Hello.
My name is Toby. I am an actor, writer and comedian. I have a Patreon Page here with all sorts of goodies.
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 2022):
I’m still largely isolating due to living with a vulnerable person, but still trying to keep busy and pay the rent…!
I am in all four episodes of Damned Andrew, the new comedy from BBC Radio 4 starring non-binary metalhead Andrew O’Neill. It was written by Andrew and Tom de Ville and is narrated by Alan Moore. The amazing cast includes Sanjeev Kohli, Jen Brister, Phil Nichol, Lucy Pearman and, especially delightful for me, Ford Prefect himself – Geoff McGivern. It’s dark and twisted and surreal – very funny too. But nuts! It’s definitely nuts.
Damned Andrew! Starring Andrew O’Neill BBC Radio 4.
I’m a recurring character in the new Sixth Doctor Adventures Big Finish series Purity Undreamed – three connected adventures featuring the fantastic line-up of Colin Baker, Bonnie Langford and Ruth Madeley (as new companion Hebe Harrison). I play Ron, ex-husband of the dogged Professor Patricia McBride played by Imogen Stubbs, and current husband of Hebe’s friend Elise… played by a certain Cherylee Houston. It was an honour to add Colin Baker to my list of audio Doctors – meaning I have the all the surviving classic series lead actors on my roster.
My documentary – Remembering Nigel Kneale – which was on BBC Radio 4 Extra on April 17th, will be remaining on iPlayer for longer the planned, which is a pleasing and flattering development. So if you missed it, have a listen here. I’ll be back on 4 Extra at the end of the month, presenting The 7th Dimension once again.
I recently had the sad duty of writing the Guardian obituary for that lovely actress Ann Davies. Click on the name to get to the article.
XS Malarkey – my award winning, 24 year old comedy club – has opened its doors again after over a year of lockdown shows (we ran weekly throughout the pandemic). 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 at 8pm on our Twitch channel
Joe Lycett, Chris Kehoe and Sophie Duker are amongst the brilliant acts we have had at XS Malarkey recently
My podcasts are all up and away. They just clocked up over 200, 000 downloads across 150 episodes which I am told is very good (we only launched a year 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.
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.
