Nathan Cassidy

Nathan Cassidy is a British comedian and podcaster. He was nominated for Best Show at the Leicester Comedy Festival 2020 for his show 'Observational'.[1] This show was widely reported in the press as the only live show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2020.[2] The show was given four stars by The Times which reviewed it as 'The best show at the Fringe. A classic, structured, rollercoaster Fringe hour...star-in-waiting...he is untouchable.'[3] Previously he was nominated for a Malcolm Hardee Award in 2012, won best solo comedy show on the Buxton Fringe in 2014,[4][5] and was nominated for the same award in 2015,[6] 2016,[7] 2017[8] and 2019.[9] He has also won the Sir Michael Caine Award for new writing in theatre.[10] He also presents the ongoing weekly podcast Psycomedy about the Psychology of stand-up comedy.[11]

Nathan Cassidy - photo: Andy Hollingworth

After a brief spell on the UK comedy circuit in 2000–01[12] Cassidy became a regular on the UK Comedy circuit in 2009, has performed solo shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe every year since 2010 and has become known for his innovation including a nomination for the Malcolm Hardee Award for his 2012 show 'Free Pound', in which he gave each audience member £1 to see the show.[13] In 2012 he also produced feature documentary 'I am Orig' which charted a year giving money away; this was shown at the Edinburgh Banshee Labyrinth in August 2012.[14]

In 2013, his fourth solo show was 'Edinburgh Comedy Award Winner', in which he gave each audience member a £1 bet on him winning the Edinburgh Comedy Award.[15] In 2013, Cassidy talked about 'Free Pound' and 'Edinburgh Comedy Award Winner' in a feature Tuesday night interview with Phil Williams on BBC Radio 5 Live, in which he said that how his grandfather saved all his life and then was unable to spend the money he had saved had inspired shows where he was now giving money away.[16] Cassidy became the 10/1 Ladbrokes favourite for the Edinburgh Comedy Award in 2013 – after starting at 50/1, Ladbrokes dropped the odds first to 20/1 at the Brighton Fringe (as featured by The Argus)[17] then to 10/1 during the Fringe in August 2013.

His 2014 show 'Date of Death' won Best solo comedy show on the Buxton Fringe[5] and his 'Back to the Future' shows were nominated for the same award in 2015.[6] His 2016 show '42' was also nominated for Best solo comedy show on the Buxton Fringe alongside comedians including Jerry Sadowitz[7] as was his 2017 show 'The Man in the Arena'. At the Edinburgh Fringe 2017 he won the World's Best MC Award and a 2017 Terrier Award.[18] In July 2019 his show 'Observational' was nominated for Best Individual Comedy at the Buxton Fringe.[6] In February 2020 'Observational' was nominated for Best Show at the Leicester Comedy Festival.

In 2020 his show 'Roses From Joe' at the Buxton Fringe was named in several online publications as the 'first solo UK comedy show after lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic'.[19] In an interview with the British Comedy Guide Cassidy said that the show is about 'putting love out into the world, not to anyone in particular', like the public applauding the NHS during lockdown.[20]

Cassidy's 2015 trilogy of Back to the Future shows were discussed in a Guardian article on how popular films have been used to 'inspire Fringe shows'. In this article Cassidy said how these shows reflected the Back to the Future films which evoke 'not only flying cars and hoverboards but ideas about different stages of life, expectations and disappointments'.[21] He performed these shows in February 2015 at the Leicester Comedy Festival,[22] at the Brighton Fringe in May 2015[23] and in August 2015 at The Gilded Balloon in Edinburgh.[24][25]

Nathan Cassidy is a regular host of The Rat Pack stand-up comedy which was a multiple critics choice of Time Out.[26] It played at the Leicester Square Theatre from 2014 to 2015 and currently has a weekly Friday night residence at the Camden Comedy Club in London.[27]

Nathan Cassidy also presents the ongoing weekly podcast Psycomedy about the Psychology of stand-up comedy.[28] Guests have included Marcus Brigstocke, Shazia Mirza, Nick Helm and Stephen Bailey.[29] In February 2020 Psycomedy was the number one comedy podcast in Argentina[30]

As an actor, he appeared in West End musical The Donkey Show and Channel 5 (UK) and Discovery Channel's "Serial Killers" playing the part of Stephen Sinclair, Dennis Nilsen's final victim. Cassidy has also done TV warm-up work for the Clare Balding Show (BT Sport).

Awards

References
  1. British Comedy Guide (website)
  2. Chortle (website)
  3. The Times (online)
  4. Derbyshire Times Article Buxton Fringe 2014
  5. Buxton Advertiser article on award winners 2014
  6. Buxton Fringe (website) award winners 2015
  7. "2016 Fringe Nominations and Awards". www.buxtonfringe.org.uk. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  8. "Buxton Festival Fringe 2017 Nominations and Awards". Buxton Fringe. 23 July 2017.
  9. 2019 Fringe Nominations and Awards
  10. Get Surrey (website) article on Leatherhead Festival
  11. Chortle (website) article on Psycomedy
  12. Chortle review
  13. Fringe Guru review Aug 2012
  14. Nathan Cassidy imdb
  15. Broadway Baby review 2013
  16. BBC Radio 5 live interview with Phil Williams
  17. The Argus – Brighton Fringe preview 2013
  18. The Skinny - Edinburgh Fringe 2017 Terrier Awards
  19. Chortle - Could outdoor comedy gigs be back?
  20. British Comedy Guide - The first live gig after lockdown
  21. The Guardian – Hollywood blockbusters retold at the Edinburgh Fringe
  22. Cool as Leicester review Feb 2015
  23. The New Current interview 2015
  24. Mumble review Aug 2015
  25. Birmingham Mail – Comedian Nathan Cassidy goes Back to the Future at the Edinburgh Festival
  26. Time Out review for the Rat Pack stand-up comedy
  27. Camden Comedy Club Listings
  28. Chortle (website) article on Psycomedy
  29. Chortle (website) article - Stephen Bailey on Psycomedy
  30. Chartable Apple Podcasts - Psycomedy Ranking History
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