Ross Noble

About Ross

Ross Noble is an English stand-up comedian and actor whose shows defy the standard format. He is known above all for improvisation — building and dismantling ideas in real time, following tangents that somehow cohere, and delivering something that audiences recognise as brilliant even as it remains difficult to describe. The Guardian has called him 'the great improviser'. The Sun called it 'brilliantly inventive, quirky stand-up'. Time Out put it simply: 'Every night is different and every night is a total joy.'

Noble began performing stand-up at fifteen in clubs around Newcastle upon Tyne, and by the turn of the century had a Perrier Award nomination for Laser Boy and a Time Out award for Chickenmaster. His performances are largely improvised and surreal, delivered as a stream of consciousness and frequently built around heckles and conversations with members of the audience. He has appeared on Have I Got News for You more times than any other guest and has been a regular panellist on QI since 2010, with Australian television credits including Rove Live, Good News Week and The Panel. He made his film debut in the title role of Stitches in 2012, and was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for the musical Young Frankenstein. Major touring shows include Unrealtime, Randomist, Fizzy Logic, Things and Nonsensory Overload; he currently tours Cranium of Curiosities and hosts the Ross Noble Podcast.

Noble suits audiences comfortable with the unexpected — corporate events where the brief includes 'memorable' rather than just 'safe', and festival or theatre settings. Because the show is built in the room and shaped by the audience, no two performances are the same.