Om rich.ian.austin@gmail.com

VIDEOS: Recent clip: 10‑minute set: YouTube channel (regularly updated): Bio Rich Austin is a Hull-based stand‑up who has been performing since 2010, steadily building a reputation for sharp writing, intelligent wit, and ice‑cool delivery. A winner of Beat The Frog and a finalist in the Hartlepool Flix New Comedian Competition, Rich is a comic who blends clever construction with understated confidence, winning audiences over with warm crowd work, precise timing, and a steady flow of unexpected punchlines. Rich is the long-running host and co-founder of Cottingham Comedy Club, which recently won Best Independent Comedy Club at the Yorkshire Comedy Awards. For more than a decade, he has been the resident compère, known for creating a welcoming, lively atmosphere and expertly steering audiences through some of the best comedy talent on the circuit. On the wider circuit, Rich is a regular at pro and semi‑pro nights across the North and Midlands, frequently opening, middling, closing and compering for promoters including Buzz Comedy (Agraman), LOL Comedy, Comedy Lounge Hull, Funhouse Comedy, FaF Promotions and Anthony J Brown. In 2023 he placed 2nd in the Hull Comedian of the Year Competition at the Hull Comedy Festival. In 2022, Rich debuted his first hour, “Speedophile” at the Hull Comedy Festival. Quotes “Rich Austin has a cool and confident command of warm intelligent wit.” — John Agraman Marshall, Buzz Comedy “A phalanx of satisfyingly unexpected punchlines delivered with detached poise.” — Anthony J Brown “Clever, creative and very funny. Perhaps even one of the best jokes I’ve heard this year.” — Notts Comedy Review “Rich Austin has never failed to entertain my audience—and that’s why I have him back time after time.” — Steve Rimmer, Hull Comedy **Excerpt – Full Notts Comedy Review** “It’s been a long time since I last saw Austin and I hope I see much more of him in the future. He had an element of polish to him that you don’t often see in a ten spot and to all intents and purposes, he gave the room a pro level performance. His delivery had the right level of energy for what he was saying, his little mannerisms whilst performing were quite subtle, but all added to what he was doing, but above all, his writing was clever, creative and very funny. The room work at the top was quickly funny, names were solid, Vader was absolutely fantastic. Perhaps one of the best jokes I’ve heard all year. This all made for a great start to the night.”