Doon Mackichan
Encyclopedia
Doon Mackichan is an English comedienne
and actress.
, Fife
. She is a graduate of Manchester University. She is probably best known as one of the writers and stars of the Channel 4
comedy series Smack the Pony
and for appearing in a number of Chris Morris
comedy series such as On The Hour
, The Day Today
and Brass Eye
.
Mackichan has also appeared in the sitcom Beast
. She also regularly appeared in Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge and The Mary Whitehouse Experience
. She appeared in several of The Comic Strip Presents...
films in the early '90s.
She was a contestant in the 2003 BBC
charity singing contest, Comic Relief does Fame Academy
, in which she came fourth. She also played Victoria Lender in the 1998 movie, The Borrowers
, and appeared in the 1995 comedy Glam Metal Detectives. She appeared in the second series of the BBC comedy Bedtime
, and teamed up with her former Smack the Pony co-stars in the film Gladiatress
.
More recently, Mackichan appeared as Jane Thomason, the news producer for the BBC in Taking the Flak
in 2009. She has narrated several TV series, including The Honey Trap and Bank of Mum and Dad. She portrayed Cherie Blair
in the Channel 4 satirical drama A Very Social Secretary. She appeared in Channel 4 sitcom Nathan Barley
as the "preposterous voice" of a thinly-veiled Annie Lennox
parody. She also had a small role in Julia Davis' Comedy "Nighty Night" playing a chat-show host who interviews Jill Tyrell. The scene was later deleted and never aired but appears in the extras section of the Series-2 DVD.
In addition to her TV comedy
appearances, her own BBC Radio show, Doon Your Way, was broadcast in 1996.
On a 2005 episode of the BBC quiz show QI
, it was revealed that Mackichan swam the English Channel
in 1998. She was a member of a six-person relay team.
She has also voiced characters in several animated series including Bob and Margaret
, Stressed Eric
, Don't Eat the Neighbours
and Bromwell High
.
Doon has fronted a TV ad campaign for Hallmark
in the UK, and appeared with Matt Di Angelo
and David Haig
in the Joe Orton
black farce Loot
.
Doon portrayed a nightmarish BBC news presenter in series 4 of the Sarah Jane Adventures in 2010.
From 3 Jun - 9 July 2011, Doon will be performing alongside The Mighty Boosh
's Julian Barratt
in a new production of Nikolai Gogol
's classic comedy The Government Inspector at the Young Vic Theatre in London.
Doon was married to the actor Anthony Barclay. They have three children, daughters India and Ella-Rose, and son Louis.
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
and actress.
Biography
Born in London, Mackichan was brought up in Surrey until the age of 9 when she moved with her family to Upper LargoUpper Largo
Upper Largo or Kirkton of Largo is a village near the East Neuk of Fife, Scotland. It rests on the southern slopes of Largo Law and half a mile north of Largo Bay and the rather larger village of Lower Largo...
, Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
. She is a graduate of Manchester University. She is probably best known as one of the writers and stars of the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
comedy series Smack the Pony
Smack the Pony
Smack the Pony is a British sketch comedy show that ran from 1999 until 2003 on Channel 4. Its title was intended to sound like a euphemism for female masturbation; the working title was Spot the Pony. The main performers and writers on the show were Fiona Allen, Doon Mackichan and Sally Phillips...
and for appearing in a number of Chris Morris
Chris Morris (satirist)
Christopher Morris is an English satirist, writer, director and actor. A former radio DJ, he is best known for anchoring the spoof news and current affairs television programmes The Day Today and Brass Eye, as well as his frequent engagement with controversial subject matter.In 2010 Morris...
comedy series such as On The Hour
On the Hour
On the Hour was a British radio programme that parodied current affairs broadcasting, broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between 1991 and 1992.Written by Chris Morris, Armando Iannucci, Steven Wells, Andrew Glover, Stewart Lee, Richard Herring and David Quantick, it starred Morris as the overzealous and...
