On Steve Day

Speaking about his friend, deaf comic Steve Day

More Matt Price videos

Cornish-born, Cardiff-based Matt Price is officially the UK's first New Deal comedian. Having been on the dole for two years, he applied for the financial support of the Government’s New Deal scheme to help him launch his stand-up career - and was accepted. Before comedy, he also had a short career in boxing, and wrote a book on the subject.

He was resident MC of Cardiff's Yellow Kangaroo Comedy Club for 18 months, and then took over at the city’s Wharf comedy club. He was also a finalist in the Laughing Horse New Act of the Year competition in 2004.

Price planned to take his debut solo show, The Nimble Mammoth to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2006, but arrived in the Scottish capital to find that his venue didn't exist, so spent the month compering gigs.

Matt Price: My Girlfriend Was Attacked By A Small-Time Wannabe Gangster And This Is What I Did About It – Fringe 2009
Live Review

Matt Price is a comedian, performing a show billed as ‘funny’ in the comedy section of the biggest festival of live comedy in the world. So you might reasonably expect this to be comedy. It’s not.

The subject matter – which you can probably guess from the title – is clearly too raw, bleak and personal for Price to slap on his happy face and crack gags about. It is, however, a thoughtful piece of storytelling by a man who finds it easy to connect with his audience.

Or at least most audiences. The piece starts with a tale of a gig he performed with fellow stand-up Ray Peacock in Broadmoor secure mental hospital, in front of patients so intimidating, it was his biggest stage death to date. His usual mantra is that ‘bad jokes bring people together’ – but that wasn’t enough to see him through that particular experience, which is only tentatively connected to the main story.

What happened is this. One night his girlfriend went to complain to her previously amiable upstairs neighbour about the noise, whereupon the man – a gym freak – smashed her head violently into the floor. Somehow she made it back to her own flat, where three thugs attempted to continue the assault. The attack left her badly injured, deaf in one ear, with the very real risk that she would lose her hearing altogether.

Price, naturally enough wanted revenge, and using some connections of connections, got in touch with enough members of the Glasgow underworld to populate a Guy Richie movie. Through meetings in restaurants and deserted car parks, he told what had happened and sought help and advice, learning he could have the man killed for £5,000 or seriously injured for £2,000. This redemptive story tells, as promised, exactly what he chose to do about it.

Not, as you see, exactly a prime subject for jocularity. Even when Price promises us before one particularly depressing segment: ‘You won’t laugh for four or five minutes, but after that you will.’ Only the first part comes to pass.

Some levity is provided by Price’s friend Steve Day, the deaf comedian and central character in the few light-hearted anecdotes in the hour, as Price recounts some o fhis joking around, using his disability to excuse mischief. But there’s always the threat of brutally menacing gangsters hanging over even the most innocent of anecdotes.

Price draws you in, though, with his easy charm and compelling story. The staging could help him more; the stage is lit in such a way that a man front row is brightly illuminated, while the performer is in shadows – while a PowerPoint projector is a redundant distraction.

It’s a prop Price doesn’t need, as his delivery of the tale is exemplary. Just don’t expect to laugh...

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What a fantastic act; warm, touching and above all, VERY funny!

Kelly, June 2011

Saw Matt Price in Falmouth last night. It's the first time I have seen him since September last year (St Ives Festival) and he has upped his game yet again. rnrnThe show was at the slightly confusingly named 'Falmouth Poly' - nothing to do with colleges or education but a neat, intimate little theatre in the centre of Falmouth a few yards from the sea. Matt did one of his trade-mark walkabouts in the audience - no microphone, he has the voice projection of an opera star - and he had the audience 100% on side from beginning to end. He did a lot of material that will be familiar to his followers (I have heard 'How to do the Cornish dialect' several times but it still makes me laugh) and some of his newer stuff.

Roger Angove, April 2011

Matt Price is one of those comedians who can MC, open, or close and will always do a great job. I have used him many times over the years and he never fails to deliver. On top of this, he's a man of integrity.Definitely worth booking!

Caroline - Mad Dog Comedy, January 2011

Saw Matt last night at the Vic in Swindon. The show was generally poor until a certain Mr Price took the stage and pushed a so far disappointed crowd into hysterics in a few short minutes. Incredible turnaround. Best small venue gig I've seen in a long time. Well done sir !

John, January 2011

Saw him compering at St. Davids Hall in Cardiff and thought he was excellent

Rob, July 2010

Saw Matt recently down in Cornwall - great show as always.

Roger Angove, July 2010

I've just driven home with my mouth wide open after watching Matt Price, flip a quiet, cold room into a roaring fire of mirth. I've never seen anything like it. He picked and plucked at the knots in the audience, identifying and dealing with difficult individuals with an affable, almost magical charm. He varied the pace, changed the mood and the gags kept coming. To me the man is truly an awesome act.

Mel Smart, October 2009

Couldn't wait to see Matt's shows having met him a few times but never seen him perform. Saw both of Matt's shows at the fringe and was surprised by how engaging a comedian can be with an audience. His show, 'My girlfriend....', was compelling and harrowing whilst still making you laugh along the way. Then saw him as MC at 'f*cking funny for a fiver' where he pretty much stole the show with his role. He got the crowd up for a good night and set the scene perfectly for the other acts. Absolute pleasure to watch and cant wait for the next time I can get to see him.

Mike C, August 2009

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