John Lynn

Most comedians stumble into the business by accident, but John Lynn's journey started with a simple night out at a Dublin comedy club. What began as casual entertainment quickly turned into something much more serious when John discovered he had a natural knack for making people laugh. Within eight months of his first gig, John found himself appearing on RTE's The Liffey Laugh, which is practically unheard of for someone so green. His relaxed delivery and natural stage presence clearly made the right impression on the right people, because the opportunities started rolling in thick and fast. Before long, John was joining Irish comedian PJ Gallagher as a special guest on his national tour, then sharing the stage with Tommy Tiernan in the Third Policeman's Ball, a tribute to Irish writer Flann O'Brian. The show was recorded at Dublin's prestigious Vicar Street and released on DVD in 2009, cementing John's status as a serious performer rather than just another hopeful with a microphone. The momentum continued when John landed a spot on BBC's One Night Stand, building his profile beyond Ireland's borders. These successes were impressive enough to convince him to make the leap every comedian dreams about but few have the courage to take: ditching his day job as a secondary school teacher to pursue comedy full-time. He also enrolled at the Irish Films Actors Studio, cleverly hedging his bets by dividing his time between acting and stand-up. John's growing reputation earned him an invitation to the Montreal Just for Laughs Comedy Festival, one of the most prestigious platforms in the comedy world. International work followed, with tours taking him to South Africa during the Lions Tour and performances across America, Europe and the Middle East. He became a regular fixture at the Kilkenny Cat Laughs festival and made his Edinburgh Fringe debut in 2011 with his solo show Social Networking. The UK circuit took notice, and in 2012 and 2013, John toured as special guest for Tom Stade, performing to sold-out venues nationwide. He returned to Edinburgh in 2015 with his second solo show, proving his debut wasn't just beginner's luck. While building his live career, John was equally busy in front of cameras. His screen work includes the romantic fantasy film Earthbound alongside Rafe Spall, and Satellites and Meteorites for I-Wire Films. His television credits read like a who's who of Irish broadcasting: Be More Ethnic on BBC 3, One Night Stand on BBC NI, and a string of RTE appearances including Stand and Deliver, Republic of Telly, Podge and Rodge, The Craig Doyle Show, and Butchers, where he plays the character Enda. He also appeared on TV3's The Apprentice: Your Fired. Not content with just performing other people's material, John created Meet Mike, Ireland's first internet mini-series, which he wrote and starred in. The show racked up multiple award nominations including the Golden Spiders and Digital Media awards, ultimately winning an ICAD and three APMC Awards. His theatre credits include playing Bush in Robert Massey's Rank for the Dublin Theatre Festival, which transferred to London's Tricycle Theatre, and Lane Productions' staging of Massey's Deadline. Now based in London, John has signed a development deal with NBC Universal for his first stand-up DVD and recently completed his first novel after earning a place on The University of East Anglia's creative writing programme. He performs regularly at major UK comedy clubs including weekends at The Comedy Store, continuing to build his reputation on the British comedy circuit. From that first night out in Dublin to international tours and development deals, John Lynn has proven that sometimes the best career changes are the ones you never saw coming.