, The Day Today
The Day Today
The Day Today is a surreal British parody of television current affairs programmes, broadcast in 1994, and created by the comedians Armando Iannucci and Chris Morris. It is an adaptation of the radio programme On the Hour, which was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between 1991 and 1992...
and Brass Eye
Brass Eye
Brass Eye is a UK television series of satirical spoof documentaries. A series of six aired on Channel 4 in 1997, and a further episode in 2001....
.
Mackichan has also appeared in the sitcom Beast
Beast (TV series)
Beast is a BBC One sitcom based in a veterinary surgery. Two series of six episodes each were made, with the first broadcast in early 2000 and the second in early 2001...
. She also regularly appeared in Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge and The Mary Whitehouse Experience
The Mary Whitehouse Experience
The Mary Whitehouse Experience was a British topical sketch comedy show produced by the BBC in association with Spitting Image Productions. It starred two comedy double acts - David Baddiel and Rob Newman, and also Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis, all of whom had graduated from Cambridge University...
. She appeared in several of The Comic Strip Presents...
The Comic Strip
The Comic Strip is a group of British comedians, known for their television series The Comic Strip Presents.... The core members are Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson and Jennifer Saunders, with frequent appearances by Keith Allen, Robbie Coltrane and...
films in the early '90s.
She was a contestant in the 2003 BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
charity singing contest, Comic Relief does Fame Academy
Comic Relief Does Fame Academy
Comic Relief Does Fame Academy is a spin-off of the original Fame Academy show where celebrities sing as students of the Academy. The programme was launched in 2003 to help raise money for the charities supported by Comic Relief, with the final of the show occurring on Red Nose Day...
, in which she came fourth. She also played Victoria Lender in the 1998 movie, The Borrowers
The Borrowers (1997 film)
The Borrowers is a 1997 film based on the children's novel of the same name by author Mary Norton. In 1998 it was nominated for the title of Best British Film in the British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards, but lost to Gary Oldman's Nil by Mouth...
, and appeared in the 1995 comedy Glam Metal Detectives. She appeared in the second series of the BBC comedy Bedtime
Bedtime
Bedtime, in Western parenting tradition, involves to a greater or lesser extent, rituals made to help children feel more secure, and become accustomed toward a comparatively more rigid sleep schedule than they would otherwise establish....
, and teamed up with her former Smack the Pony co-stars in the film Gladiatress
Gladiatress
Gladiatress is a 2004 British comedy film, starring Sally Phillips, Fiona Allen and Doon Mackichan. It is partly a spoof of 2000's Gladiator.- Filming :It was filmed at various locations in the UK between 11 November and 23 December 2002...
.
More recently, Mackichan appeared as Jane Thomason, the news producer for the BBC in Taking the Flak
Taking The Flak
Taking the Flak is a comedy drama which aired on BBC Two in summer 2009. It is set in a fictional Central African country that is the middle of a civil war. A team of BBC journalists arrive from London, to the annoyance of the local BBC stringer Harry Chambers , and send reports back to BBC News...
in 2009. She has narrated several TV series, including The Honey Trap and Bank of Mum and Dad. She portrayed Cherie Blair
Cherie Blair
Cherie Blair , known professionally as Cherie Booth QC, is a British barrister working in the legal system of England and Wales. She is married to the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair; the couple have three sons and one daughter...
in the Channel 4 satirical drama A Very Social Secretary. She appeared in Channel 4 sitcom Nathan Barley
Nathan Barley
Nathan Barley is a Channel 4 sitcom written by Charlie Brooker and Chris Morris, starring Nicholas Burns, Julian Barratt and Claire Keelan. The series of six weekly episodes began broadcasting on 11 February 2005 on Channel 4...
as the "preposterous voice" of a thinly-veiled Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox, OBE , born Ann Lennox, is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving minor success in the late 1970s with The Tourists, with fellow musician David A...
parody. She also had a small role in Julia Davis' Comedy "Nighty Night" playing a chat-show host who interviews Jill Tyrell. The scene was later deleted and never aired but appears in the extras section of the Series-2 DVD.
