Spike Breakwell
Encyclopedia
Spike Breakwell is a British comedian.
When Breakwell was four months old he became disabled
through taking oral polio vaccine
which caused a two-week coma. He was brought up in Dunstable
, and "treated and raised to be as stubborn and independent as anyone else round about." In his teens he attended Treloar College
in Alton, Hampshire
.
Breakwell was the first wheelchair-using
comedian on the London alternative
club circuit from 1992, appearing on stage and BBC2 television. His act always started with the line: "...I don't know what I've been drinking but I could walk half an hour ago!" Surprisingly, fans never tired of this.
He also co-wrote and co-starred (with Simon Hardeman) in the Edinburgh International Festival Fringe
shows On The Toilet With Shergar (An Evening of Horseplay and Lavatory Humour ) in 1992, Simon and Spikes Laugh-In in 1993 and the critically acclaimed play looking at comedy Death Of A Comedian in 1994.
He co-wrote (with Simon Hardeman) the Beginners' Guide column in The Times Magazine.
He has also been a regular in a BBC disability magazine programme.
In January 2006 Breakwell and part of the Wheelabout expedition team drove across Australia. He had planned to become the first person to cross from Perth
to Sydney (4600 miles) in an electric wheelchair. However, funding for the trip failed to materialise and it is yet to be completed.
In October 2007 he appeared in his first Hollywood film, Dante's Criterion, described as a supernatural horror
story of a possessed television, as "Ziggy Fontain" a wheelchair-using TV advertising producer. He is co-writing (with British screenwriter Lucy Soper) All About Eric, a comedy feature film for Hollywood-based Guvnor Films.
When Breakwell was four months old he became disabled
Disability
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
through taking oral polio vaccine
Vaccine
A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe or its toxins...
which caused a two-week coma. He was brought up in Dunstable
Dunstable
Dunstable is a market town and civil parish located in Bedfordshire, England. It lies on the eastward tail spurs of the Chiltern Hills, 30 miles north of London. These geographical features form several steep chalk escarpments most noticeable when approaching Dunstable from the north.-Etymology:In...
, and "treated and raised to be as stubborn and independent as anyone else round about." In his teens he attended Treloar College
Treloar College
Treloar College is a secondary school and sixth-form college for physically disabled students in Alton, Hampshire, England.It is one of the longest established special schools in South East England. The sixth-form college caters for students aged 16 to 25 and has 180 places. The students reside in...
in Alton, Hampshire
Alton, Hampshire
Alton is a historic market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of the English county of Hampshire. It had a population of 16,584 at the 1991 census and is administered by East Hampshire district council. It is located on the source of the River Wey and is the highest town in...
.
Breakwell was the first wheelchair-using
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
comedian on the London alternative
Alternative comedy
Alternative comedy is a term that originated in the 1980s for a style of comedy that makes a conscious break with the mainstream comedic style of an era, and typically avoids relying on a standardised structure of a sequence of jokes with punch lines. Patton Oswalt defines it as "comedy where the...
club circuit from 1992, appearing on stage and BBC2 television. His act always started with the line: "...I don't know what I've been drinking but I could walk half an hour ago!" Surprisingly, fans never tired of this.
He also co-wrote and co-starred (with Simon Hardeman) in the Edinburgh International Festival Fringe
Edinburgh Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the world’s largest arts festival. Established in 1947 as an alternative to the Edinburgh International Festival, it takes place annually in Scotland's capital, in the month of August...
shows On The Toilet With Shergar (An Evening of Horseplay and Lavatory Humour ) in 1992, Simon and Spikes Laugh-In in 1993 and the critically acclaimed play looking at comedy Death Of A Comedian in 1994.
He co-wrote (with Simon Hardeman) the Beginners' Guide column in The Times Magazine.
He has also been a regular in a BBC disability magazine programme.
In January 2006 Breakwell and part of the Wheelabout expedition team drove across Australia. He had planned to become the first person to cross from Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
to Sydney (4600 miles) in an electric wheelchair. However, funding for the trip failed to materialise and it is yet to be completed.
In October 2007 he appeared in his first Hollywood film, Dante's Criterion, described as a supernatural horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
story of a possessed television, as "Ziggy Fontain" a wheelchair-using TV advertising producer. He is co-writing (with British screenwriter Lucy Soper) All About Eric, a comedy feature film for Hollywood-based Guvnor Films.
External links
- Ten articles by Spike Breakwell reproduced from the Independent on Sunday, 2003–2004