Andy Firefly

Andy Firefly (Born 1941, Bridlington, England) is a British stand-up comedian and actor.

Firefly has been credited as an important influence on modern stand up comedy, and is considered a bridging-point between pre- and post-alternative British comedy. He is the only comedian to have recorded a set for TV show The Comedians (considered a bastion of old-fashioned comedy) and performed at the London Comedy Store, the focus for the alternative comedy revolution of the 1980s.

Early career

Firefly began performing comedy at his father's working men's club 'The Millingham' in Bridlington at the age of 15 under his given name of Downie. He was soon noticed by the comedians who played the national circuit and thus came to the attention of Harry Keltrain, a 'showbusiness' agent who would later help launch Ken Dodd's career. Keltrain suggested Andy's stagename and booked him low-paid gigs on the national variety and working men's circuit.cite book|title=The Dark Behind The Smile: The Andy Firefly Story|author=Patrick Lennon |location=Manchester|publisher=Dark Arts Press|date=1985]

Fame

According to his biography, 'Dark Behind The Smile' Andy's early material was typical of the pre-'alternative' circuit. He soon tired of this and began to become more experimental, often losing his audience. However, the experimentation paid off and he landed his first acting role, a part in the BBC's Z Cars. Harry Keltrain was unable to negotiate the contact due to an arrest for bigamy, and Andy took this as an opportunity to strike out on his own.

Other notable television appearances include Doctor Who, Dangerman and The Third Man (uncredited).

Today

Andy Firefly has achieved a cult status among modern stand-up comedians. Stewart Lee, Harry Hill and Russell Brand have all cited him as an influence. Firefly continues to perform live sporadically.

References

* Lennon, Patrick "The Dark Behind The Smile: The Andy Firefly Story" Dark Arts Press (1983)