My parents had a sense of humour. They named a
boilermaker's boy-child Alistair Martin Prodgers,
and sent me off to school to get the snot beaten out
of me!
"What's your name, then?"
"Prodgers..."
"Prodgers to you too!" (BIFF! SCUFFLE! PUMMEL!
OUCH!) So who the 'al is Prodgers?
My parents had a sense of humour. They named a
boilermaker's boy-child Alistair Martin Prodgers,
and sent me off to school to get the snot beaten out
of me!
"What's your name, then?"
"Prodgers..."
"Prodgers to you too!" (BIFF! SCUFFLE! PUMMEL!
OUCH!)
Al Prodgers
An
aspirational name then. Prodgers… ancient Celtic for
"Who?" Something to grow into. Something to change
as soon as possible. I considered "Smith", but
decided that "Smith Prodgers" wasn't a significant
improvement.
From an early age I seemed to lack that crucial
self-preservation safety switch. I must have been an
irritating little sod, because I was always getting
into kak for saying things that seemed
logical to me, but led to the inevitable whack from
an adult.
Al Prodgers
Career.... Mine began in Johannesburg in 1996 with a
5 minute open spot at The Punchline Pub. I now work
the comedy club circuit throughout South Africa.
I have toured with my own comedy shows, "@ Full
Tilt" ('98) and "Bad Manners" ('99 & '00) as far
afield as Windhoek in Namibia and the Grahamstown
Arts Festival Fringe... Or, more accurately in my
case, the Festival Receding Hairline...!
Undoubtedly, highlights of my career have been
opening for acclaimed US comedian, Steven Wright, on
the Cape Town leg of his international tour and
participating in the Smirnoff International Comedy
Festival for 4 years running, from 1998 - 2001.
The real biggie in 2002 was going to London to emcee
the "Stand Up South Africa" Comedy Festival at
Riverside Studios in Hammersmith. One hundred years
after the Anglo-Boer War, we invaded them!
I've done Stand-up and Improv on television as well.
This includes shows such as Dali Tambo's "People of
the South" ('96), "Mainly For Men" ('99 &'00), "The
Barry Hilton Show" ('01), Comedy Showcase ('01), and
The Smirnoff International Comedy Festival ('01).
There's also a clip on the Joe Parker Comedy Express
II video that's available in most South African
stores right now.
Al Prodgers
Stand-up
is an out of control hobby. It's too much fun to be
work. My real job is acting. I have done various
forms of theatre, film and television for 11 years,
including roles in the British dramas, "Rhodes" and
"Bravo Two Zero". I appear regularly in the most
watched soapie in Africa, "Generations." I
also emcee various comedy and corporate functions.
Al Prodgers
Al has regularly appeared on international comedy
stages from Seychelles and Mauritius to
sophisticated venues in London, UK. He has
entertained audiences in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and
worked in Windhoek, Maputo, Gaborone Zambia and
Uganda at home on the African continent.
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