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TV’s Terry Christian brings laughter to Thornton Little Theatre

Published: Thursday, 25 September 2014

He’s not the first person you might think of when it comes to stand up, but reviews of Terry Christian’s debut show tell another story.

The Manchester born broadcaster and presenter is best known
for his years presenting controversial show ‘The Word’. You might know him as
runner up in 2009’s Celebrity Big Brother or as a regular panellist on Channel
5’s The Wright Stuff.

Now taking his debut stand up show on tour around the UK, Terry
Christian is building a reputation as a natural, observational and hilarious
stand-up comedian and is coming to Thornton Little Theatre on 11 October.

From the streets of inner city Manchester to the Boulevards
of Beverly Hills via the Madchester Music Scene and a house with an outside
toilet, Terry Christian's show takes a snap shot of life overlooked by an all
seeing and often unforgiving God. This hilarious romp through the guilt ridden
and occasionally darker realms of life is another brave step for Terry, as he
brings all the maverick qualities that made him a media bête noir on The Word
to the fore in an honest, funny and sometimes profound indictment of religion
and the beauty of always, as a last resort, being able to blame God for
everything.

Sex, violence, religion, class prejudice, it's all contained
in this terrific and funny show. In part two of the show Terry opens himself up
to the audience for a no holds barred Q&A session which often results in
hilarious stories about Hollywood stars like Tom Hanks and Arnold
Schwarzenegger and his all-time thrill of meeting the late great James Brown.

Talking about his tour, Terry says, “After what
has been a rollercoaster yet successful 30 years in the media, attempting these
live shows has reinvigorated me, and the audience reaction has been so
positive. I’ve always been aware that a lot of my life reads like a novel. Rags
to riches type shtick (not exactly riches) and guided very much by the hand of
fate.

“I was born and grew up one of six kids to Irish parents in what was
then a slum, half a mile south of Manchester City Centre in the Brooks Bar
neighbourhood of Old Trafford adjacent to Hulme and Moss Side. In that area
almost everyone was either Irish descent or West Indian. That shared poverty
with its rivalries on the streets was how we lived until I was 14, and though
I’ve had more years living in privileged comfort, it’s like those years defined
me as the person I am. The question I constantly ask myself is why and there’s
no doubt in my mind that a lot has to do with the peculiarity of my Irish
Catholic upbringing.

“The Irish have been possibly the biggest ethnic
minority in Britain and culturally our upbringings are different and yet
unrecognised. It amazes me that to this day there hasn’t been a book that truly
captures that experience of growing up Irish descent in Britain. I intend to
put that right in the next year and use Naked Confessions as a show to draw a
spotlight on that unique, sometimes baffling and in hindsight very amusing
upbringing.”

Terry Christian is appearing at Thornton Little Theatre on
Saturday 11 October. Tickets are just £13.50 each. To book call the box office
on 01253 887693 or click here.