Andy Askins is a diminutive figure who
exudes an air of vulnerability and an innocent child-like quality as
he steps up to the microphone armed with a guitar and a cheeky grin.
It's an overwhelmingly misleading demeanour which serves to heighten
the impact of the killer lines that he delivers.
Andy has an expertly crafted routine littered with an eclectic mix of
offbeat comic songs and parodies. A talented musician with a
captivating voice, popular songs have been re-written and given a
perverse twist to tremendous comic effect. His repertoire includes a
unique version of Dido’s “Thank you” - a hilarious account of his sour
marriage in which he paints a picture of himself as a long-suffering
brow-beaten spouse who finally snaps and pushes his cheating wife out
of a ten story high window - her fall broken by a Mr Whippy Van parked
outside.
With a wickedly dry sense of humour, Andy’s darker material is
sweetened by his innocent and impish demeanour which never fails to
leave audiences in the palm of his hand. With impeccable timing, the
inventive and quirky songs are peppered with inspired patter – the
material is as strong as the songs and delivered in an inimitable
modest and self-deprecating style.
His subject matter is wide ranging; from his many bizarre
relationships: “Some of them with humans” to an unfortunate mix-up
over a colostomy bag with a Columbian drug baron in Miami docks. The
routine ends with a hilarious rendition of Sting’s ‘Message in A
Bottle’ in which Andy recounts a weekend in Amsterdam with unfortunate
but hilarious repercussions.
A relative newcomer to the alternative comedy scene, Andy is
nonetheless an accomplished performer who has spent the past 15 years
travelling the world as a professional musician. His debut at The
Comedy Store was an overwhelming success; Andy proved to be a natural
comedy performer and in an unprecedented move by the Store, he was
immediately invited back to perform for full weekends and now performs
regularly at The Comedy Store in both London and Manchester as well as
at Jongleurs venues nationwide. He has also joined Dave Spikey on a
string of dates around the country as a special guest during his sell
out nationwide tour.
Proving that his brand of comedy is universally appealing, Andy has
delighted comedy audiences as far and wide as Hong Kong, Bangkok,
Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi. He kick started this year by accepting an
invitation to perform for the British troops in Iraq – performing 10
shows in and around Basra and Baghdad – even performing one show in a
former palace of Saddam Hussein’s.
Originally from the North East of England, Andy is now based on the
Isle of Wight where he lives with his wife and children. He is
available for corporate events – and with a routine that is
universally funny – and unusually clean, Andy’s act is particularly
suited to corporate audiences. He has just recorded “The World Stands
Up” for Paramount TV and is currently working on several original
ideas for TV and Radio.
'Dark humour with faultless timing'
The Stage
'An awful lot of charm. Although he looks mild-mannered and studious,
he actually packs a wry, cheeky wit. There is, most definitely,
something warmly alluring about him. His winning persona goes a long
way…charming banter.' Chortle
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