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‘I was having to look for things to be angry about’ … Rhod Gilbert.

Rhod Gilbert: ‘I think about my cancer 24/7. But there’s humour in there, definitely’

The Welsh standup used to direct his fury at service stations, baked potatoes and the tog-rating of duvets. Now he’s tackling anxiety, infertility – and his own battle with the cancer that stopped his tour

A lot has changed since Rhod Gilbert began touring The Book of John in 2019 – a tour that still hasn’t come to an end. First it was interrupted by a pandemic. You may have heard about that. Then, in 2022, Gilbert had to pause the tour again with a persistent unexplained throat problem. Trekking Cuba to raise money for the Velindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff, of which he is a longstanding patron, Gilbert discovered the problem was in fact cancer – for which he has been in treatment, at Velindre, since. “I’m sitting there having chemo,” he tells me, “with a picture of me on the wall as a fundraising patron. You couldn’t make it up, honestly.”

The tone of voice, via Zoom from Wales, is recognisable to anyone familiar with the 54-year-old’s standup. Escalating dismay is the keynote. On stage, it ascends to a full-blown rant and stays there. Or it used to. “It’s softened a bit now,” says Gilbert. That’s just as well: Gilbert needs to look after himself. This is his first national newspaper interview since his stage-four cancer diagnosis in July, as he recovers from surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. “It does feel weird,” he admits. “I don’t know how much to talk about the cancer. I haven’t really worked out what to say. I’m more than happy to talk about it but I haven’t had time to process it at all.”

He’s emerged from his convalescence (“Some days I’m well enough to potter and other days, or whole weeks, I’m in bed”) to discuss the digital and DVD release of The Book of John. The show marked a departure for the Carmarthen man and a career peak (give or take 2008’s for-the-ages Rhod Gilbert and the Award-Winning Mince Pie ). After years confronting life’s milder irritants – service stations, baked potatoes, the tog rating of duvets – with apoplectic fury, he returned after a seven-year hiatus with a show which discusses matters of very considerable significance: bereavement; a recent mini-stroke; difficulties conceiving a child with his wife, the comedy writer Sian Harries. Over-heatedness was still Gilbert’s stock in trade but now he had everything to be overheated about.

For-the-ages … 2008’s Rhod Gilbert and the Award-Winning Mince Pie.

What’s remarkable about the show is Gilbert’s candour and, despite charting territory he had not previously gone near in 20 years of standup, how funny he makes it all. That’s partly because his mouse-that-roared shtick, however “softened”, remains hilarious. It’s also down to John. John was Gilbert’s chauffeur throughout the period the show records because, after his mini-stroke, the comic wasn’t allowed to drive. Always on hand with some choice idiocy as Gilbert’s life collapses around him, John’s dimwit conversation is the grease that oils the show’s wheels.

John is, I venture, a bulletproof device for bringing levity to heavyweight material. “Device? What!” responds Gilbert, and I worry that, with my barely concealed scepticism as to whether John actually exists, I’ve triggered another rant. But no: there’s a twinkle in Gilbert’s eye. “Until this show,” he says, “all my standup was made up. I think pretty much everything was entirely fictitious. And in this show, it’s not. It’s all true stuff that happened: the stroke, my mum’s Alzheimer’s, the fertility treatment. And John does exist. I did hire a driver for that year. But yes, there’s some comedic licence taken with our arguments.” He pauses. “To say any more than that would spoil it, wouldn’t it?”

The Book of John wasn’t the first time Gilbert publicly addressed male infertility. With shows such as Rhod Gilbert’s Work Experience and Rhod Gilbert’s Growing Pains, many will know the Welshman more as a TV presenter than a standup, and in that role he fronted two intimate and autobiographical BBC documentaries, in 2018 and 2021, on social anxiety and infertility . They made a big impact – and they also changed the direction of his career.

With his 2012 live show The Man With the Flaming Battenberg Tattoo , Gilbert had felt his standup running aground. “I was having to look for things to be angry about, to fit what I did,” he says. “And that’s diminishing returns, clearly. I felt that, and I think audiences felt that.” When that tour ended, he announced he was quitting live comedy. And for seven years, “I didn’t miss it at all. Didn’t write a word. Not motivated in any way to do it.”

