The Iceman (performer)
| Anthony Irvine | |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 February 1951 |
| Medium | alternative comedy, performance art, fine art, outsider art |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Notable works and roles | The Iceman, Funny Bones, aim |
Anthony Irvine (born 17 February 1951), also known as the Iceman and aim, is a British performance artist and visual artist.[1][2]
As the Iceman, his act is to creatively melt large blocks of ice[3][4][5] while talking to the audience over a soundtrack of tightly-looped music[6] and sound effects.[7][8] His methods of attempting to melt the ice include breath, salt and a blowtorch.[9][10] He might also sing songs, make puns, attempt to release a rubber duck from inside the block of ice,[11] or sell photographs of the ice to the audience.[12]
In the 1980s and '90s, he performed at notable alternative comedy venues including Cluub Zarathustra[13][14] and Malcolm Hardee's Tunnel Club as well as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.[9][11][15] In 2007, he performed at the Hackney Empire in a tribute show to the late Malcolm Hardee.[16] In 2011 he performed at the Royal Festival Hall.[17]
He is often cited by Stewart Lee as a legend of alternative comedy[18][19][20] and by Jo Brand as a favourite act of the 1980s.[10] Lee dedicates his epic poem about stand-up comedy, "I'll Only Go if you Throw Glass," to notable 1980s performers including the Iceman.[21]
In 1995, Irvine appeared in Peter Chelsom's film Funny Bones.[22][23] In the same year, he shared the Edinburgh Tapwater Award with Malcolm Hardee and Charlie Chuck.[24]
Since 2014, he has produced art brut paintings under the name aim.[25][26] 2023 saw his first solo art show at Guggleton Farm Arts in Dorset.[27]
In 2022, Irvine published an ice-related children's book called Lockdown Melter.[28]
The Iceman is the subject of a 2023 book released by Go Faster Stripe called Melt it! The Book of the Iceman.[29][30] As a result, he appeared on Richard Herring's Leicester Square Theatre Podcast.[31] There is also a film in production based on the book.[32][33]
References
[edit]- ^ "Anthony Irvine - Iceman". C86 Podcast.
- ^ Mcgillivray, David. British Alternative Theatre Directory 1992-1993 (Rebecca Books, 1992).
- ^ "Anthony Irvine is a man with a mission: to melt blocks of ice meaningfully (part 1)". The Independent via newspapers.com. 24 August 1995.
- ^ "Anthony Irvine is a man with a mission: to melt blocks of ice meaningfully (part 2)". The Independent via newspapers.com. 24 August 1995.
- ^ "RHLSTP 63 - Stewart Lee (TMWRNJ Special)". Richard Herring's Leicester Square Theatre Podcast.
- ^ "Show People : A Chip off the Old Block". The Stage via the British Newspaper Archive. 3 January 1991.
- ^ Giappone, K. (2018) The Punk Turn in Comedy: Masks of Anarchy
- ^ "Changing times... : Interviews 2007 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide".
- ^ a b "Edinburgh Festival Day 12: Apparently ." Independent.co.uk. 24 August 1993.
- ^ a b "Jo Brand: 'If you're doing comedy, you must be funny first and preach second'". TheGuardian.com. 15 May 2016.
- ^ a b "The Iceman". The List Archive. 25 August 1995.
- ^ "Meanwhile..." Evening Standard via newspapers.com. 17 August 1995.
- ^ Wringham, R. (2012) You Are Nothing
- ^ "Top 10 Cluub Zarathustra Routines". 13 April 2016.
- ^ "1995 Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme by Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society - Issuu".
- ^ "The Iceman - the Malcolm Hardee Tribute Night". YouTube.
- ^ "Legendary cult act the Iceman talks of comedians Stewart Lee, Mike Myers &, inevitably, about melting blocks of ice". 21 March 2014.
- ^ Lee, S. March of the Lemmings. (Faber & Faber, 2019)
- ^ "Brexit confusion is scuppering my show – what next?". 28 October 2016.
- ^ "Stewart Lee: A funny thing happened to comedy". Independent.co.uk. 28 November 2010.
- ^ "I'll Only Go if You Throw Glass : Stewart Lee - 41st Best Standup Ever!".
- ^ "A ★★★★ review of Funny Bones (1995)".
- ^ "Anthony Irvine". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on August 13, 2022.
- ^ Hardee, M. (1996) I Stole Freddie Mercury's Birthday Cake.
- ^ "ANTHONY IRVINE: Art as an agonising torment". RoshanDoug.com. 26 September 2022.
- ^ "The artist formerly known as the Iceman has sold a painting… I think". 3 December 2016.
- ^ "AIM: The Iceman Painting Clearance Sale..." VASW.
- ^ "Cult creative performer/Painter the Iceman turns children's book author…". 29 May 2022.
- ^ Bennett, Steve. "The Iceman gets exposure : News 2023 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". www.chortle.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
- ^ "1980s alternative comedy star the Iceman reveals all in new book". British Comedy Guide. 19 January 2023.
- ^ "RHLSTP". www.rhlstp.co.uk.
- ^ Guide, British Comedy (December 22, 2023). "The Iceman to be celebrated in documentary film". British Comedy Guide.
- ^ Bennett, Steve. "The Iceman cometh back : News 2024 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". www.chortle.co.uk.
External links
[edit]- Iceblocked The Iceman's official website
- Anthony Irvine at IMDb
- Anthony Irvine interviewed on C86 Podcast