Nation Cymru staff
One of the 1980s’ most iconic comedy performers is set to bring his ‘brilliantly funny and revealing live show’ to Wales next month.
Known to audiences across the world as The Young Ones’ Neil the hippy, Nigel Planer is taking his new show ‘Young Once’ on a UK-wide tour, with a stop-off at Cardiff’s Glee Club on 10 November.
Comedian, actor and narrator; Nigel first came to attention as the Hippy Neil in BBC’s ‘The Young Ones’. Since then his career has ranged from serious stage theatre to the narrator of the ‘The Magic Roundabout’.
From the wild early days at The Comedy Store to the chaotic brilliance of The Comic Strip Presents, Filthy Rich & Catflap, and beyond – to West End musicals and hit pop records – Nigel will share a trove of outrageous tales of the backstage chaos that shaped a generation of comedy: from 20-foot-éclair-related injuries to gatecrashing raves with Robin Williams, Top of the Pops and Band Aid, to auditioning for a stony-faced Robert De Niro.
Alongside the laughs, he will reflect on the bittersweet moments behind the scenes – the friendships, fame and rivalries, and the winding path of a creative life.
Woven throughout the event is a moving, often mischievous account of the long, on-off-on-again love story between Nigel and his wife Roberta, and a life lived somewhere between the footlights and the fallout.
Full of dry wit, theatrical flair, and a knack for finding humour in both disaster and triumph, don’t miss the once-young Nigel as he offers a wildly entertaining and gloriously sideways glimpse into his quietly remarkable career. His in conversation will be part performance, part confession, and all heart.
Nigel Planer’s television credits include playing Neil in the sitcom The Young Ones, Ralph Filthy in the sitcom Filthy, Rich and Catflap and narrating the children’s animated series Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids.
He has appeared in many West End musicals, including as part of the original casts of Evita, Chicago, We Will Rock You, Wicked, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
He has also appeared in Hairspray. He won a BRIT award in 1984 and has been nominated for Olivier, TMA, WhatsOnStage, and BAFTA awards.
The Young Ones aired on BBC2 for two series, first shown in 1982 and 1984.
The show focused on the lives of four dissimilar students and their landlord’s family on different plots that often included anarchic, offbeat, surreal humour.
The show often included slapstick gags, visual humour and surreal jokes sometimes acted out by puppets, with each episode also featuring a notable selection of guest stars and musical numbers from various performers.
The Young Ones helped bring alternative comedy to British television in the 1980s and made household names of its writers and performers. The show became a notable icon of 1980s British popular culture, and it received its own game and a home-media release while becoming the first non-music-related programme to appear on MTV in the United States in 1985. The show was voted number 31 in the BBC’s Best Sitcom poll in 2004.
“Extraordinary life”
The tour information shares: “Join actor, writer and comedy legend Nigel Planer as he discusses Young Once, his funny, moving and gloriously unconventional memoir.
“Best known to many as Neil from The Young Ones, Nigel reflects on an extraordinary life: from bell-ringer and gravedigger to accidental icon of the 1980s comedy revolution.
“Reminiscing about encounters with Alexei Sayle, Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson and a cast of unforgettable characters, this will be a candid and nostalgic conversation about creativity, fame, friendship and finding happiness in the most unlikely places.”
While the Glee Club put it simply: “Nigel will be reading from his ‘Young Once’ autobiography, telling anecdotes, some poetry and a few tunes.”
Nigel Planer will appear at The Glee Club Cardiff on Tuesday 10 November 2026 at 7:15pm. Buy tickets here.
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