BACK
A much needed fresh comic voice from Northern Ireland at a time when we most need to hear it.”-Jarlath Regan
By the time John was 17 he was an Irish Champion Martial Artist and competing at the World Karate Championships before training in Boxing, Muay Thai Kickboxing, BJJ, and Mixed Martial Arts. Injuries took their toll, leading him to swap getting punched in the head repeatedly for telling jokes…which holds a slightly lower chance of sustaining deep deep trauma.Approaching comedy as an athlete meant putting the hours in; and it was a steep rise for John, quickly gaining notoriety on the London stand up circuit for “…grabbing the gig by the scruff of its neck with a loud, fast and punchy delivery” (Chortle).
After a blistering performance as a finalist for the prestigious Leicester Sq Theatre New Act Competition, and spot on the final bill of the famous NATYS he picked up momentum. From joining The Stand Edinburgh’s “Best of Irish” series to selection for the BBC New Comedy Award, he was known for being “compact, confident, powerful storyteller with a keen comic eye" (Bruce Dessau), and appearances in the media followed in the UK and Ireland on TV3, BBC iPlayer, and BBC Radio 4.