But the experience of making those documentaries, and all that other “life stuff” he was dealing with, opened Gilbert up to a new way of working. A man who had only ever lied on stage began telling the unvarnished truth. A man with extreme social anxiety started talking to strangers about his most intimate experiences. “As I got older, I started to feel – and maybe this is a bit wanky – that I’ve got a bit of a platform here. And I should be doing more with it than just talking about toothbrushes.” More than that, though, he adds: “I have definitely become somebody who wants to be really open and talk about stuff, and who sees the value in talking.” It’s the same with his cancer today, he says.

Me and my chauffeur … on stage with The Book of John.

“Pretty much, there used to be two reactions to my comedy,” says Gilbert. “You’re funny or you’re not.” Whereas now I get letters and emails from all over the world from people talking about their own experience of a stroke, or their parents’ Alzheimer’s, or infertility. It’s a totally different response. And I really like it.” Off stage, says Gilbert, “years ago, if I’d gone for a walk down the beach with the dog, I’d have kept my head down and not engaged with anybody. Whereas now, if somebody stops me, I’ll end up in an hour’s chat about infertility, cancer, whatever. The most intimate conversations.” It’s a turnaround – and an unusual role for a comic. I tell Gilbert I can’t imagine Jimmy Carr having heart-to-hearts on the beach. He replies: “I can’t imagine Jimmy Carr on a beach, to be honest.”

So committed is Gilbert to his new, no-filter way of being, he’s already hatching plans for the standup show that addresses his cancer experiences. “If I get through this,” he says, and then breaks off. “I’ve got to stop saying that. People tell me off. When you’re going through cancer, any sign of doubt or negativity gets nipped in the bud very quickly.” And so he restarts: “ When I get through this, the next show will be in a similar vein. The cancer is on my mind 24/7, but when I’m well enough to write, I’m jotting down a few things. And there is humour in there, definitely.”

This conviction represents another about-turn from Gilbert, who used to doubt he’d ever write another standup show. “Every Edinburgh I was like, ‘How on earth am I going to write another show next year? How am I going to write even another five minutes?’ Whereas now I’m mad keen. I’ve got a 250-page document of stuff that’s on the go.” Don’t rule out a comeback for the offstage star of The Book of John, either. “The response to John is just insane,” says Gilbert. “People waiting backstage asking, ‘Is John here?’ He’s like a folk hero! He is more popular than I am!”

All of which gives Gilbert something to focus on as he navigates a challenging period. “All my work has gone. My social life has gone. Everything has gone. Everything. It’s just me and this bloody cancer, really.” The postponed final seven gigs of The Book of John tour are scheduled for 2023: “Having them is something to look forward to, really. But I’m making things sound very gloomy, and they’re not.”

Today, he has been cheered by the fact that his standup pals – Rob Brydon, Greg Davies and others – are rallying to his aid, hyping The Book of John’s release on social media and beyond, because Gilbert isn’t well enough to do so himself. “I’m really aware of mental health now,” he says, “and I’m checking in with myself every day. I feel fine, weirdly. I’m happy, optimistic and hopeful that next year it’ll all come good.”

The Book of John is available now on DVD and digital download.

In the UK, the charity Mind is available on 0300 123 3393. In the US, Mental Health America is available on 800-273-8255. In Australia, support is available at Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, and at MensLine on 1300 789 978

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Interview: Rhod Gilbert on his very personal The Book of John tour | Ticketmaster UK

Tom Stafford / 13 January 2020

Interview: Rhod Gilbert on his The Book of John tour

Watch the Welsh comedian open about the tour as he adds more dates.

Find tickets here

Due to incredible demand, Rhod Gilbert has added more dates to his mammoth The Book of John tour.

The newly announced shows see John take to the stage at theatres across the UK throughout April, May, June and July 2020, as well as at special South Wales gig taking place at Swansea’s Grand Theatre on 28 February 2020. See the full list of tour dates below.

In the interview above, Rhod opens up on how this new tour is his most personal yet, why he’s enjoying stand-up comedy for the first time in his career, and why he owes his return to a man called John.

