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 (June 2020):
Well, let’s be honest – the lockdown is mostly gardening and procrastination isn’t it? But anyway…
XS Malarkey has become even more creative in these trying times, and this virus hasn’t stopped us putting on our regular Tuesday shows. We’ve been doing our gigs on Twitch, with our fine array of comics adapting their skills to a new medium (which combines living rooms and cyberspace with just a dash of invention and a soupçon of desperation). So far we’ve had Robin Ince, Josie Long, James Acaster, Nish Kumar, Mark Watson, Tom Allen, Jordan Brookes, Randy, Rob Rouse and many more. They’ve been great, and the audience have really got involved. We’re also raiding our archives and playing past performances from classic Malarkey nights on Sundays at 8pm – Tez Ilyas, Sophie Willan, Laura Lexx and Sean McLoughlin have submitted to this process, joining us to forensically dissect their sets, their jokes and their comedy lives for us. Both gigs are free but rely on donations. Find our channel here. The shows remain available for 14 days after broadcast.
I have written another Guardian obituary, this one for The Bill’s Tony Scannell.
Although my Twitter account is still active I won’t be checking it over the next few months as the world has gone mad and I don’t need a constant reminder thank you!
I will continue presenting The 7th Dimension on Radio 4 Extra but will be a little bit automated. There are some great shows though, so make sure you continue to tune in at 6pm and midnight.
The documentary The Doctor Who Cookbook – Revisited which I present has been nominated for a Royal Television Society Award (Best Factual Entertainment and Features) which is rather delightful. My next documentary – Whose Doctor Who Revisited – is on the newly available Season 14 Blu-ray box set: it might just be my favourite so far.
Because we are in lockdown, I (alongside my other half, Cherylee Houston off of Corrie) have done a couple of stupid videos which are a sort of sequel to the above. Have a look…
I recorded a Radio 4 Play, Not For Turning, before lockdown – it will be broadcast in September and is written by Tim Dawson who wrote the sitcom Coming of Age.
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.
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.
Terrible swimmer though.
