Marcus Brigstocke

Early life

Brigstocke is the son of Nick Brigstocke, a stockbroker from a Welsh landed gentry family, and Carol, daughter of senior Royal Air Force officer Air Marshal Sir Walter Pretty. He has a sister and brother. He lived in Elstead, Surrey, until he was six and then moved to Haslemere, and was educated at St Edmunds School in the village of Hindhead in Surrey, at Westbourne House School in Chichester, West Sussex, King's School, Bruton in Somerset, and Hammersmith & Fulham College in west London. He then attended the University of Bristol, where he studied drama, but did not complete his degree.

In his youth, Brigstocke struggled with alcohol and drug addiction.

Aged 19, Brigstocke worked on a North Sea oil rig, and later as a podium dancer (being featured on Electric Circus); he used his earnings to travel, and the experiences as inspiration for a stand-up routine. Brigstocke is also a World Cheese Judge and an Academy of Cheese alumnus.

Live comedy career

Many of the central themes of Brigstocke's work were first addressed during his time as a student at the University of Bristol. While at Bristol he often performed in the comedy trio Club Seals (with Dan Tetsell and Danny Robins), which later made the transition to television in the series of short programmes We Are History (20002001).

Brigstocke's first stand-up comedy DVD, Planet Corduroy, was released in November 2007.

In April 2008, Brigstocke and fellow comedian and snowboarder Andrew Maxwell founded a comedy and music festival in the ski resort of Meribel, in the French Alps.

In 2009, Brigstocke starred in the British tour of the American live improvisation show Totally Looped. His second stand-up show, God Collar, toured in 2009.

In June 2010, he announced that he had signed a publishing deal with Transworld to turn the God Collar Tour into a book, which was released in 2011 to mixed reviews.

In 2023, he was the comedy headliner of the May ball at Queens' College, Cambridge.

Radio work

Brigstocke has a radio career including The Now Show (19982024, with Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis) and Giles Wemmbley-Hogg Goes Off (2002–2011).

On 9 April 2006, Brigstocke appeared as Bertie Wooster in BBC Radio 4's adaptation of The Code of the Woosters (1938), with Andrew Sachs as Jeeves. Brigstocke hosted The Late Edition (20052008), which was promoted by the BBC as "Newsnight with jokes".

Brigstocke has hosted a talk show, I've Never Seen Star Wars, on BBC Radio 4 since 2008, transferring it to TV for one series as I've Never Seen Star Wars for BBC Four in 2009.

From 2013 to 2015, he hosted The Brig Society on BBC Radio 4.

In September 2017, BBC Radio 4 broadcast his first serious drama, The Red, drawing on his own experience of recovery. It won the Best Single Drama award in the BBC Audio Drama Awards 2018.

In December 2017, BBC Radio 4 broadcast his new 4-part sitcom, The Wilsons Save The World, in which Brigstocke plays a father leading a family trying to live ethically. A second 4-part series followed in 2019.

Other radio credits

• Just a Minute
• I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue
• Giles Wemmbley-Hogg Goes Off
• Think the Unthinkable
• The Museum of Everything
• The 99p Challenge
• The Unbelievable Truth (radio show)

Film and television

Brigstocke plays an arts journalist named Marcus in the Neil Gaiman film A Short Film About John Bolton (2003) and a radio DJ in the Richard Curtis film Love Actually (2003) and its sequel Red Nose Day Actually (2017).

Brigstocke's television work has included Have I Got News for You and Live at the Apollo. He took part in the BBC Two programme Excuse My French (2006) with Ron Atkinson and Esther Rantzen. They were immersed in the French language by staying in a French town in Provence. Brigstocke's ultimate assignment was to perform a live stand-up comedy act in French to a French audience.

In September 2008, Brigstocke was a team captain for the first series of a comedy panel show, Argumental (20082012), for the British television channel Dave. He was the captain of the Red Team, competing against Rufus Hound with a variety of guest participants, under the chairmanship of John Sergeant.

He has also worked for television shows aimed at children for CBBC: Stupid! (20042007) and Sorry, I've Got No Head (20082011).

Brigstocke appeared in the first series of The Jump in 2014. He reached the final, but had to withdraw when he snapped his cruciate ligaments, an injury that prevented him working for a year.

In 2000, he successfully claimed publishing rights after a sample of his voice was used in the song "I Don't Smoke" by DJ Dee Kline.

Other television credits

• The Savages
• We Are History
• The Late Edition
• My Hero
• Have I Got News for You
• News Knight with Sir Trevor McDonald
• Thank God You're Here
• QI
• Hole in the Wall
• I've Never Seen Star Wars
• Would I Lie to You?
• The Graham Norton Show
• Steph's Packed Lunch
• Live at the Apollo
• The Blame Game
• The Jump
• Famous and Fighting Crime
• Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas

Other film credits

• Love Actually
• Red Nose Day Actually
• Blinded by the Light

Theatre

In 2010, Brigstocke made his musical theatre debut as King Arthur in the British tour of Spamalot for a limited engagement. He then starred in The Railway Children as Albert Perks at the Waterloo Station Theatre in 2011. He appeared in the role of Ali Hakim at two semi-staged concert performances of Oklahoma! at the Proms with the John Wilson Orchestra on 11 August 2017.

In late 2017, Brigstocke played the title role in a revival of Barnum at the Menier Chocolate Factory. For this, he acquired specialist circus skills including magic and walking a tightrope. He chronicled his motivation and progress in an article for The Guardian.

In 2019, Brigstocke adapted his radio play The Red into a theatrical play staged at Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh. It was later adapted into an online version released during 2022.

