Adrian Feeney
- British
- Writer, editor, executive producer, improviser, photographer, promoter and venue booker
Adrian has recently started developing sitcom ideas having been a stand up promoter in Bath since 1998. He claims to have discovered Russell Howard but more on that later.
- Nationality
- British
- Home town
- Bath
- Resident of
- England (Bath)
Adrian completed The Mastery course at The Actors Institute in London during 1988 where he was couched by renowned actor Derek Fowlds among others. Here he learned how to perform to and connect with an audience, a talent he went on to use later in life when performing his juggling based comedic street show in his new home City of Bath, where he 'kind of studied' under the awesomely talented Noel Britten (in that Adrian got to watch Noel perform his legendary street shows every weekend throughout the season.) One summer Adrian busked his way around Europe, which included spending a month filling his pockets in Prague and ending his grand tour in Barcelona. Performing street shows is a great place to learn improvised comedy and how to entertain an audience, because if you don't - they walk away!
Adrian ran Bath's original (and many say "still the best") comedy club from 1998 to 2003, The Fez Comedy Club is fondly remembered by many comedians for its bear-pit atmosphere and layout being like Comedy In The Round. Regular comedians to grace our stage back then were Rob Newman, Johnny Vegas, Tim Vine, Al Murray, Lee Mack, Sean Lock and Jerry Sadowitz - to name just a few. Adrian 'discovered' Russell Howard, in that he gave Russell his first paid work as the clubs regular compere and sent him on tour opening for Phil Kay at a time when Russell could only get open mic spots from the Bristol promoters. Adrian also shot Russell's first photo session in his Bath studio (he still has the negatives available if the price is right...) and annoyingly Russell does not seem to have aged a bit over the past 20 years!
Adrian exported The Fez Comedy Club to host monthly shows mainly for ex-pats in Prague, Budapest and Warsaw with the helpful sponsorship of British Midland Airline. Unfortunately the airline went bust (not Adrian's fault) which sadly put an end to this jet set period in his life. Notable comedians to perform at one of The Fez's European shows were Johnny Vegas, Ian Cognito and Ross Noble, and all of these trips created their own unforgettable stories along the way.
For 2 years Adrian also managed Ian Cognito, as much as anyone could actually manage the man. Ian was always a law unto himself but Adrian did his best in the circumstances and used his photography skills to make the famous montages of Cogs emerging from a manhole cover and coming out of his own mouth. Other comedians at the time would say: "Only Cogs would get in a drain for a publicity shot!" and I would keep quiet, not divulging that it was created in my studio using Photoshop.
However, promoting stand up was not really paying the bills so Adrian trained as an Arboriculturalist and has spent the last 20 years raking in the dosh by climbing trees and hanging from them by a rope whilst swinging a raging chainsaw, not the sort of man you wanna mess with...
Recently Adrian has returned to the comedy promoter fold becoming Associate Director at Bath Comedy, which means being Nick Steels 'right hand man' (although he sometimes used his left hand when the right hand gets tired) and took on the role of Live Stream producer at Bath Comedy when the world emerged from lockdown, notable live shows immortalised on film include two shows by Dr Phil Hammond and one of the last ever gigs by our dearly departed Barry Crier.
Recently Adrian has been developing ideas for sitcoms and comic dramas.
Further contact details are available to BCG Pro members. See below.
