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About
Stand-up, writer and actor Eleanor Morton is the flame-haired scottish comedian putting the funny into “awks”. A self-professed expert procrastinator known for her biting wit and whipping out her euke when the going gets tough, Eleanor’s notable gigs include supporting Josie Long in 2012 and Tony Law in 2014. She also supported Stewart Francis on his Pun Gent tour, and Frankie Boyle on his Hurt Like You’ve never Been Loved tour.
Scottish Variety Award nominee Eleanor has performed four shows to date at The Edinburgh Fringe The Stand Comedy Club, including her 2014 solo show Lollipop which was nominated for a Scottish Comedy Award for Best Show. When she’s not performing in her Edinburgh hometown, Eleanor likes to play with acclaimed London comedy groups Weirdos and the Comedian’s Cinema Club.
Eleanor’s talents transfer effortlessly to the small screen too, writing for the BBC programmes ‘What’s Funny About The Referendum?’ and ‘Sketchland’. She’s appeared on BBC Scotland’s ‘Scots Squad’ and the BBC’s online ‘Room To Write’, as well as being a panelist and writer on Radio Scotland’s ‘Breaking The News’. With fitting comparisons to acclaimed comic and mentor Josie Long, Eleanor is becoming widely regarded for “ a homemade brand of comedy that’s liberated from the conventional confines of set-up and punchline, allowing her to say something a bit more personal.” (Guardian). Her extensive experience in sketch and improv is impressive along with her unique musical comedy twist. Her latest show Angry Young Woman has further cemented her as a smart, self deprecating home-grown talent that’s one to watch!
Watch Eleanor Morton’s Stand-Up Special
At once whimsically surreal and worldly wise, Eleanor Morton delivers a refreshingly intelligent brand of comedy. With Lollipop, Morton lays bare her anxieties, fears, and vulnerability in brutally honest, and searingly funny fashion.
Short Clips
See Eleanor Morton Live
Eleanor has a number of UK gigs planned in 2018. Details on upcoming events can be found here.
Bio
Growing up in Edinburgh meant that much of this young comics formative years were spent immersed in those chaotic Fringe Festival summers. Eleanor recalls in a Laugh Out Loud Comedy club interview – “My first Fringe experience was age five, seeing a play called ‘The Red Balloon’. It wasn’t Stoppard, but it had everything the title promised, and more (a blue balloon). For the past few Fringes I’ve been doing the odd gig, working backstage and making other people buy me food. As a resident, your emotions range between ‘Oh my god, this is amazing, the whole world’s art scene has come to my city and turned it into a non-stop party!’ and ‘GO AWAY. GO. AWAY. GO AWAY.”
According to The Skinny, her first stand-up gig was as a teenager at the The Beehive Inn, in the Grassmarket area of the city. Eleanor’s memory of the experience? “I did really well, because the entire audience was made up of my friends.” In 2012, Eleanor got her first break supporting comedian Josie Long on the Glasgow leg of her “Romance and Adventure” tour. Juggling stand-up with her university studies in English and Scottish Literature, she went on to compete in the Chortle Student Comedy awards in 2013, making the finals and making an impact with an early incarnation of her “Slightly Awkward Situation” song.
The quirky 20 something’s brand of musical comedy, improv and imaginative storytelling took her to a packed Edinburgh International Conference Centre comedy gig, made her a writer and performer with The Stockholm Syndrome and The Geek Comedy Night, gained her a finalist place in Funny’s Funny Female Comedian competition 2011, and a slot on Children In Need for BBC Radio Scotland. With 4 years of the comedy circuit under her belt , Eleanor subsequently earned her first slot at The Stand for the Edinburgh Fringe in 2014 where she performed her debut solo show “Lollipop”. Her exploration of anxiety, bravery, anthropomorphic alcoholic animals, and the magic of motorway service food with self penned and self deprecating ukulele anthems got her noticed, and she received a nomination for Best Show at the Scottish Comedy Awards. Her following solo shows, “Allotted Mucking Around Time” in 2015 and “Happy Birthday Katie Lewis!” in 2016 continued to make the intelligent oddball stand out from the stand-up crowd. Her most recent show “Angry Young Woman” saw Eleanor stepping away from the safety net of her musical instruments, in favour of tackling the big questions such as – Can I be less angry? Should I be less angry? And why are avocados the worst fruit in the world? The show was met with praise from critics and punters alike for its charm and well researched feminist slant.
When not performing live, Eleanor enjoys utilising her comic talents in other forms, recording sketches such as The Angry Businesswoman and web series Ghost Police for Turtle Canyon Comedy where she makes comedians visit haunted locations. She also hosts a regular podcast, The Mythseries, is a board member for the Alternative Comedy Memorial Society and publishes an online a series of writings and wacky illustrations such as Catriona’s Storybook Corner, based on stories from her sisters imagination, and Animal Antics for Horrible People.