ABOUT
WHO IS SHE?
Chelsea Birkby is from the thriving metropolis of Milton Keynes. At 18, she left to study philosophy. She moved to Oxford to work in the third-sector. Then, she found stand-up comedy. She has long brown hair which I only add because it was the fourth most-searched Chelsea Birkby question. Her age is hahaha nope.
LIVE COMEDY
Chelsea's a regular at nights across the UK and has performed at many of the UK's top comedy clubs and theatres (Jericho Comedy, Angel at The Bill Murray, The Stand, Monkey Barrel, Komedia, Backyard, Glee, The Museum of Comedy, Leicester Square Theatre, Soho Theatre, Oxford Playhouse, Northwall Arts Centre). She has been invited to perform in New York, Paris and Dusseldorf? She's a go-to for philosophy, literature, LGBTQ+ and mental health-themed comedy shows.
EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE
2022 No More Mr Nice Chelsea
Chelsea's award-winning debut recieved glowing reviews and transferred to a sellout run at Soho Theatre and featured in joke of the fringe lists (Times x2, Telegraph).
It was about what it is to be nice and when it's time to stop.
Director: Alex Farrow.
PR: Julian Hall, Textual Healing.
WINNER: Best Debut, Amused Moose.
NOMINEE: Best Debut, Comedian's Choice Awards.
Coming soon to a streaming service near you!
2024 This is Life, Cheeky Cheeky
Chelsea's smash-hit sophomore show built on the success of her debut, was critically acclaimed, received two award nominations and featured on many joke of the fringe lists.
It's about desire, despair and the body.
Directors: Dan Emery & Molly Stacey.
PR: Julian Hall, Textual Healing.
NOMINEE: Best Show, ISH Comedy Awards
NOMINEE: Best Show, Comedian's Choice Awards
TOP TEN: U&Dave's Official Joke of the Fringe list #7
CREDITS
AS SEEN ON
BBC3, NextUp, Tiktok (1m views first month)
AS HEARD ON
Richard Herring's Leicester Square Theatre Podcast, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio5Live, Times Radio, Trusty Hogs, Art Laughs with Verity Babbs, Jericho Comedy Podcast, My Time Capsule Podcast, Jokes with Mark Simmons
WRITER
Mock the Week (several series), Radio 4, The Independent, The Metro, British Comedy Guide
TOUR SUPPORT
Helen Bauer (Madam Good Tit), Fern Brady (Autistic Bikini Queen), Ed Patrick (Catch Your Breath)
VOICE OVER
Student Minds, Cancer Research UK
ACCOLADES
WINNER Best Debut Amused Moose (2022)
NOMINEE Best Debut Comedian's Choice Awards (2022)
NOMINEE Best Show ISH Edinburgh Comedy Awards (2024)
NOMINIEE Best Show Comedian's Choice Awards
U&Dave's Top 10 Jokes of the fringe 2024
COMPETITIONS
FINALIST So You Think You're Funny
FINALIST Leicester Square New Act Competiton
3RD PLACE Bath New Act Competiton
2ND PLACE New Online Comedian of the Year
SEMI-FINALIST BBC New Comedy Award
SEMI-FINALIST 2Northdown Competition
SEMI-FINALIST Komedia New Act Competition
“Birkby’s real talent is for crafting gags. Charm by the bucketload. Birkby has a delightful onstage manner, giddily dorky, with a sweetness that adds piquancy to her rare forays into edgier material…Just what the doctor ordered.” Telegraph, Funniest comedy at the fringe 2024
Cheerfully postmodern, there’s plenty to admire in This is Life, Cheeky Cheeky A really distinctive act, with a unique brain and she’s clearly wise to its rich comic potential" Scotsman
“Birkby's slightly shy, dork-adjacent stage persona belies the mischief within… This Is Life, Cheeky Cheeky is an enriching hour.” Fest"
“It is hard not to be immediately charmed by her…Keeps the room consistently chuckling.” EdFringeReview
“A quirky, sophisticated and subversive comic… Seriously impressive. Whip-smart stuff. This is first-rate, purposeful comedy. Expect to cry with laughter.” Quintessential Review
“Chelsea Birkby is an eccentric performer who wears her obvious intelligence lightly and with disarming self-deprecation…She mixes pop culture silliness and smut with philosophy” British Theatre Guide
"Chelsea Birkby really does carve a new niche for herself on the comedy scene, combining cheeky comedy with a cerebral bite. Birkby is a sharp, intelligent comedian and her witty observations on life will make you laugh and think in equal measure" EdFringeReview
“Smart, witty show… Her lines are so good and connections so fun.” Chortle
“Highly recommend” Mervyn Stutter’s Pick of the Fringe
“Unique and entertaining mixture of highbrow and lowbrow humour that never fails to surprise…One of the most unique stand-up shows at this year’s Fringe.” Wee Review
“Chelsea Birkby is a pure joy to watch. We’re all a little bit in awe of her smart and sassy set, we hang on every word… This one’s from the soul!” Mumble
“She is just a joy to watch on the stage.” PhoenixRemix
“Had the audience entranced” Squirrel Comedy
PRAISE FOR THIS IS LIFE, CHEEKY CHEEKY (ON TOUR IN 2025)
“There’s a sharp mind behind the sweet exterior. As her writing credits on Mock the Week suggest, she knows how to craft a well-made one-liner… Birkby wins the audience’s affection so thoroughly” Telegraph
“A hugely promising and already accomplished stand-up, surely destined for greater things” The Scotsman
“A real star in the making…Packed with gags at a great hit rate, even in the more serious moments, this is an assured debut from a performer who is surely destined for the top.” Sunday Post
“You cannot help but really like her” The Phoenix Remix
“Deceptively smart, tightly structured, and delivered with chatty charm. Sharply serious – but still somehow silly” Fest
“Chelsea’s a natural and delivered a show that you’d expect for someone who has been playing Edinburgh for years.” RGM
“Both naughty and nice. Has the feel of a conversation with friends” EdFringeReview
“The show is brilliantly funny, and Chelsea Birkby has the material and demeanour of a comedian who could make it all the way to the top. It’s certainly unusual, but it’s hilarious.” EntertainmentNow
“Highly recommend” Mervyn Stutter
“Peppered with good gags and a wide spectrum of pop-culture references, Birkby is a winsome and funny stage presence.“ ThreeWeeks
“She can make a joke out of anything… She’s a charming comedian.” DeadlineNews
“Chelsea Birkby’s future looks bright.” Wee Review
“Her polished writing skills are laudable, a series of clever jokes built chiefly upon a solid foundation of audience interaction. Both touching and funny.” Mumble
“We were so enthralled, the hour zoomed by very quickly.” Squirrel Comedy
“Birkby shines when it comes to one-liners and quick gag…A brilliant career awaits” Broadway Baby
PRAISE FOR NO MORE MR NICE CHELSEA
