As well as performing as part of The Best In Stand-Up at weekends for Manchester’s Comedy Store, Toby also plays a pivotal role in two very different, but very fine, comedy nights at this excellent, purpose built venue.
For the 2003 Manchester Comedy Festival, Toby got together a group of local comics and actors to provide an antidote to the one-man-and-a-mic approach so prevalent in comedy clubs. Under the benevolent gaze of The Comedy Store, The Unbroadcastable Radio Show grew from a one-off attempt to try something different, to a monthly fixture on the comedy circuit.
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| The core Unbroadcastables in 2005 |
The five strong team write the show in the weeks prior to (and sometimes the day of) performance, with a topical, satirical slant augmenting some of the popular regular characters. Toby is joined on stage by actress Helen Copley and comedians Peter Slater and Dominic Woodward. They all write the show, along with non-performer Tony Kinsella. Something of a cult hit, Unbroadcastable has also featured at the Liverpool and Ludlow Comedy Festivals, and recorded a pilot for Radio 4. Regular highlights of the show include Peter as Christopher Walken in his cookery show The Napalm Chef, and Toby as batty explorer Ranulph Fiennes and irritable megalomaniac Davros. The show is performed every third Sunday of the month at The Comedy Store, Manchester. The Unbroadcastable Radio Show has also featured Alfie Joey, Mick Ferry and John Warburton (currently on sabbatical but hopefully back soon).
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| The Unbroadcastables in Liverpool |
“Don’t believe the title, this is eminently broadcastable, and should be on Radio 4 soon, if the BBC has any sense”
– William Cook, PICK OF THE WEEK, The Guardian
“A real corker – more laughs per minute than your average sketch show.”
– Manchester Evening News
“From the pens and lips of the circuit’s most creative comic minds. Judging by the talent involved, this won’t be off the air for long”
– The Metro
More details can be found here : www.unbroadcastable.com
The Guardian like us!
The Guardian like us!
 And so do the Manchester Evening News
NEW STUFF
This is a deliberately experimental night where established acts try out new material, with the added bonus that entry is free. Toby is your erstwhile regular compere, and some of the circuit’s very best acts travel from afar to throw out their untested material to a fantastic and expectant crowd. Originally just once a month, the night has been so successful that it is now on both the second and fourth Sunday of each month at Manchester ’s Comedy Store. Acts who have turned up in the past include The Friday Night Project’s Alan Carr, Perrier nominee Jason Manford, North West Comedy Award winner John Bishop, Radio 4’s Hils Barker, Aussie legend Jim Jeffries, Phoenix Nights actor and general all round good guy Justin Moorhouse, and Ideal (BBC 3) and former Unbroadcastable Radio Show actor Alfie Joey.
THE FROG AND BUCKET
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| Toby struts his stuff at The Frog And Bucket |
Toby is also a semi-regular compere at another fantastic Northern Comedy institution, The Frog and Bucket, where he has shared the stage with the likes of Johnny Vegas, Richard Herring, John Moloney and Simon Munnery. As well as presiding over the busy and boisterous weekends, he also nurtures new acts at Beat The Frog, the Monday night gong-style show in which non-paying punters decide whether the comics are worthy of staying onstage for a full five minutes.
Find out more about The Frog And Bucket at: www.frogandbucket.com
He also is the regular compere of the Limelight Comedy Club, a relatively new gig which has already acquired quite a following and brings a little bit of hope and joy to the poor people of Crewe .
Find out more about The Limelight at: www.limelightcomedy.co.uk
Toby has also appeared at the following (usually as compere or headliner):
The Comedy Store (Warrington, Durham, Leeds), Robin Ince’s Book Club (Liverpool), Glasgow Comedy Festival (one man show and headline gigs), The Buzz, Mirth on Monday, The Comedy Zone, The Blue Cat, Manchester University, The Dancehouse, Innocent Criminals, Pleasure, Slug and Lettuce, Zumeba, The Comedy Balloon, (all Manchester), The Ark (Headingly), Zanzibar, Head Of Steam, Slaughterhouse, Rawhide (all Liverpool), The Big Issue Edinburgh Festival Extravaganza (supporting Phil Kay), The Stand (Edinburgh), The Lescar (Sheffield), Stand-Up Bolton (Timbuctoo … well, Bolton actually), Grin and Bear It (Bolton), Jesters (Bristol), Hi-Fi, Original Oak (Leeds) Late and Loud (Glasgow Comedy Festival), and many, many more.
