Karl Lucas Biography

Karl Lucas is an English comedian, actor and writer, who has written for and appeared in a number of television, music videos and radio comedy programmes, as well as various theatre productions.

Lucas worked on Galaxy 102's Breakfast show which collectively won three Sony Awards (1999/2000) - Gold in 1999 and Silver in 2000 for Best Breakfast Show. Lucas was writer and comedy sidekick on the show and was awarded his own Sony Award (Bronze)for his part of the 'Sticker Vicar' in 1999.

Lucas is a graduate of Salford University,with a B.A. Honours and HND in Performing Arts.He is one of a handful of performers who have graduated from Salford University with distinction and is entered in their 'Hall of Fame'

Lucas played Richard, a member of the fictional Pop group 2 Up, 2 down on Peter Kay's Britain's Got the Pop Factor... and Possibly a New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly on Ice (2008) a spoof on the talent show genre of programmes. Some of the shows most memorable moments saw 2 Up 2 Down singing a duet with Rick Astley, getting Hip-Hop dance lessons off Lionel Blair and Richard's rap in the middle of "The Winner's Song" (which was co-written by Gary Barlow).

He is the only British comedian who has worked as a warm up on American TV shows: America's Got Talent and Osbournes Reloaded and is rumoured to be heading out to the states to be working on the new series of The X Factor

Peter Kay

Lucas has worked closely with Peter Kay on many of his TV,DVD,Music and Stand-Up projects,as Writer, Actor and Director.(see TV Appearances/Radio Appearances/Writing). He was Tour Manager for Peter Kay's Mum Wants a Bungalow Tour and filmed/directed a documentary called One Hundred and Eighty: The Tour Documentary.Lucas has always supported Comic Relief and donated his time as a consultant writer/backstage director on the Comic Relief Charity singles 500 Miles and Is this the way to Amarillo and also has cameo appearances in both videos.(see TV Appearances 'Raiders of the Pop Charts' & Music Videos).

He most recently was credited with 'special thanks' for Susan Boyle and Geraldine McQueen's Comic Relief 2011 hilarious cover of I know him so well.

Writing

He has written scripts, story lines, additional material, sketches and provided material for Britain's Got The Pop Factor ... And Possibly A New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly On Ice., The Coronation Street Panto, Coronation Street, You've Been Framed, Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (he also named this show and helped devise it), A Question of TV}, Soap Fever, Loose Women, Max and Paddy's Power of Two, and in the U.S.A Osbournes Reloaded.

In 2011 he wrote and directed This Morning's first ever live Pantomime.Cinderella featured the regular cast in an all singing and dancing live spectacular. Lucas has also written sketches for This Morning's Promotional Trailers, starring Phillip Shcofeild and Holly Willoby and Eammonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford.

TV appearances

• Derren Brown's Remote Control as Voice Over Man
• Shameless (Channel 4) as Branson (director:David Evans)
• Emmerdale: The Dingles - For Richer for Poorer as Fridge (director: Tim O'Mara)
• Britain's Got The Pop Factor ... And Possibly A New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly On Ice as Richard in (TwoUp-TwoDown) (director: Peter Kay)
• Raiders of the Pop Charts as Himself (director: Peter Kay)
• Raiders of the Pop Charts II as Himself (director: Peter Kay)
• Britains Got The Pop Factor...and Then Some! as Richard (director: Peter Kay)
• Osbournes:Reloaded (Fox TV)as New Family Member (director: Russell Norman)
• Loose Women (ITV) Various Roles (director: Jo Johns)
• Shameless (Channel 4) as Paramedic (director:David Evans)
• Ideal (BBC) as Peter (Ginger Elvis) (director: Ben Gregor)
• Mischief "Is it coz I is Black?" (BBC) as Presenter (director: Sam Lewens)
• Waterloo Road (BBC) as Radio Presenter
• One Hundred and Eighty: The Tour Documentary as Himself (director: Karl Lucas)
• Peter Kay Night (Channel 4) as Himself (director: Peter Kay)
• Max & Paddy's Power of Two (Channel 4) as Woman in Burka (director: Peter Kay)
• Peter Kay Live at the Manchester Arena (Channel 4) as Himself (director: Peter Kay)
• Celebrities Under Pressure (ITV) as Elvis (director: Hilary Jones)
• Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights (Channel 4) as Ass TV Presenter Baz Hastings (director: Johnny Campbell)
• You've Been Framed (ITV) as Caretaker (director: Russell Norman)
• Newsnight (BBC) as Himself (2002)
• Soap Fever (ITV) as various characters / with Emma Kennedy

Music Video appearances

• The Winner's Song (director: Peter Kay)
• 500 Miles (director: Peter Kay)
• Is this the way to Amarillo (director: Bruce Gowers)

DVD appearances

• Emmerdale: The Dingles - For Richer for Poorer as Fridge (director: Tim O'Mara)
• Britain's Got The Pop Factor ... And Possibly A New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly On Ice (DVD) (2009)
• Shameless (DVD) (2008)
• Special Kay (DVD) (2008)
• Waterloo Road (DVD) (2007)
• Ideal (DVD) (2007)
• Peter Kay " Stand Up UKay (DVD) (2007)
• Max and Paddy's Power of Two (DVD)(2005)
• Live at the Manchester Arena (DVD) (2005)
• Phoenix Nights (DVD)(2001"2002)

TV warm up

Lucas has been a TV warm-Up Man since 1995. His first professional job in TV was a warm up man on University Challenge. He has since worked on numerous TV shows:Loose Women Who Dares Sings, The Record of the Year, Russian Roulette, Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, Icons, The Katy and Peter Show,he also worked on the badly received The David Dickinson show and Epic Win, Channel 4 for The Derren Brown Show and ITV Studios for Let's Do Lunch With Gino & Mel and on Peter Kay's Live at The Bolton Albert Hall.