Personal life

In 2001, Brigstocke married film-maker Sophie Prideaux, daughter of John Prideaux, former chairman of Union Railways;. they have a son and a daughter. They divorced in 2013 following his affair with Hayley Tamaddon with whom he co-starred in the musical Spamalot in 2010. In an interview with The i Paper, Brigstocke revealed that his porn addiction led to him having an affair and said "The things I was into sexually were altered by what I was seeing. I won't go into specifics but it taught me there is so much elasticity in our sexuality." Since April 2018, he has been in a relationship with fellow comedian Rachel Parris. They were engaged on 25 December 2018 and married on 14 September 2019 at Battersea Arts Centre. Their son was born in August 2021. They live in Balham, South London.

Brigstocke established a stand-up tour in the Alps and a comedy festival called The Altitude Festival. He has performed in beatboxing battles on stage with Shlomo and Bellatrix.

References

References

1. Nevin, Charles. (19 November 2005). "When you're smiling". [[The Guardian]].
2. Burke's Landed Gentry 18th edition, vol. 3, 1972, ed. Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd, 'Brigstocke formerly of Blaenpant' pedigree
3. "Pretty family history".
4. (12 May 1999). "People and Business: Surprise party - 30 years on". [[The Independent]].
5. Pelley, Rich. (2023-03-26). "Sunday with Marcus Brigstocke: ‘Nothing beats watching an old musical’". The Guardian.
6. (27 January 2010). "Marcus Brigstocke: I could easily empty the fridge – I just don't". [[Evening Standard]].
7. "Interview: Marcus Brigstocke".
8. Oglethorpe, Tim (21 April 2001). "Interview: Marcus Brigstocke - Savage past of Marcus; Marcus Brigstocke of The Savages on his misspent youth and how he got back on the straight and narrow". ''The Express'' (London, England). MGN Ltd. ([http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Interview%3A+Marcus+Brigstocke+-+Savage+past+of+Marcus%3B+Marcus...-a073495192 archive])
9. (19 June 2010). "The king of laughs".
10. Ing, Will. (20 January 2020). "RetroFirst: Architect behind 1970s college calls for retrofit over demolition".
11. "[[Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled]]".
12. Edwards, Chris. (25 February 2019). "Marcus Brigstocke shares addiction battle in Famous and Fighting Crime".
13. "Would I Lie to You?". BBC TV. 24 August 2009.
14. Brew, Simon (23 March 2009). [http://www.denofgeek.com/television/223196/marcus_brigstocke_interview.html "Marcus Brigstocke interview"]. DenOfGeek.com.
15. (26 November 2007). "Marcus Brigstocke – Planet Corduroy". Sony/BMG.
16. "Totally Looped". Totally Looped.
17. "Marcus Brigstocke Official Twitter Page".
18. (2011-06-19). "God Collar, by Marcus Brigstocke". The Independent.
19. (23 January 2008). "Four - The Late Edition". BBC.
20. Elan, Priya. (15 January 2015). "I've Never Seen Star Wars – review: a few gentle, pleasant first-time challenges for Rebecca Front".
21. "BBC Radio 4 - The Brig Society".
22. (2017-09-05). "BBC Radio Drama". BBC.
23. (2018-01-28). "BBC Audio Drama Awards". BBC.
24. (2017-12-05). "BBC Radio Comedy". BBC.
25. Sweney, Mark. (2009-11-10). "Argumental to air on BBC2". [[Guardian Media Group plc.
26. Baillie, Katie. (10 February 2016). "The Jump: Former contestant Marcus Brigstocke says his injury on the show 'f***ed up a year of my life'". [[Metro (British newspaper).
27. Topham, Gwyn. (2 June 2000). "Comic trio enjoy financial rewards of a sample life". The Guardian.
28. (2 November 2019). "The Blame Game Series 22 episode 1". BBC.
29. "Famous and Fighting Crime". Channel 4.
30. Paddock, Terri. (29 March 2010). "Spamalot Crowns Brigstocke, Nicholas' Pirate King".
31. (8 November 2017). "Marcus Brigstocke: my bruising bid to become PT Barnum, the greatest showman on earth". The Guardian.
32. Vale, Paul. (4 August 2019). "The Red". The Stage.
33. Akvar, Arifa. (18 March 2022). "The Red review – Marcus Brigstocke probes the psychology of the addict". The Guardian.
34. {{London Gazette. (10 June 1994)
35. (2007). "Who's Who".
36. Visitation of England and Wales, vol. 16, Frederick Arthur Crisp, pp. 36–40, Prideaux pedigree
37. (18 June 2011). "Making an exhibition of themselves". The Independent.
38. Dominic Maxwell. (2017-11-27). "Marcus Brigstocke: 'I've got a job I love, but a lot of the time I am really struggling'". [[The Times]].
39. Brown, Helen. (2025-01-28). "Marcus Brigstocke: 'My porn addiction was shameful. It changed how I treated women'".
40. Dessau, Bruce. (3 April 2018}}
    - {{cite web). "Rachel Parris talks The Mash Report, Piers Morgan and savaging Donald Trump". Evening Standard.
41. Leahy, Interviews by Kate. (2021-02-14). "Rachel Parris and Marcus Brigstocke on addiction, stepchildren and online gigs".
42. Leahy, Kate. (14 February 2021). "Rachel Parris and Marcus Brigstocke on addiction, stepchildren and online gigs". [[The Times]].
43. Moore, Interview by Dan. (2025-07-31). "Marcus Brigstocke; ‘500 people adore you, then you’re alone for 22 hours’".
44. "Official Site for the stand-up comic, writer, presenter & actor". Marcus Brigstocke.
45. [http://www.shlo.co.uk/2009/09/glasto-diary-09-pt-4/ "Shlomo’s Glasto diary 09 – Part 4 – Marcus Brigstocke vs Bellatrix beatbox battle"]. Shlomo Beatboxing Adventures blog. 21 September 2009.