In addition to her TV comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
appearances, her own BBC Radio show, Doon Your Way, was broadcast in 1996.
On a 2005 episode of the BBC quiz show QI
QI
QI is a British comedy panel game television quiz show created and co-produced by John Lloyd, hosted by Stephen Fry, and featuring permanent panellist Alan Davies. Most of the questions are extremely obscure, making it unlikely that the correct answer will be given...
, it was revealed that Mackichan swam the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
in 1998. She was a member of a six-person relay team.
She has also voiced characters in several animated series including Bob and Margaret
Bob and Margaret
Bob and Margaret was a Canadian/UK animated television series that was also shown in the United States and all over the world. The series was produced by Nelvana, a Toronto animation studio, and created by Canadian David Fine and Brit Alison Snowden...
, Stressed Eric
Stressed Eric
Stressed Eric is a British/American/New Zealand cartoon series that was produced by Absolutely Productions for the BBC Two television channel in the United Kingdom and the Television New Zealand. The series revolves around Eric Feeble, a middle class man who is always stressed, because of his...
, Don't Eat the Neighbours
Don't Eat the Neighbours
Don't Eat the Neighbours is a children's comedy series that originally aired in the United Kingdom and Canada in 2001-2002. It was filmed mainly with puppets, but occasionally used computer graphics. The series was focused on the characters Rabbit, Wolf, and their children...
and Bromwell High
Bromwell High
Bromwell High is an animated series about a British high school in South London. It first aired on Teletoon in Canada and Channel 4 in the UK . It is a co-production between Hat Trick Productions in the UK and DHX Media in Canada. According to the Website , it was originally to be entitled...
.
Doon has fronted a TV ad campaign for Hallmark
Hallmark
A hallmark is an official mark or series of marks struck on items made of precious metals — platinum, gold, silver and in some nations, palladium...
in the UK, and appeared with Matt Di Angelo
Matt Di Angelo
Matt Di Angelo in London, England is an English actor and singer.He is mostly known for playing fictional character Deano Wicks in the popular British soap EastEnders, and for his current role of Sean Kennedy in the BBC series Hustle.-Education:He attended Southgate School, and started studying...
and David Haig
David Haig
David Haig is an Olivier Award-winning English actor and FIPA Award-winning writer. He is known for his versatility, having played dramatic, serio-comic and comedic roles, playing characters of varied social classes...
in the Joe Orton
Joe Orton
John Kingsley Orton was an English playwright.In a short but prolific career lasting from 1964 until his death, he shocked, outraged and amused audiences with his scandalous black comedies...
black farce Loot
Loot (play)
Loot is a two-act play by the English playwright Joe Orton. The play is a dark farce that satirises the Roman Catholic Church, social attitudes to death, and the integrity of the police force....
.
Doon portrayed a nightmarish BBC news presenter in series 4 of the Sarah Jane Adventures in 2010.
From 3 Jun - 9 July 2011, Doon will be performing alongside The Mighty Boosh
The Mighty Boosh
The Mighty Boosh is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Developed from three stage shows and a six episode radio series, it has since spawned a total of twenty television episodes for BBC Three and two live tours of the UK, as well as two live shows in the...
's Julian Barratt
Julian Barratt
Julian Barratt is an English comedian, musician, music producer and actor. Barratt is best known for playing the character of Howard Moon in the cult comedy The Mighty Boosh, which he also co-writes with comedy partner, Noel Fielding.-The Mighty Boosh:Barratt stars as the character Howard Moon...
in a new production of Nikolai Gogol
Nikolai Gogol
Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol was a Ukrainian-born Russian dramatist and novelist.Considered by his contemporaries one of the preeminent figures of the natural school of Russian literary realism, later critics have found in Gogol's work a fundamentally romantic sensibility, with strains of Surrealism...
's classic comedy The Government Inspector at the Young Vic Theatre in London.
Doon was married to the actor Anthony Barclay. They have three children, daughters India and Ella-Rose, and son Louis.