The multi-award-winning Canadian comedian Phil Nichol has announced his first tour in 7 years. The show ‘Trying My Best’ is a return to his award-winning stand up and he will perform his very best, stand-up comedy routines, all packaged into a thrilling, uproarious evening of frenetic silliness. The tour starts on 16th October in St. Leonards On Sea Crown House and culminates in 2026 on 11th April at London’s Backyard Club. His stand up took a back seat to his acting role in the past few years as he was in Spiegelworld’s ground-breaking cabaret /circus show ‘The Hook’ in Atlantic City in the lead role of Dick Marlin.
‘Trying My Best’ draws from Phil’s extraordinary body of work and presents the very best of this boundless entertainer. Ever in demand, he has decided to tour his favourite venues in his favourite places and present his favourite comedy pieces. He will include his modern classic songs, You Can’t Stay That to Me, Sleazy Massage, Elvis Sucks and his Corky classic Only Gay Eskimo. Mixed between the songs are madcap routines and stories about Phil’s life as a Canadian in the UK, the frustrations of modern-day transport, musing on the English sense of humour and proclivity for alcohol and some quick-fire one-liners that would make Milton Jones proud. Phil’s style is a wonderful blend of warmth, bonhomie, laser sharp crowd work and frenetic joy with a naughty wink and tickle thrown in for good measure.
With Phil’s cheeky grin and pixie spirit, ‘Trying My Best’ is guaranteed to make you howl with laughter, leave you breathless and send you skipping home on a high. You’ll be singing his hilarious songs at breakfast and trying to describe what you saw to your colleagues at work the next day. As the flyer reads- Phil has been getting better at comedy since March 1987. One of these days he may just get it right. Until then Phil just keeps trying. If at first you don’t succeed, try and try your best.
His last tour was ‘Your Wrong’ in 2018 which played to rave reviews with over 150 shows in 15 countries. Your Wrong was a hilarious heart felt tale of coming to terms with his parent’s faith in the midst of his brother Andrews life threatening car accident and subsequent coma.
A veteran of the comedy scene, since March 1987, he launched as a guitar-playing lunatic for Canadian live-wire musical comedy trio sensation Corky and the Juice Pigs. He learned his comedy songwriting craft as Juice Pigs producing comedy classics such as I Used My Grandma As Skateboard and The Only Gay Eskimo. The height of the Juice Pigs success saw Phil appearing on Mad-TV for a season and a half on Fox in the States. Phil left the group 1996 and moved to London to ply his trade as a stand up winning the prestigious Time Out Comedy Award in 1998, being nominated for the Perrier Award in 2002 and finally winning the Perrier in the form of the Edinburgh Comedy Award in 2006. Since then, Phil has been a stalwart of comedy and acting popping up in the West End and on your TV in sitcom after sitcom including playing Terry Gilliam in Tony Roche’s Holy Flying Circus.
As a stand-up, Phil is internationally renowned, having performed in 52 countries, has written 23 sold out hour long shows for the Edinburgh Festival and appeared on Festival TV Galas including Just for Laughs, Melbourne International CF, New Zealand CF and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Phil has filmed four stand-up comedy specials including his Edinburgh Comedy award winning show The Naked Racist and the groundbreaking Nearly Gay for ITV2.
Acting-wise, Phil Nichol recently played pagan pub landlord, Paul Chambers, in Agatha Raisin for Acorn and Sky Max. He has appeared as Mark in Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney's hit Channel 4 sitcom Catastrophe and as Jerry in the award-winning BBC3 show Uncle. Phil played gay priest Drew in the Greg Davies sitcom Man Down. He was guest lead, George Harper, in BBC’s Siblings and most memorably, he was seen in BBC4's BAFTA nominated Holy Flying Circus playing ex Monty Python animator/director, Terry Gilliam.
On the stage, Phil originated the role of Loco Chanelle in the Olivier award nominated, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie in London’s West End as. He starred alongside Christian Slater in One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, Boy George in Taboo and Bill Bailey in the fringe sensation Twelve Angry Men. Phil travelled to New York with the Donmar Warehouse to perform in The Machine written by Academy award nominated Matt Charman.
Phil has won numerous performance awards including the 2005 Stage Award for Acting Excellence (The Zoo Story), the 2006 Edinburgh Comedy Award (The Naked Racist) and a Scotsman Fringe First for the monologue Somewhere Beneath It All, A Small Fire Burns Still (2011).
