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| '''Andrew "Andy" Zaltzman''' (born 1974) is a ] ] |
'''Andrew "Andy" Zaltzman''' (born 1974) is a ] ] and ] who largely focuses on ] material. He has worked extensively with ]; their work together includes '']'', '']'' and '']''. | ||
| ==Early life== | ==Early life== | ||
| Andy Zaltzman is the son of sculptor Zack Zaltzman and is of ] ancestry. He attended the private ] and has a degree in ] from ]. Whilst at university he was sports editor for ].<ref> | |||
| Born in ], ], Zaltzman entered the ] at the age of fourteen, before discovering his skill as a ]. He left the Army and toured the country during the ]. During this period, he was awakened to the suffering of millions of ] around the country, and joined first the unemployed workers' movement, then in 1937 the ] (CPGB). His opposition to the ] led him to leave the CPGB and join instead the ] ] in 1939. A supporter of ], Zaltzman followed him into the ] (WIL) in 1941 and then left to join the ] (RSL). There he became the industrial organiser, and the prime exponent of ]'s ]. However, this was a policy strongly supported by the WIL, who began paying Zaltzman for his activities. As a result, he was expelled from the RSL. | |||
| {{cite web | |||
| |url=http://www.hahaheehee.com/comedians/andy_zaltzman.html | |||
| |title=Andy Zaltzman - The Comedy Club | |||
| |publisher=The Comedy Club Limited | |||
| |accessdate=22 April 2009}} | |||
| </ref> | |||
| == |
==Career== | ||
| ===Stand-up=== | |||
| Shortly after his expulsion, Zaltzman was contacted by ] of the ] in the US, and began to work as the SWP and the ]'s representative in Britain. He helped organise a fusion of the assorted Trotskyist groups into the ]. After a spell as ] organiser, during which he was active in supporting ]'s candidacy in the ], he became the editor of '']'' while working as a ] in the ]. He allied himself with ] to form ], remaining a key member through turmoil in the British Trotskyist movement. | |||
| ====Edinburgh Festival Fringe==== | |||
| Zaltzman has been performing at the ] since ] when he was a finalist in the prestigious '']'' new act competition along with ], ] and ].<ref> | |||
| {{cite web | |||
| |url=http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/comedy/Russell-Howard-interview--Thats.4555013.jp | |||
| |title=Russell Howard interview - ‘That’s me and the Fringe done’ | |||
| |date=3 October 2008 | |||
| |publisher=The Scotsman | |||
| |accessdate=2009-05-09}} | |||
| </ref> | |||
| His debut full length Edinburgh Fringe show ''Andy Zaltzman versus the Dog of Doom'' received a nomination for Best Newcomer at the ]s in ]<ref> | |||
| The split of Zaltzman from Healy mirrored the later 1953 split in the Fourth International. Healy supported ] and what became the ], while Zaltzman initially supported ] and the ]. This led to a dispute over control of ''Socialist Outlook'', which Healy ultimately won. Zaltzman resigned as editor and began contributing instead to '']'', a Labour Party publication. He turned increasingly towards ]. He also disagreed with Pablo's attempts to get the ICFI members to attend the ISFI-organised 1954 congress of the Fourth International. He allied himself with the ]'s position, that the FI should dissolve, and claimed he was taking Pabloism to its "logical conclusion" - much to Pablo's disagreement. | |||
| {{cite web | |||
| |url=http://ifcomedy.com/newcomers.html | |||
| |title=if.comedy - Newcomers | |||
| |publisher=ifcomedy.com | |||
| |accessdate=22 April 2009}} | |||
| </ref> | |||
| In ] Zaltzman began - initially with John Oliver - hosting '']'', a stand-up show where different acts perform political themed material; Zaltzman has hosted solo since ]. Political Animal later transferred to ]. | |||
| Zaltzman also appeared in a late night show with fellow stand-ups ], ] and ] entitled ''The Honourable Men of Art'', at ] in ] and ]. | |||
| {| class="wikitable" border="1" | {| class="wikitable" border="1" | ||
Revision as of 16:53, 22 August 2011
| Andy Zaltzman | |
|---|---|
 Andy Zaltzman performing at the 2007 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. | |
| Born | 1974 |
| Medium | stand-up, radio, podcast |
| Nationality | British |
| Years active | 1974–present |
| Genres | Political comedy |
| Notable works and roles | Political Animal, The Department, The Bugle |
Andrew "Andy" Zaltzman (born 1974) is a British comedian and author who largely focuses on political material. He has worked extensively with John Oliver; their work together includes Political Animal, The Department and The Bugle.
Early life
Andy Zaltzman is the son of sculptor Zack Zaltzman and is of Lithuanian Jewish ancestry. He attended the private Tonbridge School and has a degree in Classics from University College, Oxford. Whilst at university he was sports editor for The Oxford Student.
Career
Stand-up
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Zaltzman has been performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe since 1999 when he was a finalist in the prestigious So You Think You're Funny? new act competition along with Josie Long, Russell Howard and David O'Doherty.
His debut full length Edinburgh Fringe show Andy Zaltzman versus the Dog of Doom received a nomination for Best Newcomer at the Perrier Comedy Awards in 2001
In 2004 Zaltzman began - initially with John Oliver - hosting Political Animal, a stand-up show where different acts perform political themed material; Zaltzman has hosted solo since 2006. Political Animal later transferred to BBC Radio 4.
