Matthew Highton
Matthew Highton is a British comedian[1] and film-maker from Saddleworth known for his surreal storytelling.[2]
Performing since 2009, Highton has worked as both a solo act and as part of the alternative comedy collective Weirdos. He has taken several shows to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, débuting in 2010.[3] In 2014, Highton was also part of the cast for Knightmare Live,[4] a stage version of the popular 90s children show Knightmare.
As part of Weirdos, Highton co-wrote and directed their 2013's alternative Christmas Panto, The Colonel[5] alongside Weirdos founder Adam Larter and directed 2014's A Christmas Tail.[6] He also played Rufio in their 2012 stage re-production of Steven Spielberg's Hook. In 2012, Highton and Larter also put on Bowie Fest[7] a spoof version of the V&A's 'Bowie Is' exhibit.[8] In 2017, he played a hybrid of Donald Trump and Phil Collins,[9] in Tony Law and Friends in the Battle for Icetopia. A collaboration between Weirdos and Tony Law unwisely set on the Alexandra Palace Ice Rink.[10] The show went on to receive the 2018 Chortle Award for Event of the Year.[11]
Highton is a filmmaker, creating the online sketch show The Thinking Shower which he stars in alongside, amongst others, Fosters Comedy Award winner John Kearns. In 2014, he made his first short film Santageddon[12] which starred several other UK comedians including Nick Helm, John Kearns, Gemma Whelan and Pat Cahill. He has a plethora of shorts and sketches to his name, working closely with many of the UKs best comedians. Many of these include collaborations with fellow Weirdo Joz Norris,[13] whom he also has a Resonance FM radio show with, called Radio K.A.O.S[14] named after the Roger Waters album.
During the Coronavirus pandemic, Highton put his filmmaking and editing skills to use creating a string of viral videos. Most notably his stock footage recreations, where he recreates classic TV intros such as Pokémon[15] and the Simpsons[16] using nothing but stock footage.
References[edit]
- ^ "Matthew Highton, comedian tour dates : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". www.chortle.co.uk.
- ^ http://www.broadwaybaby.com/news/matthew-highton/237. Archived 2015-01-21 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "FringeGuru - Matthew Highton's Incidental Combobulations". www.fringeguru.com.
- ^ "Cast". Archived from the original on 2015-01-21. Retrieved 2015-01-21.
- ^ "The Colonel: the Weirdos team's alternative pantomime – Christmas comedy in London – Time Out Comedy – Time Out London". Archived from the original on 2013-12-19.
- ^ "A Christmas Tail – Weirdos Alternative Panto". Time Out London.
- ^ "Bowie Fest". Time Out London.
- ^ "V&A · David Bowie". Victoria and Albert Museum.
- ^ "Live Review: Tony Law and Friends in The Battle for Icetopia, Alexandra Palace". Beyond The Joke. October 15, 2017.
- ^ "Anarchy at the ice rink: when comedy, theatre and nonsense collide". the Guardian. October 11, 2017.
- ^ Bennett, Steve. "Chortle Awards 2018: The results : News 2018 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". www.chortle.co.uk.
- ^ "Cool Short: Santageddon – Christmas comedy horror! | Live for Films". Archived from the original on 2015-01-21. Retrieved 2015-01-21.
- ^ Finch, Alex (May 9, 2019). "Interview: Joz Norris".
- ^ "Mixcloud". Mixcloud.
- ^ "Pokémon's Intro, Remade with Stock Footage". 7 April 2021.
- ^ "THE SIMPSONS Intro Recreated from Stock Footage is a Delight".