John Kearns (comedian)

John Kearns (born 10 April 1987) is an English comedian and actor.

John Kearns
Born (1987-04-10) 10 April 1987
Tooting, London, England
MediumStand-up

Kearns was awarded the Best Newcomer Award at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards in 2013, followed by the Foster's Edinburgh comedy award for Best Show in 2014, making him the first and only comedian to have won both awards in consecutive years. The wins are also notable for the fact both shows appeared on PHB's Free Fringe, making his 2013 win the first ever for a free show. In 2014, Kearns was nominated for three Chortle Awards, and in 2014 and 2015 he was nominated for the Melbourne Barry Award.

Early life

Having grown up in Tooting, London, Kearns attended the University of East Anglia. At university, he lived with fellow comedian Pat Cahill and radio DJ Greg James. In 2006, while at the university, he performed at Tom Moran's Laugh Out Loud comedy nights with fellow student comedians Cahill, Jon Brittain and Joz Norris.[1] Kearns, Cahill, and Norris returned to the university as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations in September 2013.

With Cahill, Kearns performed in the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe show Dinner Party (produced by Fringe stalwart Harry Deansway) and again at the 2012 Edinburgh Fringe as part of the Pleasance Reserve, taking the lead role of Peter in the Weirdos Comedy Club reproduction of Hook in December 2012.

From 2010 until 2013, Kearns worked as a tour guide at the Houses of Parliament.[2][3] He also previously worked at the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum.[4]

Career

Sight Gags for Perverts

Taking its name from a list that film director Stanley Kubrick kept of titles in search of a script, the show was apparently written while on a solitary visit to Berlin, with the trip itself providing a narrative backbone.[5] This, his first solo hour-long show, was directed by his friend, playwright Jon Brittain, and made its debut at Leicester Comedy Festival in February 2013, receiving positive notices. The show was performed again at the Machynlleth Comedy Festival in May to a sold-out crowd. Kearns then took the show to the Edinburgh Fringe in August 2013. Performing as part of the PBH Free Fringe,[6] the show was very well received, culminating in a five-star review from Chortle's Steve Bennett and a nomination as Best Newcomer in the Fosters Comedy Awards, which he won on 24 August 2013.[7][8][9]

Shtick

Kearns' follow-up, appearing at the Leicester Comedy Festival as No More Mr. Niche Guy, later becoming Shtick, acknowledged the impact of his previous show's success on himself and his career. Directed again by Brittain and returning to the same venue that had hosted his 2013 Edinburgh Festival Fringe run, The Voodoo Rooms, the show saw positive reactions from audiences and press, as well as another Foster's Comedy Awards win for Best Show. This win made Kearns the first and only act to ever win Best Newcomer and Best Show in consecutive years.[10]

Television

In 2015, Kearns starred in BBC Three's Top Coppers alongside Steen Raskopoulos.[11]

Kearns has performed on multiple episodes of panel shows 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and Richard Osman's House of Games, and he was also a contestant on the fourteenth series of Taskmaster. Kearns is currently the assistant host of Comedy Central panel show Guessable?, which has run for four series.

Personal life

Kearns lives in London with his partner and son.[12]

References
  1. Evening News "Norfolk comic Tom Moran’s elusive joke" Archived 14 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Norwich Evening News, Norwich, 11 November 2011. Retrieved on 8 June 2014.
  2. "'We all have to be laughing by 5.30am': how Radio 1's Greg James saved Breakfast". The Guardian.
  3. "Comedian John Kearns: The next wig thing swaps Parliament for perverts". The Independent. 10 January 2014.
  4. John Kearns - RHLSTP #250, retrieved 14 September 2023
  5. "Titles in search of a script". Lists of Note. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  6. "Sight Gags for Perverts". Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  7. "Bridget Christie wins Foster's Edinburgh comedy award". BBC News. 24 August 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  8. Bennett, Steve. "John Kearns: Sight Gags For Perverts : Reviews 2013 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". www.chortle.co.uk. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  9. Logan, Brian (20 August 2013). "Tonsure-fire hit". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  10. "John Kearns wins Foster's Edinburgh Comedy award". BBC News. 23 August 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  11. "BBC - Filming gets under way for BBC Three comedy Top Coppers - Media Centre". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  12. Healy, Rachael (17 February 2023). "Cult standup John Kearns: 'You might not like my show for 20 minutes, but you'll leave happy!'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
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