Will Adamsdale (born 1974) is an English actor, comedian and writer. In 2004, he won the Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for his show Jackson's Way.
Early life Adamsdale was educated at Eton College and the Oxford School of Drama.
Career In 2004, he starred in a self-penned one man show called Jackson's Way at the Edinburgh Fringe. The intended run for the production was ten days, before the intervention of comedian Stewart Lee. Lee was so impressed by Adamsdale's work that he reportedly threw his full support behind Jackson's Way, lobbying for an extension of the run and using his clout within the industry to garner notice from critics and award committees. Adamsdale secured the Perrier Comedy Award for comedy.
Adamsdale has since created several new shows: The Receipt, The Human Computer, and The Summer House. The Receipt, a collaboration with sonic artist Chris Branch, used innovative sound effects to punctuate a story about the little man in the big city. It ran at the Edinburgh Fringe 2006, winning a Fringe First and a Total Theatre Award. It subsequently toured nationally, and internationally to the Melbourne Comedy Festival and 59E59 Theatres in New York.
In The Human Computer, Adamsdale, a self-confessed technophobe, explored the world of computers. The show premiered in the new Traverse 3 venue at the Edinburgh Fringe 2007.
He made his film acting debut in The Boat That Rocked as Newsreader John, in 2009.
From 2010 to 2011, he periodically performed with the comedy music collective, The London Snorkelling Team as the tap-dancing security expert.
He was a regular cast member of the Channel 4 2011 series Campus, playing Jason the university accountant.
Adamsdale wrote and starred in the musical-comedy play The Victorian in the Wall, which he co-directed alongside Lyndsey Turner. It made its debut at the Royal Court Theatre in 2011 and toured the UK in early 2013. Following positive reviews, It was later adapted to a BBC 4 Radio play of the same name in 2016, in which Adamsdale and his fellow original cast members reprised their roles.
At the 2013 Edinburgh Fringe, he played Fraser Ayres in double BAFTA-winning writer Jack Thorne's adaptation of Stuart: A Life Backwards, Alexander Masters' biography of Stuart Clive. The play continued its successful Edinburgh run into a two-week run at the Crucible Theatre.
As of 2022, Will is currently hosting a comedy night called Locally Sourced at the Little Drop Of Poison public house in Exeter. It is a showcase for new talent and new material. It was co-hosted with Charlotte Evans until November 2023. Spencer Jones took on the role of co-host upon her departure.
Filmography
Film +YearTitleRoleNotes2005StonedAndrew Loog-Oldham2009The Boat That RockedNews John2010Four LionsAlexSkeletonsSimon2014ABCs of Death 2Director In segment "B is for Badger"2017Journey's EndLieutenant Hamison2018Sgt. Stubby: An American HeroAdditional VoicesVoice role, English title: Sgt. Stubby: An Unlikely HeroKnights of the RealmJohnnoShort film. Also producer, composer, and co-writer with Stewart Wright
Television +Year TitleRoleNotes1999WarriorsArmy Officer #1Television film 2000BomberOfficer2001Sword of HonourOfficer Erskine2002ManchildJustin2 episodes2004Rosemary & ThymeSimon Todd2009Comedy ShowcaseJason ArmitagePilot for Campus, semi-improvised2011CampusMain role, semi-improvised2015The BBC at WarVoice-overDocuseries, reading written BBC material2023Sebastian AdamsStonehouseHarry EvansA Pack of Lies
Stage +Year TitleActorDirectorWriterCreatorEdinburgh FringeTourRoleNotesRef2000Small Craft WarningsBobbyNotes from UndergroundMonologueDangerous CornerRobert CaplanArcadiaGus Coverley2001The Winslow BoyDickie2004Waters of the MoonJohn DalyJackson's WayChris John JacksonWinner of the Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Show. World Cup Final 1966Bobby Moore2005-2006The ReceiptWileyCo-writer and co-director with Chris Branch2007The Human ComputerSelf (Stand-up)2011Jackson's Way: The London Jacksathon!Chris John Jackson26-date tour2011-2013The Victorian in the WallGuyCo-directed with Lyndsey Turner2014BordersSelf (Stand-up)2017ManwatchingAnonymous2018The Lost DiscRoger Le Fevre, Tony Noel, AP Williams2019FacetimeSelf (Stand-up)2020 tour cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic2022–presentLocally SourcedHost, Stand UpCo-hosted with Spencer Jones2023Melanjolly - A show of Just SongsSelf (Stand-up)
Honours +YearAwardWorkResultRef.2004Edinburgh Comedy AwardJackson's Way
References
Further reading
External links
Locally Sourced at Instagram