Matt Kirshen
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Matt Kirshen

New York, New York, United States

New York, New York, United States
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"Matt Kirshen"

Two things are obvious the moment Matt Kirshen takes to the stage, First, that he appears shockingly young; second that he has a permanently beaming rictus grin that makes The Joker look positively moody.

Both have provided him with plenty of comic fodder. Indeed, the set that first introduced him to the circuit four years ago was substantially based on his appearance, full of references to the fun he could have fooling paedophiles.

It may be a slightly obvious tack to take, but what set this routine apart – and what has defined all Kirshen’s work since – is the dogged determination to wring every possible gag out of an idea, advancing each one way beyond the point at which most comics would have stopped. He’s the King of the Tagline, for his skill at adding jokes upon jokes.

Nowadays he increasingly applies that comic rigour outwardly, rather than just to himself, with witty anecdotes and smart commentary about vaguely topical issues.

Bad science of the type peddled by bogus ‘doctor’ Gillian McKeith and a legion of other modern-day quacks might initially seem like an easy target, but Kirshen nails it not only with the perfect line, but several follow-ups, as his pernickety, analytical mind goes into outraged overdrive.

Such sharp writing – intelligent, but with the emphasis firmly on the funny rather than the clever – stands him in excellent stead, and ensures a fine punchline-packed set.
- Chortle - The UK Comedy Guide


"For the latest Last Comic Standing news"

English stand-up comedian Matt Kirshen appears as one of the top 10 finalists competing in season five of the NBC reality talent show Last Comic Standing. After finding out that he had been chosen as of the top 10 contestants, he joked, "Being in the top ten feels like getting a massage from a burly man. I know it's doing me good, but I still feel a bit dirty." His youthful appearance belies a 27-year-old veteran of the UK comedy circuit, where he performed his first solo act at the Edinburgh Festival, and was then lauded for his precise timing and biting wit.



Kirshen was the winner of the 2003 Hackney Empire New Act of the Year contest, gaining success and fame in London and throughout the UK. He is a regular performer at numerous clubs and locations, among them Just the Tonic, Belfast Empire, Komedia, The Comedy Store, Rawhide, and Laughter House. He also tours various universities throughout Britain, and has performed in festivals at The Carling Weekend in Reading and Leeds and in Glastonbury. He has collaborated with and opened for other performers such as Ed Byrne in Ireland and Jeff Green in the UK. He has performed internationally in Singapore, Dubai, Holland, Germany, and France.

- buddytv.com


"Edinburgh Festival Review"

http://www.list.co.uk/article/3123-matt-kirshen - The List


"Matt Kirshen: Shorter than Napoleon"

Here’s a fresh-faced comedian who certainly doesn't beat around the bush. Matt Kirshen might look young, but at age 29 and eight years into the game, he has acquired a very effective stage presence that keeps his audience hanging on every word – aided by an endearingly nervous smile.

If anything, his material seems over-polished at times, but with his eager chit-chat between topics, this doesn't matter: it's clear that Kirshen is for real. He swears all his stories are true, and claims that life makes for the best stories. That point seems to hold true here – some of his anecdotes leave you teary-eyed from laughing. That said, he constantly stresses the point that truth is not stranger than fiction; after all, what if people had tails? His ability to make us picture such surreal images makes for some delightfully silly comedy.

However, it's when Kirshen moves on to an ominous story from his backpacking days in France that he truly impresses. He amply proves that he can master the art of building dramatic tension: not a breath stirs in the audience. (He can’t pronounce the word ‘Bordeaux,' but that just lends edge to his own ironic jokes about being crap at French.) Sweet and charming despite his purported desire to be rather be rugged and manly, Kirshen's easy charm makes for a relaxing, effortlessly amusing gig that feels more like listening to an eccentric friend wax lyrical in a bar than something you've paid to go and see. - Fest - by Marthe Lamp Sandvik


"Album Review"

Matt Kirshen: I Guess We’ll Never Know
June 9, 2009

There are many stand-up comics who are funny, but not exactly made-for-TV. Some comics have the likability for television, but might be a bit lacking in terms of quality humor. Few possess both traits. Enter Matt Kirshen, the 29-year-old comic who looks 16 (“I can go outside, expose myself to strangers, and they get arrested”).

His affable demeanor and good-natured delivery give him leeway to tackle a host of issues in his debut album, I Guess We’ll Never Know.

Kirshen, a British Jew, was first introduced to American comedy fans as a finalist on Last Comic Standing. During his set, he talks to the Minneapolis crowd about some of his experiences adjusting to life as an occasionally-recognizable figure. Hint: it’s more embarrassing when you’re recognized by a fan while trying to solicit cheese fries from a stranger at a drive-thru. He’s also found himself signing autographs for a Texas man on a Guns & Ammo Magazine, or as Kirshen calls it, “Texan Porn”.

Kirshen successfully navigates a range of material in his hour-long performance, poking fun at Plague-infected children, creationism, and pedophilia. Yet he always manages to keep it light for the Midwest crowd, joking about everything from nut allergies to people’s views of medicine.

I Guess We’ll Never Know features well-written material of classic observational and longer storytelling style. One thing we’ll know soon enough: whether Kirshen becomes the next great comedy export from across the pond. - Punchline Magazine


"Album Review"

I Guess We’ll Never Know
Matt Kirshen
Stand-up Comedy CD
Stand Up! Records 2009

British comic Matt Kirshen was on Last Comic Standing. Don’t worry, he did not win. That means he is original, smart, and funny. This is a trademark of a Stand Up! Records stand-up comedy CD. I Guess We’ll Never Know is a very funny, original CD that makes you impatient to hear what Matt Kirshen will come up with next.

