Boothby Graffoe, born James Rogers in Hull, is one of British comedy's most distinctive alternative voices, blending stand-up, guitar-driven songs and freewheeling audience interaction into a style all his own. He took his stage name from a Lincolnshire village and began performing on the circuit in the late 1980s, quickly earning a reputation for surreal, intelligent material that refuses to follow a conventional set structure. A regular at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for decades, he remains a cult favourite among comedy fans who value originality over formula.
His broadcasting career began in 1988 presenting his own show on BBC Radio Lincolnshire, and he later wrote and starred in the BBC Radio 4 sketch series Boothby Graffoe In No Particular Order. He has won the Adelaide Fringe Award for Excellence and a Time Out Comedy Award, and has appeared on Sky's The Alternative Comedy Experience alongside some of the UK's best-loved comics. His original comic songs, including Umbrella Head Boy and Planet Dog, have become cult favourites, and he has collaborated with the Canadian band Barenaked Ladies.
Boothby brings something genuinely different to any bill: a musical, improvisational style of comedy that surprises audiences who think they have seen it all. He is a strong choice for comedy clubs, festivals and any event looking for a performer with real originality and a loyal following, delivering a set that is unpredictable, warm and consistently funny from the first note to the final gag.