COMEDIAN Dave Gorman is returning to the Isle of Wight following a four-year sabbatical, with Shanklin Theatre among the destinations in his extended tour — With Great PowerPoint Comes Great ResponsibilityPoint — next week.

Dave, acclaimed for his innovative live shows, is now approaching 30 years on the comedy circuit as a writer and stand-up, fluctuating between live performance and behind the curtain contributions for a slew of noteworthy small screen presentations.

Speaking to the County Press, he said: “I have always been a performer first and writer second, cutting my teeth on the stand-up comedy circuit in Manchester at the age of 19 at a historic venue called Band on the Wall.

“I was banging on the door asking for a slot, but there were several well-established comedians dominating a small scene, so initially it was difficult to get time on stage. It was only when several of the big names didn’t turn up that I was given an opportunity.

“From there I became a regular, sharing new material every week, and it led to me writing for high-profile performers like Steve Coogan and Caroline Aherne, and for programmes like the Fast Show.”

Nationally, Dave’s breakthrough as a comedian came in 2001 when he adapted his Edinburgh Fringe show, Are You Dave Gorman?, for a BBC mini-series, receiving critical acclaim during its six-week run.

The success of the series — the result of a drunken wager between Dave and flatmate/co-writer Danny Wallace — set in motion the duo’s dovetailing careers, with Danny becoming a celebrated author and radio personality.

Dave’s presentation-based comedy tours flourished over the next couple of decades, with sold-out shows soon becoming a regular fixture south of the Solent.

“Shanklin Theatre is lovely venue to perform at,” he said.

“There is an amazing archive backstage with lots of signed photos from people like Laurel and Hardy, so whoever put that together deserves a huge amount of credit, I love that kind of stuff.

“I remember arriving before a gig, wanting to watch Andy Murray playing tennis, but unable to find anywhere screening it. The organisers kindly put the match on the big screen I was going to use for projection later that evening, and a handful of us watched the match in a virtually empty theatre.”

With Great PowerPoint Comes Great ResponsibilityPoint comes to Shanklin Theatre on the evening of Thursday, November 7. At the time of writing, only ten seats were available.

To purchase tickets, contact the Shanklin Theatre box office on 868000 or visit https://www.shanklintheatre.com/

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