Week Ending. Punt and Dennis later became resident guest comedians on shows presented by Jasper Carrott, including Carrott Confidential and Canned Carrott. They also toured with Carrott as a live support act.
They were then recruited in 1988, along with David Baddiel and Rob Newman (both also from Footlights), to write and perform a satirical sketch and stand-up show called The Mary Whitehouse Experience on BBC Radio 1. After three years, the show had proved such a big hit that it transferred to television. Punt and Dennis went on to perform in their own TV sketch show, The Imaginatively Titled Punt & Dennis Show, and co-wrote and starred in the sitcom, Me, You and Him.
Punt has worked more as a writer, script editor and voice-over artist in recent years, though he has also performed with Dennis in It's Been a Bad Week for BBC Radio 2. The pair are also the main presenters of BBC Radio 4's The Now Show and the writers of BBC Radio 4's sitcom The Party Line. Punt, with Mark Tavener, is co-writer of the 2007 Radio 4 series His Master's Voice.
Steve is regularly credited as a "programme associate" on the satirical programme Mock The Week, in which his comedy partner Hugh Dennis is a regular team member.
In 2008 Punt wrote the script for and performed in Rockford's Rock Opera, a critically acclaimed ecological musical story created with school friend, Matthew Sweetapple, which has been published as an audiobook.[1][2]
He also, with the help of Hugh Dennis, Jon Holmes, Marcus Brigstocke and Mitch Benn wrote The Now Show Book of World Records.
In 2011, he hosted the Radio 4 quiz show, The 3rd Degree. Punt played Eric Idle in the BBC adaptation Holy Flying Circus, covering the controversy surrounding the release of Monty Python's Life of Brian.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ Review of ''Rockford's Rock Opera''. The Guardian. 13 December 2008. Retrieved on 2011-12-05.
- ^ ''The Times'': Review of ''Rockford's Rock Opera''. Entertainment.timesonline.co.uk (2011-12-01). Retrieved on 2011-12-05.
- ^ "BBC to dramatise Life Of Brian controversy in new film". BBC. 21 June 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13856561. Retrieved 22 June 2011.
[edit] External links
- Shimmon, Katie (2004-11-29). "My Media". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2004/nov/29/mondaymediasection9. Retrieved 2008-02-14.
- Asher, Libby (2007-02-01). "The Now Factor". Time & Leisure online. http://www.timeandleisure.co.uk/Articles/tabid/125/EntryID/115/Default.aspx. Retrieved 2008-02-14.