He has recently been seen doing Take me Out, Piers Morgan Tonight, It'll be alright on the night, Surprise-Surprise, Paddy's TV Guide, Baggage, Beats TV and Daybreak.

And in the U.S.A Osbournes:Reloaded and America's Got Talent.

TV producing

Lucas worked in the U.S.A. as a Content Producer (2008-9)for Fremantle Media on Osbournes:Reloaded.

TV presenting

• Mischief "Is it coz I is Black?" (BBC) as Presenter (director: Sam Lewens)
• Soap Fever ITV2 from 1999 to 2003 (director:various)
• Interference Channel M from 1998 to 2005 (director:various)

Radio presenting

• Chrysalis Radio, Galaxy 102 FM The Adam Cole Breakfast Show, as writer, presenter and the part of Sticker Vicar
• Faze FM Kiss 102, The Grainne Landowski Breakfast Show (Faze Radio) as Co-Host and writer.

DJ

Lucas is also a Disc Jockey having worked at Nightclubs and Venues all around the UK (including the infamous Hacienda nightclub), and in the U.S.A where he DJ'd the America's Got Talent wrap party at CBS Studios. Notably he was DJ/Compere at JK Rowling's MS charity event in Edinburgh in July 2008, Coleen Rooney's 21st birthday and Coleen Nolan's wedding.He has also DJ'd at many charity events,TV wrap parties and ITV's Xmas parties. .

Theatre

• The Last Chair as Man (24/7 Theatre Festival)
• Granny Must Die as Devil/Bishop (24/7 Theatre Festival)
• The Dumb Waiter as Ben (Not the International Theatre Festival)
• Noises Off as Garry/Roger (Guide Bridge Theatre)
• Loot as Dennis (Guide Bridge Theatre)
• The Funny Farm (Improvisation) (Guide Bridge Theatre)
• Stab/Zombie (Edinburgh Festival (Aspects Theatre Company)
• The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas as Melvin p Thorpe (Aspects Theatre Company)
• Chicago as Billy Flynn (Aspects Theatre Company)
• The Tempest as Antonio (Aspects Theatre Company)
• Grease as Teen Angel (Aspects Theatre Company)

Cabaret

• The Funny Farm Toured as part of Improvised Comedy Group (1999"2000)
• Hosted Mad abbott Cabaret Edinburgh Festival (1992 and 1995)

Awards

In 1999 The Galaxy 102 Breakfast Show was Awarded the Gold for best breakfast show and the Bronze Award for the 'Sticker Vicar'.

In 2000 The Galaxy 102 Breakfast Show was awarded a silver Sony award, Karl's third Sony award. The show was produced by Simon Richie, directed by Paul Saunders, written by Karl Lucas and presented by Adam Cole, Emma Wasden, Karl Lucas and Mike Maguire. Karl's most notable contributions were for writing comedy sketches, song parodies and playing the part of Sticker Vicar who was introduced two years prior.

Britain's Got The Pop Factor ... And Possibly A New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly On Ice was Peter Kay?s first original show for over four years, and pulled in a massive 7.1 million viewers " making it one of Channel 4?s highest rated shows of all time. Winner of ?Best Comedy Performance? at the RTS Awards " describing it as "brilliantly visually realised, and a perfect parody of the genre"; the series also received ?Best British Comedy Television Programme? award from BAFTA LA and the ?Best Music / Variety Program? at the Banff World Television awards and also received an Emmy nomination for International Comedy in 2009.

Granada Studios Tour

Lucas worked a Granada Studios Tour from 2000 to 2009 in various roles ranging from Number 10 Downing Street Policeman, New York Cop, Baker Street Characters, German Guard at Checkpoint Charlie and many others. Notably he worked as writer/performer in the House of Commons Show (a live comedy debate,set in a lifesize version of the House of Commons). Lucas played the roles of Speaker of the House, Black Rod and Labour and Conservative Members of Parliament.

At the Studios Tour Live action shows were performed at intervals throughout each day, including a parody of a political debate in the House of Commons chamber set used for First Among Equals. This set was often used by other television productions wanting to set scenes in the Commons chamber, such as The New Statesman, and in 2002 was purchased by the scriptwriter Paul Abbott so that it could be used in his BBC drama serial State of Play.

Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson wrote about Lucas's appearance in the Granada Studios Tour in its House of Commons show, in the book Notes from a Small Island