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Laurence Clark (comedian)

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Laurence Clark is a British stand-up comedian, writer, actor, presenter, and disability rights campaigner. Laurence was born with cerebral palsy and uses his line of work to alter the general public’s perceptions of disabled people.[1]

Stand-up comedy

Laurence Clark topped Shortlist magazine's poll of Britain’s Ten Funniest New Comedians in 2009.[citation needed]

At the Labour Party conference in 2005, Clark was called a 'sit-down comedian' by the then-Prime Minister's wife Cherie Blair, referring to him being a wheelchair user. Clark shrugged off the press attention, saying she was just cracking a "crap joke".[2]

Clark gave his first live stand-up show, The All-Star Charity Show, at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2003. It was described by The Scotsman critic, Kate Copstick, as a "powerful comedy voice" and "stunningly hard-hitting".[3] and was a Critics' Choice in The Times.[citation needed] Clark's next show, The Jim Davidson Guide to Equality, was based upon comparisons between Jim Davidson's stand-up and Tony Blair's manifesto speeches.[4] A teenage experience of appearing on Jim'll Fix It with Jimmy Savile[citation needed] provided the basis for Jim Fixed It for Me, performed at the 2006 Edinburgh Festival.[5] Clark's show at the 2007 Edinburgh Festival, 12% Evil, used video clips and Powerpoint slides to ridicule common clichés and stereotypes about disabled people.[6] Spastic Fantastic (2008), charted Clark's mission, as someone who has cerebral palsy, to rescue the word ‘spastic’ through various means, including the use of secret cameras.[7] Health Hazard (2011), focused on the dangers of privatising the British National Health Service.[8] He won a commission from the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad to produce a new show in that year.[9]

Clark also occasionally performs as part of the comedy group "Abnormally Funny People", with Steve Best, Liz Carr, Tanyalee Davis, Chris McCausland, Steve Day and Simon Minty.[10]

Television

Clark has appeared on "Are You Having A Laugh? TV and Disability" (BBC2);[11] The Heaven and Earth Show (BBC 1); Embarrassing Bodies (Channel 4); The London Programme (ITV); The Shooting Party (Channel 4) and I'm With Stupid (BBC 3).[12] In October 2004 he was a reporter on Newsnight (BBC 2), presenting a short film about disability and the UK Abortion Act.[13] Clark and his family are the subject of a documentary film as part of BBC 1's Beyond Disability season called ‘We Won't Drop the Baby’ to be screened on 25 March 2012 on BBC 1,[14][15] narrated by David Tennant.[16]

Stage

On stage Clark has acted with Graeae Theatre Company, playing Richard in their forum theatre play The Trouble with Richard.[17] He also appeared in David Thacker’s A Midsummer Night's Dream at Bolton's Octagon Theatre, about which the Guardian said "his wheelchair-assisted Wall is indeed ‘the wittiest partition that I ever heard discourse.’"[18]

Personal life

Laurence Clark lives in Liverpool[19] with his wife and two children.[20]

References

  1. ^ "Independent Blogs – Laurence Clark". The Independent. London. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  2. ^ "Cherie cracks 'crap joke' for disabled comic". The Scotsman. 28 September 2005. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  3. ^ "Four hot weeks in August". The Scotsman. 30 August 2003. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  4. ^ "Interview". Disability Arts Online. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  5. ^ "Review: Jim Fixed it for Me". The Scotsman. 14 August 2006. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  6. ^ Adams-Spink, Geoff (2 August 2007). "Disabled comedian debunks stereotypes". BBC News. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  7. ^ "Comedy Review: Laurence Clark – Spastic Fantastic!". The Scotsman. 19 August 2008. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  8. ^ "Comedian Laurence Clark sounds a warning bell for the NHS". Scotsman. 28 July 2011. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  9. ^ "Olympic Diary: 50 weeks to go!". Westmorland Gazette. 11 August 2011. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  10. ^ "Abnormally Funny People". Daily Info Oxford. 16 November 2011. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  11. ^ "Review: Are You Having a Laugh?". Disability Arts Online. 2 July 2010. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  12. ^ "Disabled Actors Directory" (PDF). BBC. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  13. ^ "Newsnight". 27 October 2004. BBC. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  14. ^ "Abnormally Funny People". Daily Info Oxford. 16 November 2011. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  15. ^ "Comedian Laurence Clark sounds a warning bell for the NHS". Scotsman. 28 July 2011. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  16. ^ "Too Disabled for kids?". Chortle. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  17. ^ "Disabled Actors Directory" (PDF). BBC. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  18. ^ Hickling, Alfred (23 February 2010). "Review of A Midsummer Night's Dream". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  19. ^ "The Leaving of Liverpool". BBC Ouch. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  20. ^ "Comedian Laurence Clark sounds a warning bell for the NHS". Scotsman. 28 July 2011. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
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