Dominic's Biography

1991
Started doing stand up – I was hideously nervous for the first gig and annoyingly I am just as nervous now.
First gig ever – Comedy Café, October 1991. Died.

1992
Laughter Hours. My first ever TV appearance for Central TV. I did a twenty minute set with Harry Hill (then Harry Hall) for broadcast at 2.30am and for a fee of £200. It still gets shown now on cable channels about the world. I don’t get any more money for it, but I do get the odd e-mail.

Dominic did his first slot at the famous Comedy Store in London, the club where all comics want to play.


Dominic Holland on stage at the London Comedy Store.

1993



Edinburgh – Best Newcomer Award
Played the Attic, The Pleasance. For the first night, we had 17 people in which I was delighted with. The Guardian and The Independent reviewed the show favourably  - The Guardian – “…had chanced upon an undiscovered star” The Independent – “…might just have what it takes to go all the way.” From here on in, the run sold out – a television producer told me that my show was ‘the festival ticket’ – Eddie Izzard, Frank Skinner and John Hegley came to the show on consecutive nights. I now realise that this was my happiest time doing stand up. Every comic going to edinburgh dreams of having the buzz show of the fringe. The real skill comes in recognising when this happens at the time and not a few years later.

Edinburgh – Winner of the Perrier Best Newcomer Award.

Toured the country with Eddie Izzard. I have no idea whether he is still doing comedy or not.

1994    

Edinburgh – The Pleasance – Over the Road
In stark contrast to the previous glory year, I got slated on the first Monday by the Herald and Scotsman. Show sold out, but I never regained my confidence.

Embarked on my first solo tour, doing two 50 minute sets.

1995
Write the screenplay, The Faldovian Club which I later sell to Pagoda films. (see great moments)

First approach BBC R4 with the idea for The Small World of DH

1996   
Edinburgh – The Gilded Balloon – The Honeycombe
Nominated for the Perrier Award. Thrilled and unexpected – proud to have been on a list with the following – Bill Bailey, Rich Hall, Armstrong & Miller, Al Murray and Dylan Moran (winner).

1998   
Complete my second series of Bring Me The Head of Light Entertainment. After the series, I get sacked. Getting sacked by Channel Five, a low point

The Clive James Show

Dominic appeared twice on the Clive James show and Clive described him as "hugely intelligent", some compliment coming from a bloke famed for his brains. He was wrong by the way!

1999   
Edinburgh – The Pleasance – Over the Road
Fortunately, one night the controller of BBC R4 came to the show on Bill Dare’s recommendation  (Bill conceived is the producer of Deadringers and my thanks to him) – and after the show, my Radio 4 series is finally green lit.

2000   
My film, The Faldovian Club finally dies but its torturous demise has inspired a story that I call Only in America , more of which later.     

I write the Radio 4 Show, The Small World of Dominic Holland – a strange experience –
Nine years of stand up material in to six half hours. The show chronicles my life, from childhood, through to school and on to fatherhood. The show is broadcast at 6.30pm – features three times on pick of the week and wins a comic heritage award for comedy.
       
Perform on The Royal Variety Show. Prince Charles asks me afterwards whether or not I am used to playing such big venues and in my comic paranoid insecure way, I interpret this to mean that he thinks I am crap. Good job I wasn’t born 500 years earlier or I might have been beheaded for not being funny enough.


Perform a slot each week on The Clive Anderson Now Show.



First of my two appearances on Have I Got News For you.

Get invited to the BBC Stars party and meet Mr Ronnie Barker, my all time comedy hero. No hype needed here – a universally and genuinely funny man – who is much missed. (see great comedy moments)

2001   
Appear in a film called Tube Tales, directed by Armando Ianucci and staring Daniella Nardini.

Only in America
Take an idea for a non-fiction book called “Dominic Holland Takes on Life” to a publisher Hodder and Stoughton . “Takes on…”  is a comic look at the world through the comedy eye of Dominic Holland, much like Seinfeld and Cosby have done. The two women that I meet quite like the idea but not enough  I fear - they ask me if I have any other ideas and so I pitch a story knocking round my head called Only In America. They buy it. I am stunned. Finally, a green light.

2002      
Spend the year still gigging but mostly writing and re-writing Only In America. The manuscript isn’t edited at all during the writing process and when it is finished it isn’t a long novel, but when it comes back from the copy editors it has been lacerated and is barely little more than a pamphlet. A frantic and manic six weeks of additions and complete re-writes to get it in to its current form (not perfect but the best I could manage). Must have written over a million words for a novel probably not much more than 50,000 words and a days read for even the for even the occasional reader.

Dominic on Heaven & Earth, BBC1

2003   
Get column in the Guardian which I love writing and continue to do for 30 issues.
Only in America is published. (see great moments)
BBC Films buy the film rights to the novel.    
Start writing The Ripple Effect.

2004       

Dominic on tour promoting the book The Ripple Effect

The Ripple Effect is published.
Sit Down Comedy is published by Ebury Press for which I have written a short story called Hobb’s Journey.

Write a play for BBC Radio 7

Chance upon the idea of doing stand up in village halls. They are a great success. I have found my stage.

Begin writing my third novel, Metallic Paint.

Corporate gigs can be tough but they do have an upside - sometimes the comic gets to hold the Ryder Cup.