Simon Amstell Returns to Theatre 80 in NYC

“His fifth and finest stand-up show.  Propelled in equal parts by real jokes and a real sense of emotional unburdening, this was an uplifting, effortlessly entertaining hour.”
– The Times ★★★★

“Wise and funny…a lovely hour that strikes a beautiful balance between perky and pained, anxious and ironic.”
– The Guardian ★★★★

“In What Is This?, Simon Amstell finds comedy gold in analyzing his existential angst.”
– Evening Standard★★★★

Award-winning British comedian, Simon Amstell, announces a month-long New York City run of his critically acclaimed new show, What Is This?, running June 1st through June 30th at Theatre 80 in the East Village.  Following each performance, copies of Simon’s new book, Help, will be on sale and Simon will sign copies.  This is the only opportunity to purchase the book in North America.

A deeply personal, funny exploration of beauty, intimacy, freedom, sex and love, What Is This? is Simon’s fifth show and received rave reviews on his sold-out U.K. tour last fall.  Simon toured two of his previous shows throughout the U.S.: Numb (2012 – 2013) and To Be Free (2015).  He has appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Conan, The Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.

In 2017, Simon published his first book, Help, and directed the feature-length documentary, Carnage – Swallowing The Past, for the BBC, receiving rave reviews.  Set in a utopian 2067, Carnage is a provocative comedy looking back at a time when human beings ate other animals.  The film stars Martin Freeman, Joanna Lumley and Lindsay Duncan. His first feature film, Benjamin, written and directed by Simon, is currently in post-production.

Simon starred in two, hour long stand-up specials for the BBC and his award-winning sitcom, Grandma's House, ran for two seasons on BBC2, in which Simon plays a version of himself, the host of a massively popular entertainment show who has given it up only to find himself living at home in the suburbs with his dysfunctional Jewish family.   

Simon himself made a similar career move when he gave up his role as host of the BBC's enduring popular comedy panel show Never Mind the Buzzcocks after three seasons, during which time he graduated from cult hero to mainstream success.

Simon began performing stand-up in his teens, going on to become the youngest ever finalist of the BBC New Comedy Awards.  He started his TV career on Nickelodeon in 1998, until he was fired for making pop stars uncomfortable. He soon found his niche as the co-host of the Channel 4 show, Popworld, where, ironically, he gained a huge following for his groundbreaking work in making pop stars uncomfortable.

Simon has won two British Comedy Awards, an RTS Award, a Broadcast Award, a Chortle Award and has been nominated for a BAFTA.

For more on Simon visit www.SimonAmstell.com where you can find links to his Twitter, Facebook and Youtube pages.