2010 Edinburgh Fringe

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Sometimes nice people have to toughen up to survive the world. But what if their shoulders simply aren't big enough for fighting? Tom Allen nearly had a fight. It involved a misunderstanding with a big man at a family party. How he dealt with it was impressive. And deadly.

Tom has always been afraid of what other people think about him. And he's pretty unsure what he thinks about himself. He's posh, pedantic, 'charming and dapper' (The Telegraph), bald and gay. But is that all? His family are from South London and don't really understand him at all. Most of all he wants to be accepted - and not get into fights. And he wants to make you laugh - no matter how tough you are.

Tom Allen Toughens Up is an angry dialogue between two men which takes in garage doors, a fear of needles, polite methods of dealing with antisocial neighbours and makes Tom realise that often the biggest fight you ever have is with yourself.

From the man who did his first stand up gig at a working man's club when he was 21 but who as a teenager was the youngest member of the Noel Coward Society. A show about feeling scared, being strong and trying really hard not to get beaten up.

So You Think You're Funny and BBC New Comedy Award Winner Tom's career continues to go from strength to strength. He has performed at Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, Queer Up North in Manchester, Glasgow and Leicester Comedy Festivals, London's Soho Theatre, New York's Upright Citizens Brigade and has had his own show at Edinburgh Fringe for the past three years.

He has most recently been appearing in Channel 4's weekly TNT Show writing and presenting Dictionary Corner.
2009 saw a second series of The Correspondent which he co-writes and performs for BBC Radio 4 and guest appearances on Loose Ends, The Richard Bacon Show, Big Brother's Big Mouth and Big Brother's Little Brother.

Tom plays Pip in the Sony Award Winning Bleak Expectations with Anthony Head and Richard Johnson on BBC Radio 4 and his TV credits include the BBC's Sensitive Skin, Fear of Fanny, the Frankie Howerd biopic Rather You Than Me, The Cut and Channel 4's Law of the Playground. In 2008 he made his own documentary for E4 about identity entitled Who is Tom Allen? Film includes Colour Me Kubrick with John Malkovich, Starter for Ten and the new Stephen Frears film, Tamara Drewe.