RADIO
Toby is much in demand as a radio pundit (the qualification for which is to be able to gab on about anything without swearing). He was a regular on Michelle Around Midnight on BBC GMR. The station eventually promoted him to co-host the notorious Allan Beswick Show when the titular host was on holiday. This required him to parry off the verbal assaults of the phone-in public and stick the knife into Christian Voice (something which came to him rather easily). Such gobbiness has also lead to Toby banging on alongside Anita Anand and Edwina Currie on their Five Live shows, and on various shows on Radio Merseyside, Radio Shropshire and Radio 4. Political animal that he is, he’s also provided light relief during GMR’s live election coverage, and been a comedy guest on Justin Moorhouse’s Key 103 show, for Smug Roberts on Revolution, Terry Christian on GMR and The Fred MacAulay Show on BBC Radio Scotland.
He has performed comedy on Radio 4’s 28 Acts In 28 Minutes, acted in sketches on Radio 1’s The Milk Run, done stand-up on BBC 7’s Spanking New and guested on the same station’s Serious About Comedy.
WRITING
Toby writes sketches for both The Unbroadcastable Radio Show at The Comedy Store, and Bastard Funny at The Green Room : both regular comedy shows which try to offer something different to stand-up. He has also written reviews and articles for DVD Monthly, and obituaries for The Guardian and The Independent. These include pieces on the actors Frederick Jaeger, Michael “Mr Bronson” Sheard, Anthony “The Master” Ainley, Bob Mason and Michael Billington. Plus special effects pioneers Jack Kine and Bernard Wilkie, and poet and stand-up Hovis Presley
Toby has also written adaptations of both 1984 and Accidental Death Of An Anarchist for the stage. Both were very successful, and there’s a bit about Anarchist in the acting section (he was in it too y’see). He also wrote most of his lines in the stage play Sherlock Holmes In Trouble (again, see acting section for details).
Toby wrote links for Angus Deayton for BBC 1's 6 part series The Comedy Sketchbook, and also the script for BBC 2's The Comedy Christmas.
REVIEWS, ARTICLES & AWARDS
"One of the local heroes of comedy... one of the regular highlights (of the night) is the genial and all-inclusive banter of Hadoke himself."
Ben Carlish, Metro
“Brilliant, had the audience in stitches”
Kevin Bourke, Manchester Evening News
"One of the circuit's leading comperes - an expert ringmaster, tackles hecklers with relish and zeal. A comedy genius."
Helen Duff, Metro
"His quick witted mix of left field topicality and observational asides ensures he’s rarely short of work."
Mike Barnett, Manchester Evening News
“Verbally dexterous, with a keen eye for the political and perverted, Toby Hadoke must be Manchester 's own renaissance man. Like Kenneth Branagh with a sense of humour."
John Goodfellow, BBC Radio.
“Savage witted and incisive satire from an excellent act with a keen following”
City Life
“Looks so at home on stage you’d think he was born there”
Warrington Guardian
“Was brought back for a much deserved encore after a set of incisive material coupled with skilful and sharp audience banter”
Crosby Herald
“A stage manner more engaging than Henry VIII, and a wit sharper than an executioner’s axe. Good audience rapport and a slayer of hecklers”
The Big Issue
“PICK OF THE WEEK”
William Cook, The Guardian (11 times as an individual, 8 times for The Unbroadcastable Radio Show)
Everything you needed to know about Toby courtesy of the South Manchester Reporter
Manchester Evening News: Good old Mike Barnett, a journalist who knows his stuff and cares a lot about comedy
The Big Issue – nice article, despite the minor flaw of referring to our hero as Tony throughout!
 
The Guardian - Picks Of The Week
(There’ve been a few of these, but the two examples here are extremely funny:
second only to Ken Dodd, and placed above Sean Lock and Stewart Lee!)
AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS
WINNER: The Les Dawson Award - 2003 North West Comedy Awards.
(inaugural winner beating a shortlist including Peter Kay, Daniel Kitson, Dave Spikey,
Ken Dodd, Caroline Ahearne, Craig Cash and Steve Coogan)
Presented by Tracy Dawson and Roy Barraclough at The Comedy Store, Manchester.
WINNER: Best Comedy Club (XS Malarkey) – North West Comedy Awards 2004 & 2005 & 2008
WINNER: Best Comedy Club (North) (XS Malarkey) – Chortle Awards 2002 - 2005.
NOMINEE: Best Touring Show (The Unbroadcastable Radio Show) – North West Comedy Awards 2004.
NOMINEE: Best Comedy Writing (The Unbroadcastable Radio Show) – North West Comedy Awards 2004 & 2005.
WINNER: Best Off Stage Contribution (Chortle Awards 2008)
NOMINEE: Sony Awards, Best Drama (Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf 2008)
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| A tired and emotional Toby with The Les |
Collecting the Best Comedy Club Award at The North West Comedy Awards – presented by Johnny Vegas and hosted by Bradley Walsh |
Toby and Malarkey cohort Lee Martin celebrate their win at The North West Comedy Awards |
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