Hello.
My name is Toby. I am an actor, writer and comedian.
I was going to write this in the third person in order to give the impression that I have “people”. But I don’t. So, hello!
Here’s my latest news (July 2021):
I mean, there’s a pandemic on but sure, I’m still keeping pretty busy.
Um, so I’m in Coronation Street. I join as a new character, Fergus Dunford, on July 5th. Tune in. He’s a lovely character and I hope you enjoy watching him. I’m thrilled to be part of such an illustrious show.
Filming for Corrie – in my own house – to introduce Fergus to the world…
XS Malarkey – my award winning, 24 year old comedy club – opens its doors again on July 13th after over a year of lockdown shows (we ran weekly throughout the pandemic). We have some great acts and shows coming up – including Stevie Martin, Jordan Brookes, Adam Hess, Jess Fostekew and more – and they kick off at 8pm at our usual venue of The Bread Shed in Manchester. Our online shows went so well we are going to continue with them, bringing you fantastic acts from around the world on the first Sunday of every month and on our Twitch channel.
I have once again had the poignant pleasure of writing newspaper obituaries for a couple of extraordinary members of the entertainment profession – Roy Scammell was a brilliant stuntman, the go-to high fall man for most films and TV during the 60s-80s and the fella who taught me to fall off a high tower for the documentary Hadoke Vs Havoc. Damaris Hayman was fabulous comedy character actress who worked with all the great and was herself a marvellous eccentric. RIP to them both.
Roy Scammell (far left) and I (far right) – Dereks Ware and Martin are in the middle – prepare for some stuntwork on the documentary Hadoke Vs Havoc.
My podcasts are all up and away. They just clocked up 75, 000 downloads which I am told is very good (we only launched 6 months ago)! They are all about Doctor Who : there’s Too Much Information (a fact-filled, episode-by-episode breakdown), Indefinable Magic (whimsical vocal essays inspired by some random aspect of the the show), and Happy Times and Places (commentaries with the aim of positivity). They are released under the blanket title of Toby Hadoke’s Time Travels. My Podbean podcast page is here. My Patreon Page is here.
I am back in The 7th Dimension chair on Saturdays and Sundays from July 10th-25th, introducing horror and sci-fi and loads of terrific fantastical stuff on BBC Radio 4 Extra at 6pm and midnight. Highlights this time around include an apposite thriller from Val McDermid (antibiotics don’t work anymore – yikes!) and some twisty tales from Roald Dahl.
I have directed, and am in, a new comedy pilot by Jonathan Morris – it’s a Dan Dare/Buck Rogers type spoof called Dick Dixon in the 21st Century and is very funny. It has a great soundscape and a terrific cast including Kieran Hodgson, Dan Starkey, Terry Molloy and Sooz Kempner. Jonny has packed it with jokes and characters who will definitely strike a chord with anyone who likes what I like. The pilot episode here. and I am very pleased to say that we will be recording more episodes soon: watch h this space.
And here’s the general stuff about me if you’re interested (which I’m guessing you might be as you are here, so thanks!):
My one man show Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf sold out at the Edinburgh Fringe before embarking on a national tour, international dates and a West End run. The radio version was released on CD by the BBC and was nominated for a Sony Award. The follow up – My Stepson Stole My Sonic Screwdriver – joined its predecessor for a double bill at the Garrick Theatre in 2013. My radio work includes afternoon plays, a Fright Night presentation and topical comedy and has been nominated for a BBC Audio Drama Award.
I am a regular performer at the Comedy Store, Manchester (New Stuff every second and last Sunday of the month), the 99 Club Leicester Square, and have been resident compere at the award winning XS Malarkey comedy club for 23 years.
I also like old TV and can spot a character actor in a crowd from space. I have written about such passions for national newspapers and magazines, and spoken about them on documentaries and TV news programmes. My podcast, Toby Hadoke’s Who’s Round, has run to over 250 episodes, and my new lot, Toby Hadoke’s Time Travels, have hit 50, 000 downloads.
But I’m an actor really. I have appeared in Holby City, An Adventure in Space and Time, Phoenix Nights, The Forsyte Saga, Emmerdale, Coronation Street and Casualty 1907, the forthcoming feature film Six Minutes to Midnight (2020) and dozens of radio plays. I also present the weekend science fiction hour, The 7th Dimension, on BBC Radio 4 Extra.