Rhod Gilbert: The Book Of John tour dates

2 February 2020 – Empire, Liverpool 15 February 2020 – Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone 16 February 2020 – Brighton Dome 22 February 2020 – De Montfort Hall, Leicester 23 February 2020 – Engine Shed, Lincoln 24 February 2020 – Arena, St Albans 29 February 2020 – Lakes Leisure Centre, Kendal 1 March 2020 – The Lowry, Salford 4 March 2020 – Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham 5 March 2020 – Town Hall, Leeds 6 March 2020 – Victoria Theatre, Halifax 8 March 2020 – Mayflower Theatre, Southampton 12 March 2020 – Olympia, Dublin 13 March 2020 – Opera House, Cork 28 March 2020 – G Live, Guildford 29 March 2020 – Marlowe, Canterbury 30 March 2020 – Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury 2 April 2020 – Grove Theatre, Dunstable 3 April 2020 – Villa Marina, Isle Of Man 4 April 2020 – Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa 6 April 2020 – Wolverhampton Grand Theatre 19 April 2020 – Pavilion, Weymouth 20 April 2020 – Octagon, Yeovil 21 April 2020 – Hexagon, Reading 22 April 2020 – Pavilion, Bournemouth

Newly added shows

28 February 2020 – Grand Theatre, Swansea *Tickets on sale now 25 April 2020 – Princess Theatre, Torquay 26 April 2020 – The Queens Theatre, Barnstaple 30 May 2020 – Ipswich Regent Theatre 4 June 2020 – Concert Hall, Aberystwyth 6 June 2020 – Warwick Arts Centre 7 June 2020 – Milton Keynes Theatre 8 June 2020 – Wycombe Swan, High Wycombe 11 June 2020 – G Live, Guildford 13 June 2020 – Congress Centre, Eastbourne 18 June 2020 – Cliffs Pavillion, Southend 19 June 2020 – William Aston Hall, Wrexham 26 June 2020 – Watford Colosseum 27 June 2020 – Bristol Hippodrome 30 June 2020 – Kings Theatre, Glasgow 10 July 2020 – Marina Theatre, Lowestoft 11 July 2020 – City Hall Salisbury

Born in Carmarthen, Wales, Gilbert first got into professional comedy back in 2002 after he participated in the Amused Moose Stand and Deliver course, which he credits his girlfriend for pushing him to do.

Soon after, he began winning several talent competitions and in 2005, he did his first solo show at Edinburgh Fringe Festival called  1984  which was nominated for the Perrier Newcomer award.

He has since completed numerous tours around the UK as well as appeared multiple times at Edinburgh Fringe.

A regular on TV screens, Rhod has had eight series of his own hit BBC show, Rhod Gilbert’s Work Experience , where he has attempted a number of different jobs. He has performed twice for the Royal Family on the Royal Variety Performance and has appeared three times on Live at the Apollo .

Take a look at him performing on the show below:

Rhod Gilbert Live At The Apollo

He has also regularly hosted Have I Got News for You and has made regular guest appearances on panel shows QI , Would I Lie to You? and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown .

In 2018 Rhod presented a documentary for the BBC on social anxiety called Stand Up to Shyness. 

The comedian brings his new The Book of John tour to venues across the UK through to July 2020.

Tickets for the newly announced Swansea Show are on sale now, and tickets for the newly added April, May, June and July 2020 dates will be available from 10:00 on Tuesday 14 January 2020. Grab all through Ticketmaster.co.uk

Limited remaining tickets for the rest of the tour are available now through Ticketmaster.co.uk .

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Rhod Gilbert: The Book Of John | Tour review by Steve Bennett at the Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells

Rhod Gilbert: The Book Of John

Note: This review is from 2019

Tour review by Steve Bennett at the Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells

Rhod Gilbert made his name as the maestro of wildly disproportionate fury, erupting into epic outbursts of outrage about such trivialities as hubristically labelled mince pies or the tog rating of duvets.

