Laurence Rickard
{{Short description|British actor, writer and comedian (born 1975)}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{BLP primary sources|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Laurence Rickard
| image = Lazbo.jpg
| caption = Rickard in 2023
| birth_name = Laurence Rickard
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1975| df=yes|6|14}}
| birth_place = Brighton, England
| death_date =
| death_place =
| education = Brunel University London
| other_names = Larry Rickard
| occupation = Actor, writer, comedian
| years_active = 2004–present
| credits = Horrible Histories, Bill, Yonderland, Tracey Ullman's Show, Ghosts, We Are Not Alone
| spouse =
| partner =
| children =
| website = {{URL|https://laurencerickard.com}}
}}
Laurence Rickard (born 14 June 1975) is an English actor, writer, and comedian best known as a member of the Them There collective, with whom he both wrote and starred in productions including Horrible Histories, Yonderland, and Ghosts. In 2022, along with fellow Them There member Ben Willbond, he co-wrote the feature length television comedy We Are Not Alone.
He is also one half of the comedy writing/performance duo "Larry and George" with George Sawyer.
Career
Rickard has written for UK comedy shows including The Armstrong and Miller Show, The Charlotte Church Show and The Impressions Show with Culshaw and Stephenson, as well as children's programme Me and My Monsters.
He is a principal cast member, lyricist and writer for the award-winning CBBC programme Horrible Histories, in particular creating and performing the character of 'Special Correspondent' Bob Hale (a parody of presenter Peter Snow).{{cite web|url=http://www.liontv.com/London/Productions/Horrible-Histories|title=Lion Television . Horrible Histories|publisher=|access-date=18 June 2011|archive-date=27 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110827084843/http://www.liontv.com/London/Productions/Horrible-Histories|url-status=dead}} He has also appeared regularly on the spin-off game show Horrible Histories: Gory Games{{cite web|url=http://www.liontv.com/London/Productions/HH--Gory-Games|title=Lion Television . HH: Gory Games|publisher=|access-date=5 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719082302/http://www.liontv.com/London/Productions/HH--Gory-Games|archive-date=19 July 2011|url-status=dead}} and in the Horrible Histories BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall.{{cite web|url=http://www.noelgay.com/directors/item/110-laurence-rickard|title=Laurence Rickard|publisher=|access-date=1 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225190501/http://www.noelgay.com/directors/item/110-laurence-rickard|archive-date=25 December 2014|url-status=dead}}
Along with the five other members of the Horrible Histories starring cast, Rickard is also the co-creator, writer, and star of Yonderland, a family/fantasy/comedy series that premiered on Sky One on 10 November 2013. A second series was released in 2015 and a third has since been commissioned and began filming in early 2016.{{cite news|url=http://sky1.sky.com/yonderland/sky-1-to-visit-yonderland|title=Sky1 to visit Yonderland|date=13 May 2013|work=Sky1 website|access-date=26 July 2013}} In addition he is the co-writer of Bill, a BBC-produced comedy film which is based loosely around the early life of William Shakespeare and involves the same starring troupe.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2013/bbc-films-bill-press-release.html|title=Stars of Horrible Histories to make Shakespeare film|date=22 March 2013|work=BBC Media Centre|access-date=26 July 2013}} Filming took place in 2014, and the film had a nationwide UK release in September 2015.{{cite web | url=http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/film/bill/details/ | title=Bill: production details | publisher=comedy.co.uk | work=British Comedy Guide | access-date=12 February 2014 | archive-date=22 February 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222150455/http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/film/bill/details/ | url-status=dead }}
As a performer, Rickard has also appeared in the Channel Four Comedy Lab 'Private Lives' as well as the TV series Balls of Steel. He is also a writer and performer on Tracey Ullman's Show{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b06wkc6f/tracey-ullmans-show-episode-1|title = BBC One - Tracey Ullman's Show, Series 1, Episode 1}} and Tracey Breaks the News. While he has played numerous roles on the shows, his most recent{{as of when|date=July 2024}} recurring role is that of Philip May, the husband of former British Prime Minister Theresa May.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}
Rickard co-created, wrote, and starred in the 2019-2023 BBC sitcom Ghosts.
In 2024, Rickard was awarded an honorary doctorate in humanities from Brunel University London for his services to television and education.{{cite news |last1=Buchanunn |first1=Joe |title=Five famous faces receive honorary awards at Summer Graduation |url=https://www.brunel.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/articles/Five-famous-faces-receive-honorary-awards-at-Summer-Graduation |access-date=25 July 2024 |work=Brunel University |date=19 July 2024}} He also co-wrote the six part comedy series Amandaland that same year, with the show airing February 2025.
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
| rowspan="2"|2015
| rowspan="2"| Bill | Sir Francis Walsingham |
| Lope Lopez |
| 2022
| Cirsh |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| rowspan="2"|2009-2013
| rowspan="2"| Horrible Histories | Bob Hale | |
| Various |
| rowspan="2"|2011
| Dick And Dom’s Funny Business | The Estate Agent | Episode: "The Estate Agent" |
| Horrible Histories With Stephen Fry
| Various | |
| 2013
| Various | 2 episodes |
| rowspan="4"|2013-2016
| rowspan="4"|Yonderland | Ho-Tan | 24 episodes |
| Jeff
| 24 episodes |
| Wizard Bradley
| 4 episodes |
| Various
| |
| 2016-2018
| Various | 14 episodes |
| 2017-2018
| Various | 7 episodes |
| rowspan="2"|2019-2023
| rowspan="2"|Ghosts | Robin | 35 episodes |
| Sir Humphrey Bone
| 35 episodes |
Awards
| class="wikitable" | ||||
| Year | Project | Award | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rowspan="4" | 2010 | rowspan="18" | Horrible Histories | Best TV Sketch Show | British Comedy Awards | |
| Best Writing | rowspan="2" | BAFTA (Children's) | |||
| Best Comedy | ||||
| Best Children's Show (non-fiction) | Prix Jeunesse | |||
| rowspan="7" | 2011 | Best Acting | Kidscreen Awards | Entire cast | |
| Best British Comedy | rowspan="2" | British Comedy Guide Awards | |||
| Best TV Sketch Show | ||||
| Best TV Sketch Show | British Comedy Awards | |||
| Best Children's Programme | Broadcast Awards | |||
| Best Comedy | BAFTA (Children's) | |||
| Best Children's Programme | RTS Awards | |||
| rowspan="4" | 2012 | Best Comedy | BAFTA (Children's) | ||
| Best TV Sketch Show | British Comedy Guide Awards | |||
| Best Children's Programme | Rose d'Or | |||
| Best Acting | Kidscreen Awards | Entire cast | ||
| rowspan="2" | 2013 | Best Comedy | BAFTA (Children's) | ||
| Best TV Sketch Show | British Comedy Guide Awards | |||
| 2014 | Special Prize: Best Children's Non-Fiction of the Last 50 Years {{Cite web |url=http://www.prixjeunesse.de/index.php/festival-2016/2014 |title=2014 |access-date=14 July 2016 |archive-date=20 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820032523/http://www.prixjeunesse.de/index.php/festival-2016/2014 |url-status=dead }} | Prix Jeunesse |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://laurencerickard.com}}
- {{IMDb name|3053272}}
{{Horrible Histories troupe|state=expanded}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rickard, Laurence}}
Category:English television writers
Category:English male stage actors
Category:English male television actors
Category:Male actors from Brighton
Category:English male television writers
Category:Writers from Brighton
Category:21st-century English male actors
Category:English male screenwriters