Morgana Robinson (born 7 May 1982) is a British comedian, impressionist, writer and actress. She has appeared in her comedy sketch programme The Morgana Show, Morgana Robinson's The Agency, House of Fools and Very Important People.
| Morgana Robinson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 May 1982[citation needed] Shepparton, Victoria, Australia[1] |
| Nationality | British |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Relative(s) | Brody Dalle (half-sister) |
Early life edit
Robinson was born in Shepparton, Victoria, in Australia. Her family moved to England when she was three. She was educated at Benenden School in Kent.[1]
On her father's side, Robinson has four elder half-siblings, one of whom is Brody Dalle (born Bree Joanna Alice Robinson) of the punk rock band the Distillers and alternative rock band Spinnerette. They first met as adults, backstage at one of Dalle's 2004 concerts at the Brixton Academy.[2][3]
Television career edit
Robinson's television debut came in 2007, as she played an Eastern European internet bride in BBC One's comedy The Green Green Grass.[4] She then starred in the TV pilot Eight Steps to Enlightenment and a Nervous Breakdown, an improvised mockumentary, playing Rachel, a self-obsessed glamour model, trying to rid herself of cellulite. In 2009, she appeared as Anna in the BBC One comedy My Family in the episode "It's Training Men".
In 2009, she appeared in a running sketch segment, Gilbert's Special Report, in The TNT Show as Gilbert, a teenage boy who interviews celebrities, alongside his disabled crew members.
In 2010, Channel 4 commissioned a five-part comedy sketch show, The Morgana Show. Channel 4's head of comedy, Shane Allen, said: "Discovering, supporting and nurturing new talent is at the heart of Channel 4 comedy’s remit, and in Morgana we really feel we’ve found a fresh performer with a huge amount of potential."[5] Her characters included giant-glasses wearing Gilbert, making TV shows from his bedroom, and her impressions of Fearne Cotton and mockumentary of Natalie Cassidy "Sonia off Eastenders".
In 2012, Robinson starred in the Channel 4 sketch show Very Important People also starring Terry Mynott. In the show, she impersonates a variety of performers, including Frankie Boyle, Danny Dyer, Amy Childs and Adele.
In 2014 to 2015, she appeared as sexy nymphomaniac cafe-owner Julie in Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer's 2-series surreal BBC Two television comedy sitcom House of Fools in which her appearances include an obsessive attraction to Vic Reeves.
In 2016, she appeared as Pippa Middleton in The Windsors, a comedy parody of the British royal family in which she uses her sexiness to try to ensnare her sister's brother-in-law Prince Harry.
In 2018, she appeared with Richard Ayoade in Travel Man, visiting Milan.
In 2021, Robinson played Hilary Bowden in series 2, episode 4 of Intelligence.[6] The same year, she participated in the 12th series of Channel 4 comedy game show Taskmaster and won the series. She later returns to the series in 2024 as part of the third "Champion of Champions" special episode.
In March 2022, Robinson appeared as Maxine in Gold comedy Newark, Newark. Also in 2022, she co-starred with Dylan Moran in the BBC Two sitcom Stuck.[7]
Awards edit
At the 2012 British Comedy Awards, she won in the Best Comedy Breakthrough Artist category.[8]
In 2018, she won the BAFTA Award in the Best Short Form Programme category for Morgana Robinson's Summer.[9]
Filmography edit
Film edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Eight Steps to Enlightenment and a Nervous Breakdown | Rachel | Short film |
| 2012 | The Actress | Princess Alopecia | Short film |
| 2015 | Set the Thames on Fire | London Town Tannoy | |
| 2020 | The Witches | Mrs. Jenkins | |
| 2021 | A Bird Flew In | Lucy | |
| 2023 | The Martini Shot | Dr. Ehm |
Television edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | The Green Green Grass | Katia | Series 3, Episode 7: "Lust in Translation" |
| 2009 | My Family | Anna | Series 9, Episode 7: "It's Training Men" |
| The TNT Show | Gilbert | Appeared in a running sketch segment "Gilbert's Special Report". The character was later used in Robinson's own sketch show | |
| 2010 | Comedy Lab | Unknown | Series 11, Episode 7: "MovieMash" |
| The Morgana Show | Various | Star, writer and creator, 5 episodes | |
| 2011 | The Hunt for Tony Blair | Carole Caplin | A one-off episode of The Comic Strip Presents... |
| 2012 | Very Important People | Various | Star, writer and creator, 6 episodes |
| Them from That Thing [10] | Various | Two-part sketch show with Kayvan Novak, Sally Phillips and Blake Harrison produced for Channel 4's Comedy Fortnight | |
| 2013 | Toast of London [11] | Jemima Gina | Sitcom with Matt Berry. Series 1, Episode 1: "Addictive Personality" |
| 2014 | Warren United | Charlotte 'Charlie' Kingsley | Voice role. Series 1, 6 episodes |
| Chanel M | Various | BBC iPlayer content part of the Original Comedy Shorts series[12] | |
| Big School | Fenella Forbes | Series 2, Episode 1 | |
| Drifters | Rebecca | Series 2, Episode 6: "Meg's New Job" | |
