Barry Castagnola
Over the last few years, Barry has established himself as an extremely accomplished comic performer, writer and actor. As well as performing stand up on the UK and International comedy circuits, he has created, appeared on and written for numerous television projects.
Last year, as well as appearing on The Comedy Store Live (Paramount), Barry was a regular on Christian O'Connell's Sunday Service and film quiz Popcorn (SKYONE) and most recently he was seen in Comedy Shuffle (BBC3) and Comedy Cuts (ITV2).
He was also one third of the spoof eco-warrior dance-music act Cyderdelic (with Marc Wootton and Liam Woodman). After two critically acclaimed Edinburgh shows and a stint on The 11O'Clock Show, Cyderdelic won the inaugural BBC2 Green Light Award for comedy, the prize for which was a one-off programme for the channel. This was then developed into a six-part series for BBC3. Cyderdelic: The Revolution Will Be Televised, narrated by the legendary John Peel and broadcast in 2004, is a hilarious combination of jaw-dropping stunts, direct action, merry mischief and character comedy. It quickly achieved cult-status and is still revered by comedy fans.
He was a cast member of the Channel 4 comedy Experimental, ITV's Oblivious, presented The Yes/No Gameshow on Bravo and has appeared in and written for, numerous other TV shows. He also played one of the lead roles in the British film One Man and His Dog (Razor Edge Films).
Barry has been performing stand-up in the UK and internationally for over 10 years, since blagging his way onto the stage at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles. His easy-going yet very physical style, mixing personal anecdotes with some sharp topical and political comment, enthuses audiences at all of the major comedy clubs in the UK. As well as being a popular compere, Barry regularly headlines gigs around the country. He has performed in New York, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Dubai, Oman, Ireland, France, Switzerland, The Melbourne Comedy Festival, Glastonbury and The Reading and Leeds Festivals. TV stand up includes The Comedy Store Live (Paramount), The Stand Up Show (BBC1) and Net.Comedy (Carlton)
As well as being a constant fixture on the UK and International comedy circuits, Barry has performed two solo stand up comedy shows at the Edinburgh Fringe.
In 2007, he took his second solo show Mondeo Man to Edinburgh after the huge success of his 2004 show, The Importance of Not Being Too Earnest.
"A fast-rising talent who specialises in pushing the taste envelope" The Times"This lucid urban storyteller succeeds mainly because of his amiable everyman persona: slightly middle class, slightly streetwise, but hard to conclusively define. Yet it's the eloquence of his tales, with their sharp, effective comic imagery, that nails the deal. He's an assured raconteur with an easy-going, natural and upbeat style that's hard to fake. A safe bet, that's for sure." Chortle
"Such fun... an appealing hour of biographical stand up" The Guardian
Barry's stand-up showreel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKDCYngJnfg
Barry's acting showreel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsalHdFl2jo