Alexei Sayle
About Alexei Sayle
Alexei David Sayle (born 7 August 1952) is an English actor, author, stand-up comedian, television presenter and former recording artist. He was a leading figure in the British alternative comedy movement in the 1980s. He was voted the 18th-greatest stand-up comic of all time on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups in 2007, and came 72nd in an updated 2010 poll. Much of his humour is in the tradition of Spike Milligan and Monty Python, with riffs based on often absurd and surreal premises, and his act is known for its cynicism and political awareness as well as physical comedy.
Born and brought up in the Anfield suburb of Liverpool, Sayle is Jewish and was the son of Molly and Joseph Henry Sayle, both members of the Communist Party of Great Britain. He was named after Maxim Gorky, whose real name was Alexei Maximovich Peshkov. He attended Alsop High School and later Chelsea College of Art and Design and Garnett College in Roehampton. When The Comedy Store opened in London in 1979, Sayle responded to an advert in Private Eye for would-be comedians and became its first master of ceremonies, going on to become the leading performer at The Comic Strip.
Sayle appeared on The Comic Strip Album (1981) and recorded Cak! (1982), and in 1988 played Trinculo in Shakespeare's The Tempest at the Old Vic. He returned to stand-up in 2011 and completed a full UK tour in 2012. He also wrote and performed radio series including Alexei Sayle and the Fish People, for which he won a Pye Radio Award, and Alexei Sayle's Imaginary Sandwich Bar on Radio 4 from 2016.
Videos (172)
Videos 1 to 24 of 172.
4:22Alexei Sayle's Alternative Alternative Christmas Message
133.5K views
1:24:01Unfit for Purpose (with Stewart Lee)
84.5K views
15:29Alexei Sayle's Lockdown Bike Ride 1 - Mount Pleasant to Kingsland Basin
71.3K views
22:22Alexei Sayle's Lockdown Bike Ride 4: Hampstead to Kings Cross
39.3K views
34:29Alexei Sayle's Cyclogeography - Comedy Store Commute: Part I
33.5K views
25:44Alexei Sayle's Lockdown Bike Ride 5: Holborn to Buckingham Palace
30.3K views
0:43Let’s see those moves… and a dismantling of capitalism!
29.7K views
16:341: Keir Starmer: Establishment Tool(?) (The Alexei Sayle Podcast)
24.9K views
1:20:07Compo Bursts Puppy (with Stewart Lee)
24.9K views
1:28:07More Hope Please (with Jeremy Corbyn)
21.9K views
16:27Alexei Sayle's Lockdown Bike Ride 6: Westminster to Soho
21K views
13:46Alexei Sayle’s Lockdown Bike Ride 2 - Kingsland Basin to Mount Pleasant
19.8K views
26:07Alexei Sayle's Lockdown Bike Ride 3: Hampstead Heath
18.1K views
27:49Alexei Sayle's Lockdown Bikeride 8: Waterloo to Covent Garden
17.7K views
1:02:32The Alexei Sayle Podcast ep37: THEATRE OF THE STREETS (feat. Ogmios)
15.7K views
30:362: The Art of War (The Alexei Sayle Podcast)
15.6K views
23:36Alexei Sayle's Cyclogeography - Milton Keynes: Part I
14K views
22:52Alexei Sayle's Lockdown Bike Ride 7: Holborn to Waterloo
13.6K views
44:57Warriors
13.2K views
32:21Cycling to Gaza with Alexei Sayle
12.1K views
0:43PART 5!
12.1K views
0:34Part 2! The Alexei Sayle Podcast is weekly. We also have Patreon!
11.6K views
33:26Alexei Sayle's Cyclogeography - Canvey Island: Part I
11.4K views
1:46:57Beef (with Diane Morgan)
11K viewsGuest appearances (6)
Videos on other comedians' channels featuring Alexei Sayle.
Guest appearances 1 to 6 of 6.
1:06:52Richard Herring’s Leicester Square Theatre Podcast - with Alexei Sayle
Richard Herring
37.3K views
55:05"The Best Of Britain Show Up For Gaza" | Alexei Sayle | Russell Howard's Five Brilliant Things
Russell Howard
29.1K views
1:06:52Alexei Sayle - RHLSTP
Richard Herring
21.9K views
1:06Picasso was firing blanks (ft. Alexei Sayle)
Russell Howard
12.9K views
1:11Alexei Sayle | Russell Howard's Five Brilliant Things
Russell Howard
11.8K views
1:05The best of Britain (ft. Alexei Sayle)
Russell Howard
5.8K viewsChannels on this page: Richard Herring, Russell Howard
Frequently asked questions
What is Alexei Sayle known for?
He is an English actor, author and stand-up comedian who was a leading figure in the British alternative comedy movement in the 1980s.
What was Alexei Sayle's role at The Comedy Store?
When The Comedy Store opened in London in 1979, he responded to an advert in Private Eye and became its first master of ceremonies.
Who was Alexei Sayle named after?
He was named after Maxim Gorky, the writer whose real name was Alexei Maximovich Peshkov.
How was Alexei Sayle ranked among stand-up comics?
He was voted the 18th-greatest stand-up comic of all time on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups in 2007, and came 72nd in an updated 2010 poll.
What radio work has Alexei Sayle done?
He wrote and performed Alexei Sayle and the Fish People, winning a Pye Radio Award, and presented Alexei Sayle's Imaginary Sandwich Bar on BBC Radio 4 from 2016.
Comedians similar to Alexei Sayle
Same comedic style, across countries