Phil has developed three feature films, Say You Love Satan (Warp Films), Yinka and Dinka’s House of Hoax (Sinner Films) and most recently, Bardo, an environmentally friendly faerie tale. Phil was commissioned by Screen Scotland to direct Yinka and Dinka’s House of Hoax. He has directed sketches for ITV2 and BBC 3. He has also directed extensively for the theatre as founder and Artistic director of the award-winning Comedians Theatre Company, which is now in its 19th year having produced over 30 productions including a radio series for BBC Radio 4.
Phil has written and produced four comedy albums, three with Corky and the Juice Pigs and one solo comedy album, Late Night Electric Watermelon. He has released one solo music album, Ethel’s Little Ditties and a rock parody album by his band Muscle is due for release later this year.
The tour dates are as follows:
2025
OCTOBER
Thurs 16TH ST. LEONARDS ON SEA - Crown House
https://www.jokepit.com/comedy-in/hastings/phil-nichol-trying-my-best-st...
Tues 28TH MANCHESTER - Frog and Bucket
https://frogandbucket.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873655754/events...
NOVEMBER
Sun 2nd NOTTINGHAM – Comedy Festival - Canal House
https://wegottickets.com/event/667019/
Wed 5th HULL – Comedy Festival Truck Theatre
https://www.hulltruck.co.uk/whats-on/comedy/phil-nichol-trying-my-best/
Tues 11th LYTHAM ST. ANNES – Lowther Pavilion
https://lowtherpavilion.co.uk/shows/phil-nichol-trying-my-best/
Wed 12th SHREWSBURY - Albert’s Shed
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/shireevents/phil-nichol-support/e-zooygv
Thurs 13th LIVERPOOL - Hot Water Comedy https://www.hotwatercomedy.co.uk/event/315601ahhncljtsvjnrdtcdlvqjpnphkd/
DECEMBER
Sun 7th NEWCASTLE - The Stand
https://www.thestand.co.uk/performance/20284/phil-nichol--trying-my-best...
Mon 8th GLASGOW - The Stand
https://www.thestand.co.uk/performance/20285/phil-nichol--trying-my-best...
Tues 9th EDINBURGH - The Stand
https://www.thestand.co.uk/performance/20286/phil-nichol--trying-my-best...
2026
JANUARY
Thurs 15th LUTON – Hat Factory
https://www.culturetrust.com/whats-on/phil-nichol-trying-my-best
Sat 24th NORWICH - Stage Two
https://norwichtheatre.org/whats-on/phil-nichol-trying-my-best/
Sun 25th COLCHESTER – Arts Centre
https://colchesterartscentre.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/117366044...
Thurs 29th SOUTHEND - Caddies https://wegottickets.com/event/669530
FEBRUARY
Wed 4th BIRMINGHAM - Glee https://booking.glee.co.uk/22478
Mon 9th CAMBRIDGE – Junction – J2
https://www.junction.co.uk/events/phil-nichol-trying-my-best/
Thurs 12th OXFORD - Glee - https://booking.glee.co.uk/22479
Mon 16th LEEDS - Glee - https://booking.glee.co.uk/22480
Thurs 19th SOUTHAMPTON - The Attic
https://theatticsouthampton.co.uk/products/phil-nichol-on-tour-in southampton?srsltid=AfmBOooF99x4m9yxCpkhU2J5-_ijU_CMFg75IfE_IXcgRr-I9tvcCvTY
Thurs 26th BRIGHTON - The Forge
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/phil-nichol-trying-my-best-tickets-139831...
MARCH
Thurs 12th ABERDEEN - Breakneck Comedy Club
https://www.breakneckcomedy.co.uk/product/phil-nichol-trying-my-best
Tues 24th BRISTOL - The Gaffe
https://www.thegaffecomedyclub.com/#e134248
Wed 25th SWANSEA - Bar 98
https://www.jokepit.com/comedy-in/swansea/phil-nichol-trying-my-best-swa...
Thurs 26th BATH - Comedy Festival - Nowhere Tavern
https://www.bathcomedy.com/whats-on?id=1951
APRIL
Fri 10th LEICESTER - Attenborough Arts Centre
https://attenborougharts.com/whats-on/phil-nichol-trying-his-best/
Sat 11th LONDON - Backyard Comedy Club
https://backyardcomedyclub.co.uk/event/link/?ceId=0e62c38f-e434-4885-a07...
Picture by Steve Ullathorne
