Chris Addison
A middle-class panic attack delivered at a frantic, sweat-drenched sprint.
2 specials · 2001–2002
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Chris Addison paces the stage like an exasperated junior minister trying to explain a crisis to a room full of toddlers. He performs at a frantic sprint, his hands chopping the air as he gets increasingly worked up over minor social infractions. He builds his shows around sweeping, academic frameworks—civilisation, the cosmos, human evolution—and then uses those massive structures to house deeply petty complaints about the middle class.
Specials
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The World Comedy Tour: Melbourne 2002 with Dom Irrera, Al Murray & 13 more
An international lineup of working comics performing tight festival sets.
65 min
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Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala 2001 with Jimeoin, Wil Anderson & 10 more
A rapid-fire 2001 charity showcase of Australian and international stand-up.
Network Ten
On stage
For the better part of a decade, he was a fixture of the British comedy ecosystem, collecting Edinburgh Fringe nominations and anchoring panel shows. He now works primarily behind the camera, directing episodes of Veep and co-creating Breeders. Because he left the road to make television, his standup remains a closed loop, preserving a very specific era of articulate, high-energy UK club comedy.
When he has a mic, he leans into his own uncool, over-educated persona. He never fakes street smarts. Instead, he pulls comedy from his rigid adherence to logic, expressing bewilderment when the rest of society refuses to behave rationally. He earns laughs just by how he enunciates, snapping his consonants and stacking subordinate clauses until he has to stop and gasp for air. He uses his entire body to act out what an overactive mind looks like when it shorts out. This exact dynamic paved the way for his breakout acting role as a smug, flustered political advisor in The Thick of It.
Turning points
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Breakthrough Solo Debut at Edinburgh Fringe
Addison brought his debut solo stand-up hour to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, earning an immediate nomination for the Perrier Award for Best Newcomer.
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2004–2005
Consecutive Perrier Award Nominations
Addison solidified his signature lecture-style format with Civilization and Atomicity, earning back-to-back Perrier Comedy Award nominations.
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Cast in The Thick of It
Cast as junior advisor Ollie Reeder in Armando Iannucci's BBC political satire, propelling him to wider fame and expanding his career into acting and directing.
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2013–2016
Directing Run on HBO's Veep
Addison directed 13 episodes of Veep and served as an executive producer, paving the way for directing Hollywood feature films such as The Hustle.
At a glance
Fans also like
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John OliverBoth comedians emerged around the same era and collaborated on high-concept satirical radio writing for The Department.
Also on screen
- 2005–2012
- The Thick of It
- Lab Rats
- In the Loop
- Trying Again
- Doctor Who
A clip to start with
Chris Addison on Internet Shopping | Avalon Comedy