But, now 50, real life has got serious. In the six years since he last toured his stand-up, his mother died after being struck by Alzheimer’s, his father had a heart attack, he had a mini-stroke himself, while sitting on the toilet, and he’s facing up to the fact he might be infertile. These major events are rightly on his mind, but how to address them without fundamentally changing the style of comedy he’s so good at?

Enter the titular John, whom Gilbert employed as a driver after his health scare stopped him from getting behind the wheel. But more than a chauffeur, John is God’s gift to comedy – a man of great ignorance but also of great certainty in his insane opinions. 

Gilbert is the first to admit that John was the inspiration for his return to stand-up, since simply chronicling his driver’s outlandish proclamations filled a book, and now much of this near two-hour show.

John’s batshit notions on everything from George Michael to the Icelandic fishing industry keep the comic – and us – brilliantly entertained by the audacity of his dumb logic, while providing plenty to raise the hackles of this ever-contrary comedian. In this post-expert world of Trump and Brexit John might be an avatar for greater insanities, too – an idea GIlbert touches upon but does not labour.

How much the comedian has exaggerated John’s insane views, if at all, we cannot know – but it certainly gets his blood boiling, and soon he’s raging around the stage in his  animated, vein-popping fury of old.

These moments are a brilliantly funny comic counterpoint to the more serious issues Gilbert wants to discuss: primarily the taboo of male infertility. ’How many of you have got a low sperm count?’ he asks. Only one smart-arse cheers smugly, although it’s statistically improbable he’s the only one.

Of course, speaking about spunk is inherently amusing, and Gilbert certainly isn’t the first middle-aged male comic to talk about wanking into a beaker in the name of medicine. But his excruciatingly vivid description of his visit to the fertility clinic, from the indiscrete receptionists to the hugely embarrassing mistakes his nerves drove him to make, is a farcical tour-de-force.

Some moments in this show are more difficult to make funny, such as Gilbert hitting a low on a train while a very insistent group of lads – who clearly hadn’t seen the comic’s documentary on social shyness – jostle him for a selfie.

But generally, in Book Of John Gilbert has found a way to bring up the under-discussed issue of infertility and address issues close to his heart without drawing deliberately on his emotional well or adding a tone of gravitas to overtly stress the art of what he’s doing. These factors instead more subtly underpin the story, which also evolves as Gilbert comes to have a more nuanced relationship with John, a man ultimately more three-dimensional than the idiot first portrayed.

Gilbert’s passionate, righteous rants are as devastatingly hilarious as ever, and while the topics he’s covering reflect a new maturity, it is not at the expense of laughs.

• Rhod Gilbert is touring The Book Of John until the end of the year. Dates .

Review date: 29 Apr 2019 Reviewed by: Steve Bennett

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Rhod Gilbert’s The Book of John show named Best UK Tour at national awards

The Welshman beat the likes of Frank Skinner, Ben Elton and Stewart Lee

  • 17:37, 19 MAR 2020

rhod gilbert book of john tour

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Rhod Gilbert's comeback stand-up show has been named as the best UK tour at a prestigious comedy awards.

The comedian came back onto the stage in 2018 after a six-year hiatus working on TV and radio projects, and his first show since 2012 - The Book of John - quickly sold out across Wales and the rest of the UK.

The show, which tells of Gilbert's unlikely bond with a man named John, has won rave reviews not just for its humour but for its ability to tackle and address more serious and poignant issues such as Alzheimer's and infertility.

rhod gilbert book of john tour

The show was up for Best Theatre/Arena Tour at the 2020 Chortle Awards, up against comedy veterans Frank Skinner, Ben Elton and Stewart Lee, along with Australian comic Hannah Gadsby, whose show Nanette became one of the highest-rated comedy specials ever on Netflix.

Chortle announced on Wednesday that the Welsh comedian had taken home the gong, which has been a coveted prize since the awards were launched in 2002.

Having already played six sell-out nights at Cardiff's Motorpoint Arena, Gilbert added two further dates in the Welsh capital at the Wales Millenium Centre for this weekend, both of which have since been postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

All tour shows scheduled for March and April have been postponed, with the hope of rescheduling them for a later date.

The tour has been extended to July, but all dates are now subject to change depending on how the ongoing coronavirus pandemic develops.

