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Cal McCrystal
Cal McCrystal is an Irish theatre director and actor. He is the brother of the journalist Damien McCrystal and the son of the journalist and writer Cal McCrystal. Following an early career acting in theatre, television, radio plays and commercials, McCrystal became a director specialising in comedy. His notable credits include Physical Comedy Director on the National Theatre's One Man, Two Guvnors starring James Corden and physical comedy consultant on Paddington and Paddington 2. In 2018, he directed a new production of Gilbert and Sullivan's Iolanthe for the English National Opera.
Born in Belfast, McCrystal spent "three idyllic years" living with his family in Teaneck, New Jersey, after his father had been assigned as a correspondent for The Sunday Times.
McCrystal trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, winning a contract with Yorkshire TV upon graduation in 1981 to present young people's programmes. He had regular roles in various Saturday morning children's shows, including What's Up Doc? and Motormouth on ITV alongside Gaby Roslin, Andy Crane and Siobhan Finneran.
McCrystal also appeared in more than 30 TV commercials, including one for Hamlet Cigars in which he portrayed Sir Walter Raleigh as part of their long-running Happiness is a cigar called Hamlet campaign. His other TV work includes The Detectives, The Wild House and a 1997 BBC adaptation of The History Of Tom Jones, A Foundling. He also has performed multiple stage roles, including Hans in Spring Awakening at the Young Vic in 1984 and Florindo in The Servant Of Two Masters at the Sheffield Crucible in 1995.
On film, McCrystal has appeared in George Sluizer's Crimetime and as Principal Conway opposite Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone in Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
After training under European clown-theatre gurus Philippe Gaulier and Pierre Byland at École Philippe Gaulier, McCrystal moved into theatre directing. His first show was Let The Donkey Go with the innovative theatre company Peepolykus. It became the surprise hit of the 1996 Edinburgh Fringe festival and led to two more shows with Peepolykus, I Am A Coffee and the Chekhov spoof Horses For Courses.
Described as "Britain's funniest director", McCrystal's shows are known for their chaotic physical comedy elements and irreverence.
After Peepolykus, McCrystal went on to direct stage productions for the Cambridge Footlights, including their 1998 show Between A Rock And A Hard Place which starred Richard Ayoade and John Oliver, and The Mighty Boosh. Some of his most acclaimed work came with the internationally successful clown troupe Spymonkey. After directing the clown sequences for Cirque Du Soleil's touring show Varekai, McCrystal returned in an expanded role on the company's Las Vegas-based erotic cabaret Zumanity, incorporating Spymonkey as the show's comedy act.
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Cal McCrystal
Cal McCrystal is an Irish theatre director and actor. He is the brother of the journalist Damien McCrystal and the son of the journalist and writer Cal McCrystal. Following an early career acting in theatre, television, radio plays and commercials, McCrystal became a director specialising in comedy. His notable credits include Physical Comedy Director on the National Theatre's One Man, Two Guvnors starring James Corden and physical comedy consultant on Paddington and Paddington 2. In 2018, he directed a new production of Gilbert and Sullivan's Iolanthe for the English National Opera.
Born in Belfast, McCrystal spent "three idyllic years" living with his family in Teaneck, New Jersey, after his father had been assigned as a correspondent for The Sunday Times.
McCrystal trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, winning a contract with Yorkshire TV upon graduation in 1981 to present young people's programmes. He had regular roles in various Saturday morning children's shows, including What's Up Doc? and Motormouth on ITV alongside Gaby Roslin, Andy Crane and Siobhan Finneran.
McCrystal also appeared in more than 30 TV commercials, including one for Hamlet Cigars in which he portrayed Sir Walter Raleigh as part of their long-running Happiness is a cigar called Hamlet campaign. His other TV work includes The Detectives, The Wild House and a 1997 BBC adaptation of The History Of Tom Jones, A Foundling. He also has performed multiple stage roles, including Hans in Spring Awakening at the Young Vic in 1984 and Florindo in The Servant Of Two Masters at the Sheffield Crucible in 1995.
On film, McCrystal has appeared in George Sluizer's Crimetime and as Principal Conway opposite Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone in Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
After training under European clown-theatre gurus Philippe Gaulier and Pierre Byland at École Philippe Gaulier, McCrystal moved into theatre directing. His first show was Let The Donkey Go with the innovative theatre company Peepolykus. It became the surprise hit of the 1996 Edinburgh Fringe festival and led to two more shows with Peepolykus, I Am A Coffee and the Chekhov spoof Horses For Courses.
Described as "Britain's funniest director", McCrystal's shows are known for their chaotic physical comedy elements and irreverence.
After Peepolykus, McCrystal went on to direct stage productions for the Cambridge Footlights, including their 1998 show Between A Rock And A Hard Place which starred Richard Ayoade and John Oliver, and The Mighty Boosh. Some of his most acclaimed work came with the internationally successful clown troupe Spymonkey. After directing the clown sequences for Cirque Du Soleil's touring show Varekai, McCrystal returned in an expanded role on the company's Las Vegas-based erotic cabaret Zumanity, incorporating Spymonkey as the show's comedy act.