Zaltzman also appeared in a late night show with fellow stand-ups Daniel Kitson, David O'Doherty and Alun Cochrane entitled The Honourable Men of Art, at The Stand in 2006 and 2008.
| Year | Show name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | So You Think You're Funny | New act competition. Finalist |
| 2000 | The Comedy Zone | New act showcase |
| 2001 | Andy Zaltzman versus the Dog of Doom | Nominated for Best Newcomer at the Perrier Comedy Awards |
| 2002 | Andy Zaltzman Unveils the 2002 Catapult of Truth | |
| 2003 | Edinburgh and Beyond | Showcase. With John Oliver and Rob Deering |
| 2004 | Erm... It's About The World... I Think You'd Better Sit Down | With John Oliver |
| Political Animal | With John Oliver | |
| 2005 | John Oliver and Andy Zaltzman issue a list of demands and await your response with interest | With John Oliver |
| Political Animal | With John Oliver | |
| 2006 | Andy Zaltzman Detonates 70 Minutes Of Unbridled Afternoon | |
| The Honourable Men of Art | With Daniel Kitson, Alun Cochrane and David O'Doherty | |
| Political Animal | ||
| 2007 | Andy Zaltzman, 32, Administers His Emergency Dose Of Afternoon Utopia, Steps Back And Waits To See What Happens | |
| Political Animal | ||
| 2008 | Andy Zaltzman Boldly Unbuttons The Cloak Of Civilisation, But Is Perplexed And Perturbed By What He Finds Lurking Beneath | |
| The Honourable Men of Art | with Daniel Kitson, Alun Cochrane and David O'Doherty | |
| Political Animal | ||
| 2010 | Andy Zaltzman Swears to Tell the Truth, Half the Truth, and Everything But the Truth |
Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Zaltzman performed at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival for the first time in April 2007, winning the coveted Piece of Wood Award, given to the best show as voted for by other comedians.
The Bugle
Main article: The BugleSince October 2007 Zaltzman has co-hosted The Bugle, a weekly satirical comedy podcast for TimesOnline, with John Oliver.
Writing
Zaltzman has worked with Rory Bremner on a number of projects, these include Transatlantic, a US election special for BBC Radio 4 and several series of Bremner, Bird and Fortune. In June 2007, BBC2's The Culture Show commissioned Zaltzman and John Oliver to write a mock farewell speech for departing Prime Minister Tony Blair. The speech was then animated by Triffic Films, with the voice of Blair played by Bremner.
In November 2008 his first book, entitled Does Anything Eat Bankers?: And 53 Other Indispensable Questions for the Credit Crunched, was published.
Television
Zaltzman has made an appearance on Channel four's panel show "8 out of 10 cats".
Other work
Zaltzman is a huge fan of cricket and since November 2008 has written a regular blog for Cricinfo, named "The Confectionery Stall". The name for the blog comes from the description given by Richie Benaud, of a shot by Ian Botham off Terry Alderman. On air Richie says -
Don't bother looking for that, let alone chasing it. It's gone straight into the Confectionery Stall and out again. A beautiful hit .
Zaltzman's profile there informs us that.
Zaltzman's love of cricket outshone his aptitude for the game by a humiliating margin. He once scored 6 in 75 minutes in an Under-15 match, and failed to hit a six between the ages of 9 and 23. He would have been ideally suited to Tests, had not a congenital defect left him unable to play the game to anything above genuine village standard. Aged 21, when fielding at deep midwicket, he dropped the same batsman three times in fifteen minutes, and has not been selected by England before or since.
Zaltzman has appeared as a guest on various TV and radio programmes, including BBC Four's The Late Edition as well as The Now Show and The News Quiz on BBC Radio 4.
Zaltzman presents a 4 part BBC Radio 4 program entitled Andy Zaltzman's History of the third millennium, series 1 of 100. Providing a decade by decade comic analysis of a potentially chaotic era.
In the summer of 2009 Zaltzman hosted a Saturday morning show on BBC Radio 5 Live entitled Yes, It's The Ashes, taking a comic look at the 2009 Ashes.
He was a regular co-host of the satirical news show 7 Day Sunday on BBC Radio 5 Live, along with comedians Chris Addison, Sarah Millican and one different guest each week. The series ran from January 2010 to early 2011.
Personal life
Zaltzman is the older brother of Helen Zaltzman, co-host of Answer Me This!, a popular British podcast.
Zaltzman is married to Miranda, a barrister, and has two children: a daughter named Matilda, born in 2007 and a son named Horace, born 15 December 2008. Horace was delivered by Zaltzman himself at home due to his wife entering labour suddenly; he recounted this on an episode of The Bugle dated 22 December 2008 and during his 2010 Edinburgh show.
References
- "Andy Zaltzman - The Comedy Club". The Comedy Club Limited. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
- "Russell Howard interview - 'That's me and the Fringe done'". The Scotsman. 3 October 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
- "if.comedy - Newcomers". ifcomedy.com. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
- "Comedy Festival Awards - Piece of Wood". Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
- Naughton, Philippe. "The Bugle - Audio Newspaper For A Visual World". London: timesonline.co.uk.
- "Avalon Entertainment Limited - Andy Zaltzman Profile". Retrieved 22 April 2009.
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot03CNJgnE8
- "DOES ANYTHING EAT BANKERS? And 99 Other Questions to Cheer Up the Credit Crunched". oldstreetpublishing.co.uk.
- Zaltzman 2009
- "Cricket show for comic Zaltzman". Chortle.co.uk. 7 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-08.
- "The Bugle 57 - Hats off to Obama, shoes off for Bush". London: TimesOnline. 21 December 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-15.