Our quick fire questions with another Welsh comedian - Elis James

rhod gilbert book of john tour

Speaking of his disappointment at the postponement of the award-winning tour, Gilbert said: "I am gutted, and so sorry to disappoint, but our health must come first, and given the circumstances we feel this is the correct and responsible thing to do.

"We are working hard to reschedule all dates, so please bear with us while we do this.

"Original tickets will, of course, be valid for the rescheduled dates, and refunds will be offered to those unable to attend the new dates.

"In the meantime, take care, stay safe, look out for one another, keep your peckers up, look for those silver linings, whistle, and I really hope to see you all at a show somewhere when all this is over."

Of the Chortle award, his first since 2009's 'Rhod Gilbert and the Award-winning Mince Pie', the comedian added: "Huge thanks to everyone who voted for me. I'm humbled and exceptionally grateful."

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rhod gilbert book of john tour

Rhod Gilbert has announced three more dates for his Book Of John Tour .

The trek has been extended with new concerts at Newcastle O2 City Hall on May 27, Leicester's De Mountfort Hall on June 10, and Cardiff's Motorpoint Arena on June 17. Tickets go on general sale at 10am on October 1.

The Welsh comic previously pushed back The Book Of John Tour to later in 2021 and early 2022, in response to the coronavirus pandemic. All other dates are on sale now.

Rhod Gilbert Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows

Thu September 30 2021 - LIMERICK University Concert Hall Sun October 03 2021 - ABERYSTWYTH Concert Hall Wed October 06 2021 - LEICESTER De Montfort Hall Sat October 09 2021 - EASTBOURNE Congress Theatre Sun October 10 2021 - TORQUAY Princess Theatre Mon October 11 2021 - GUILDFORD G Live Tue October 12 2021 - GUILDFORD G Live Fri October 15 2021 - WOLVERHAMPTON Grand Theatre Sat October 16 2021 - LEAMINGTON SPA Royal Spa Centre Wed October 20 2021 - ISLE OF MAN Villa Marina Mon October 25 2021 - HIGH WYCOMBE Swan Tue October 26 2021 - IPSWICH Regent Theatre Sat October 30 2021 - WEYMOUTH Pavilion Sun October 31 2021 - BOURNEMOUTH Pavilion Wed November 03 2021 - DUNSTABLE Grove Theatre Sun November 07 2021 - BRISTOL Hippodrome Mon November 08 2021 - CANTERBURY Marlowe Theatre Sun November 14 2021 - SOUTHEND Cliffs Pavillion Thu November 25 2021 - SALISBURY Salisbury City Hall Fri January 21 2022 - MILTON KEYNES Theatre Sun January 23 2022 - GLASGOW Theatre Royal Sat January 29 2022 - WARWICK Arts Centre Fri April 01 2022 - CARDIFF Wales Millenium Centre Sat April 02 2022 - CARDIFF Wales Millenium Centre Tue May 03 2022 - DUBLIN Olympia Theatre Wed May 04 2022 - CORK Opera House Thu May 05 2022 - CORK Opera House Fri May 27 2022 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE O2 City Hall Fri June 10 2022 - LEICESTER De Mountfort Hall Fri June 17 2022 - CARDIFF Motorpoint Arena

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Rhod Gilbert The Book of John

Darkly hilarious, and often remarkable, this is a comedic testimony to overcoming the most difficult of hurdles.

It is one thing to book one of the largest venues at the Fringe. It is quite another to earn it. Rhod Gilbert more than justifies his place on the biggest stages in the country, with a show that leaves you with tears of laughter streaming down your face. The Book of John addresses the Welsh comedian’s seven-year hiatus from stand-up comedy, and it has been quite a seven years for him. What he exports from this tumultuous, difficult time in his life is a show where every line is met with a cacophony of laughter and admiration.

Most big comedians will make light of topics such as Brexit and Trump, but Gilbert stays far clear of such things (he is more wound up about Ant and Dec ). Instead, this show is about a man called John, who would infuriate Gilbert to no end but would prove crucial in overcoming the various pot shots that life took at him. The “irritating twat” proved to be his salvation – the biblical suggestions of his name cannot be ignored – and it is the absurd conversations with John that give Gilbert’s show its material.