| Psychobitches | Anna Nicole Smith / Venus / Bo Peep / Mary Magdalene / Daphne du Maurier |
Series 2, 4 episodes | |
| Toast of London [11] | Lorna Wynde | Series 2, Episode 6: "Fool in Love" | |
| 2014–2015 | House of Fools | Julie | BBC Two comedy series written by Bob Mortimer and Vic Reeves. 2 series, 13 episodes |
| 2015 | Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe [13] | Zeb / Russell Brand | Series 3, 4 episodes |
| SunTrap | Janice / Susan | Series 1, Episode 3: "The BIg Sleep" | |
| Toast of London [14] | Emma | Series 3, Episode 2: "Beauty Calls" | |
| Distinquished Ladies | Minky | Television film | |
| Crackanory | Herself - Storyteller | Series 3, Episode 5, Story 1: "The Truth About Suz" | |
| 2015–2016 | Walliams & Friend [15] | Various / Carla | Series 1, 5 episodes |
| 2016 | Drunk History: UK | Mary Godwin | Series 2, Episode 4: "Richard III / Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" |
| Morgana Robinson's The Agency [16] | Various | BBC Two mockumentary series, 7 episodes | |
| 2016–2017 | Hey Duggee | Buggee / Katerina the Flamingo / Peggee / Nurse | Voice roles. Series 2, 7 episodes |
| 2016–2020, 2023 | The Windsors | Pippa Middleton | Main role, 19 episodes |
| 2017 | Inside No. 9 | Carrie | Series 3, Episode 6: "Private View" |
| 2018 | Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators | Sally Balthasar | Series 1, Episode 6: "Exit, Pursued by a Bear" |
| 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown | Natalie Cassidy - Dictionary Corner Guest | Series 16, Episode 1 | |
| 2019 | Series 18, Episode 2 | ||
| Island of Dreams | Adele | Television film | |
| 2020 | Reasons to Be Cheerful with Matt Lucas | Natalie Cassidy | Series 1, Episode 3 |
| Comedians: Home Alone | Cheryl | Series 1, Episode 3 | |
| Truth Seekers | Janey Feathers | Series 1, Episode 3: "The Girl with All the Ghosts" | |
| 2020–2021 | Intelligence | Hilary Bowden | Series 1, Episode 4 and Series 2, Episode 4 |
| 2021 | Taskmaster | Herself - Contestant | Series 12 winner |
| How We Forgot to Save the Planet [17] | Various | Mockumentary, part of Channel 4's programming highlighting environmental concerns in the build-up to the COP26 conference on climate change | |
| 2022 | Toast of Tinseltown | Wildcat Lil | Series 1, Episode 5: "Death Valley" |
| Newark, Newark | Maxine | Lead role, Gold original comedy. Series 1, 3 episodes | |
| 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown | Annabel - Dictionary Corner Guest | Series 23, Episode 4 | |
| Stuck [18] | Carla | Lead role, BBC original comedy. Series 1, 5 episodes | |
| The Larkins | Pinkie Jerebohm | Recurring role. Series 2, 6 episodes | |
| 2023 | Everyone Else Burns [19] | Melissa | Series 1, 6 episodes |
References edit
- ^ a b Alice Jones. "Morgana Robinson interview: 'I've been picked on all my life'" The Independent. 23 November 2014 Accessed 26 March 2017
- ^ "Boots Electric (Jessie Hughes' Eagles of Death Metal) – Boots Electric Theme – Track of the Day – QTheMusic.com". 10 July 2011. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011.
- ^ Rhik Samadder (4 May 2014). "Comedian Morgana Robinson and singer Brody Dalle on their close sister relationship". The Guardian.
- ^ "The Green Green Grass Series 3, Episode 7 – Lust in Translation". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
- ^ Solutions, Powder Blue Internet Business. "'Unknown' lands her own C4 comedy series : News 2010 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". Retrieved 10 March 2017.
{{cite web}}:|first=has generic name (help) - ^ "Intelligence". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
- ^ "Dylan Moran's Stuck gets debut date". British Comedy Guide. 31 August 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
- ^ "British Comedy Awards – The Winners – Channel 4 – Info – Press". Retrieved 10 March 2017.
- ^ "Morgana Robinson's Summer – Winners' Acceptance Speech, Short Form Programme, Virgin TV British Academy Television Awards in 2018". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. 13 May 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
- ^ "C4 Comedy Presents: Them from That Thing – All 4". Retrieved 10 March 2017.
- ^ a b "Toast of London – All 4". Retrieved 10 March 2017.
- ^ Guide, British Comedy (15 May 2014). "BBC iPlayer Original Comedy Shorts – British Comedy Guide". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
- ^ "Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe – BBC Two". Retrieved 10 March 2017.
- ^ "Beauty Calls". IMDb. 25 November 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
- ^ "Walliams & Friend". IMDb. 24 December 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
- ^ Rees, Jasper (10 October 2016). "Morgana Robinson's The Agency is an affectionate but spiky lampooning of celebrity – BBC Two, review". The Telegraph. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
- ^ "How We Forgot to Save the Planet". Retrieved 21 November 2021.
- ^ "Stuck – BBC Two". Retrieved 5 September 2022.
- ^ "Channel 4 Commissions New Apocalyptic Comedy 'Everyone Else Burns', Starring Simon Bird". channel4.com/press. Retrieved 12 May 2022.