English stand-up comedian Matt Kirshen appears as one of the top 10 finalists competing in season five of the NBC reality talent show Last Comic Standing. After finding out that he had been chosen as of the top 10 contestants, he joked, "Being in the top ten feels like getting a massage from a burly man. I know it's doing me good, but I still feel a bit dirty." His youthful appearance belies a 27-year-old veteran of the UK comedy circuit, where he performed his first solo act at the Edinburgh Festival, and was then lauded for his precise timing and biting wit.
Kirshen was the winner of the 2003 Hackney Empire New Act of the Year contest, gaining success and fame in London and throughout the UK. He is a regular performer at numerous clubs and locations, among them Just the Tonic, Belfast Empire, Komedia, The Comedy Store, Rawhide, and Laughter House. He also tours various universities throughout Britain, and has performed in festivals at The Carling Weekend in Reading and Leeds and in Glastonbury. He has collaborated with and opened for other performers such as Ed Byrne in Ireland and Jeff Green in the UK. He has performed internationally in Singapore, Dubai, Holland, Germany, and France.
(Photo courtesy of NBC)