Gilbert is on absolute fire. He is animated, vocal and almost flustered. He’s pouring his feelings out in the way he knows best; through boundary pushing comedy (a dark River Phoenix joke is a touch of genius in context). The response to these stories is not a polite ripple of smirks. It is the kind of raucous, overpowering laughter that leaves your mouth dry and forces your eyes shut. Gilbert never misses a beat and reins his audience in with some unbelievably funny stories, his exasperated delivery making them all the more brilliant to hear.

As funny as The Book of John is, it is equally insightful. Gilbert deals with some heavy themes in his show: strokes, heart attacks, family bereavement and struggling to have children, to name but a few. His jestering is the foundation for a powerful message about masculinity, openness and recovery that by the end proves deeply moving. Gilbert charts a clear journey of self-recognition and recuperation that, beneath the gut-busting comedy, has real impact. It is this remarkably integrated significance that makes Gilbert’s show stand out from the rest. For all the ensuing hilarity, there is a humbleness from Gilbert in the face of hardship that should inspire us all.

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  1. Rhod Gilbert: The Book Of John

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  2. THE BOOK OF JOHN TOUR POSTPONED

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  3. Rhod Gilbert: The Book of John

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  4. Rhod Gilbert: The Book Of John (2022)

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  5. Interview: Rhod Gilbert on his very personal The Book of John tour

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  6. Rhod Gilbert

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COMMENTS

  1. 'THE BOOK OF JOHN' TOUR

    26 Sep 2021. Rhod was in the middle of a massive tour when COVID 19 brought curtains down in theatres everywhere, but now he's back on the road, and adding a load more extra dates due to phenomenal demand. This show sees Rhod as funny as ever, but like never before. It's a little but raw, very personal, and brutally honest; no more lies, no ...

  2. NEW LIVE TOUR 2024

    22 Sep 2023. Starting in January 2024, Rhod will embark upon a huge tour which will run until November 2025 and plays over 100 dates across the U.K. and Ireland. When life gives you lemons…. In his last show, 'The Book of John', Rhod was dealing with some pretty pungent life citrus, and an idiot called John. Little did he know that things ...

  3. Interview: Rhod Gilbert on his very personal The Book of John tour

    Filmed backstage before his debut show at this year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Rhod Gilbert opens up about why this new tour is his most personal yet, why ...

  4. The Book of John

    The 'Book of John' is a show about an odd couple…Rhod, and a bloke called John, who drove him around for a bit and drove him insane a lot. ... New Live Tour 2024 - 2025. RHOD GILBERT & THE GIANT GRAPEFRUIT. Dates and Tickets. EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATION. Charlotte Smith. Blue Jeans Management. [email protected]. bluejeansmgmt.com ...

  5. Rhod Gilbert: 'I think about my cancer 24/7. But there's humour in

    A lot has changed since Rhod Gilbert began touring The Book of John in 2019 - a tour that still hasn't come to an end. First it was interrupted by a pandemic. You may have heard about that ...

  6. What Has Rhod Gilbert Been Up To?

    RHOD GILBERT: THE BOOK OF JOHN IS OUT NOW ON DVD AND DIGITAL DOWNOAD: https://lnk.to/RhodGilbertTheBookofJohnIntroducing Rhod Gilbert's The Book of John, whe...

  7. Rhod Gilbert's INTENSE Argument with his Driver

    When Rhod Gilbert needed a personal driver, he never expected John. Who's side of the argument are you on?PRE-ORDER "RHOD GILBERT: THE BOOK OF JOHN" ON DVD N...

  8. Interview: Rhod Gilbert on his The Book of John tour

    Due to incredible demand, Rhod Gilbert has added more dates to his mammoth The Book of John tour. The newly announced shows see John take to the stage at theatres across the UK throughout April, May, June and July 2020, as well as at special South Wales gig taking place at Swansea's Grand Theatre on 28 February 2020.