Like Guinness, British comedy does not travel well but this comic and his stand-up are right at home in the heartland of America. There is not a single weak moment on this comedy CD. The problem here is figuring out which of these many solid routines is your personal favorite. I am stumped.

Especially excellent on this Matt Kirshen CD is a bit about how children today are not as healthy as in past generations, This is, again, smart and wickedly funny comedy with references to video games, WW I, and the Dark Ages (no, not the Bush years, the other ones). It segues brilliantly into a bit on modern medicine and its crackpot cures, and donating your body to science and helping a medical student get lucky.

Part of what makes Kirshen much better than your average comic is how smoothly the bits flow from one to another and how he can make even an airplane joke fresh and funny. Observations like “text messaging killed the beacon” and how a few years from now comedy club audiences will be reacting with lol surprise and amuse.

His bit on how creationists should logically not be able to use any technology is something that must be played next time there is a creationism v evolution debate. Case closed.

The best of the best on this stand-up comedy CD is Kirshen’s take on Americans (in front of an American crowd no less!). This is dead on observational stuff that the Midwest audience just swallows up.

If you like smart, original stand-up this is one hell of a good bet. - theseriouscomedysite.com


"Media & Festival List"

Television:
2007 Last Comic Standing
The World Stands Up Half Hour Special
Comedy Cuts
The Late Edition
8 out of 10 Cats (writer)
28 Acts in 28 Minutes
ITV's Reading Festival coverage
TV Heroes (writer)
Stand Up Great Britain
BBC New Comedy Awards
BB7's Spanking New Comedy

Comedy Festivals:
Just For Laughs, Montreal
Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2002-2009
Kilkenny Comedy Festival
London Comedy Festival
Glasgow Comedy Festival
Altitude Festival, France
English Comedy Festival, Holland
Leicester Comedy Festival
Glastonbury Festival
Leeds/Reading Festivals
Oxford Truck Festival
Ludlow Comedy Festival

Comedy Clubs and Venues (partial list):
Denver Comedy Works
San Francisco Punchline and Cobbs
Charlie Goognights, Carolina
Acme, Minneapolis
Improv, various
Gotham, NY
Carolines, NY
Dr Grins, Michigan
Rooster T Feathers, Sunnyvale
The Comedy Store, London
The Laughter Lounge, Dublin
Singapore Comedy Club
Dubai Laughter Lounge
English Comedy Club, Munich
Jongleurs, Various
The Glee, Birmingham and Cardiff
The Stand, Edinburgh and Glasgow
Just The Tonic, Nottingham
The Hyena, Newcastle
Jesters, Bristol
Rawhide, Liverpool
Laughter House, Liverpool
Komedia, Brighton

Theatres (partial list):
Orleans Arena, Las Vegas
Throckmorton Theatre
Wiltern Theater, LA
Lakeshore Theater, Chicago
Belfast Empire
Leeds City Varieties
El Portal Theater, LA
Alex Theater, Glendale
Olympia, Dublin
Royal Court, Liverpool
Sherman Theatre, Cardiff
Bloomsbury Theatre, London


Awards:
Hackney Empire New Act of the Year 2003
Comedy Store Kings of Kings 2003
Paramount Comedy Channel Gift of the Gab 2003 (runner up)
Top Ten Finalist for NBC’s Last Comic Standing


- Sophie K. Entertainment


Discography

"I Guess We'll Never Know" (Stand-Up Records)
Regularly played on Sirius and XM radio, and listed as one of the top comedy albums of 2009 by both Punchline Magazine and theseriouscomedysite.com

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Bio

London born Matt Kirshen's precision wit has earned him an impressive reputation on the international comedy circuit. Most recently his appearances as a finalist on NBC's Last Comic Standing has earned him a whole new host of fans in the United States and a surprising number of other countries worldwide.

He has also recorded a half-hour special for the World Stands Up, Comedy Central, and has acclaimed festival appearances at Montreal, Kilkenny, Glastonbury, Reading, Leeds and Amsterdam.

His debut CD, "I Guess We'll Never Know" was named in Punchline Magazine's top 10 albums of 2009 and his hit appearance at the 2008 Just For Laughs festival in Montreal resulted in no fewer than 4 of his gags appearing in the Montreal Gazette's round up of their best jokes of the fest.

Matt has appeared in and written for numerous television shows in the UK, including a charity gala featuring Jimmy Fallon, which resulted in Jimmy himself requesting Matt to open for him in a college tour to promote his new Late Night hosting slot.

His youthful looks disguise a veteran comic with almost a decade of experience, and a wealth of smart, funny and relatable material, making him a firm favorite with college audiences. While it's his prime-time NBC appearances that most American comedy fans will recognize him from, they are often surprised at the breadth and scope of his material, described by one reviewer as "intelligent, but with the emphasis firmly on the funny"

"Five Stars" Edinburgh Evening News

A rollercoaster of comedy genius Hugely impressive." The Scotsman.

"His performance is the perfect mix of innocence and post-adolescent cynicism driven by infectious energy." Metro Life Magazine

"Excellent" The Stage

"Killer gags" Metro

"Matt Kirshen is a definite one to watch, his innocent looks belying a sharp, surreal and often gloriously sick mind" Metro

"Neurotically energetic and confessional- a name to watch" - Daily Telegraph

"His likeability almost goes off the scale" Chortle