  9. Rhod Gilbert

    1 hour 50 minutes. incl. interval. scroll down. Welsh sensation Rhod Gilbert is one of the UK's leading comedy talents. He has enjoyed many successful years as a star of television and radio and continues to uphold his esteemed reputation as a seasoned host, prolific writer and first-class live performer.

  10. Rhod Gilbert: The Book Of John : Reviews 2019

    Gilbert is the first to admit that John was the inspiration for his return to stand-up, since simply chronicling his driver's outlandish proclamations filled a book, and now much of this near two-hour show. John's batshit notions on everything from George Michael to the Icelandic fishing industry keep the comic - and us - brilliantly ...

  11. Rhod Gilbert interview: "By the time I get to Cardiff it'll be show 190"

    And also the radio show wouldn't pay as well as the tour! No, no. There's… very little money in Radio Wales live radio on a Saturday morning. Absolutely. [Laughs] Rhod Gilbert: The Book Of John, Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Fri 17 June. Tickets: £37.90. Info: here

  12. Rhod Gilbert's The Book of John show named Best UK Tour

    Rhod Gilbert's comeback stand-up show has been named as the best UK tour at a prestigious comedy awards. The comedian came back onto the stage in 2018 after a six-year hiatus working on TV and ...

  13. Rhod Gilbert Extends The Book Of John Tour Into Summer 2022

    Rhod Gilbert has announced three more dates for his Book Of John Tour. The trek has been extended with new concerts at Newcastle O2 City Hall on May 27, Leicester's De Mountfort Hall on June 10, and Cardiff's Motorpoint Arena on June 17. Tickets go on general sale at 10am on October 1.

  14. Rhod Gilbert, The Book of John review, Hammersmith Apollo: Britain's

    We don't get all 40 minutes - thank the Lord - but that crustacean debate is a hilarious tour-de-force, and easily the highlight of the show. ... Rhod Gilbert: The Book of John is at the ...

  15. THE BOOK OF JOHN

    THE BOOK OF JOHN - FILMING. 4 Apr 2022. We're delighted to confirm that Rhod's critically acclaimed live show 'The Book of John' has been recorded for distribution. Two performances were recorded at sold out shows at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff in April. The programme will be available to watch from the comfort of your own ...

  16. RHOD GILBERT

    RHOD GILBERT. · July 8, 2022 ·. It is with a very heavy heart that after this weekend, the 'Book of John' tour will be paused. Leicester tomorrow (SAT 9 JULY) WILL go ahead as scheduled, but the remaining dates thereafter are being postponed (Swansea, Hereford, Yeovil, and Truro). As many of you will know, I've been struggling with pain in ...

  17. Rhod Gilbert

    It is one thing to book one of the largest venues at the Fringe. It is quite another to earn it. Rhod Gilbert more than justifies his place on the biggest stages in the country, with a show that leaves you with tears of laughter streaming down your face. The Book of John addresses the Welsh comedian's seven-year hiatus from stand-up comedy, and it has been quite a seven years for him.

  18. Watch Rhod Gilbert: The Book Of John

    Filmed live from the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff, 'The Book of John' is the sold-out, highly anticipated new show from Rhod Gilbert, which critics have called 'uproariously funny' - The Guardian. Raw, personal and brutally honest like never before, Rhod takes us on a non-nonsense journey into finding the homour when you've hit rock bottom.

  19. Live

    NEW LIVE TOUR 2024-25 | RHOD GILBERT & THE GIANT GRAPEFRUIT ONSALE NOW - EXTRA DATES ADDED. TICKETS ALSO AVAILABLE FROM. 11 Mar 2024. WINCHESTER.

  20. Rhod Gilbert

    Rhodri Paul Gilbert (born 18 October 1968) is a Welsh comedian and television and radio presenter who was nominated in 2005 for the Perrier Best Newcomer Award.In 2008 he was nominated for the main comedy award (as the Edinburgh Comedy Awards were then branded). Gilbert appears on television and radio panel shows, has performed stand-up on the Royal Variety Performance, and hosted a weekly ...

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    New Live Tour 2024 - 2025. RHOD GILBERT & THE GIANT GRAPEFRUIT. Dates and Tickets. Stand up comedian.