A landmark photography project
Photography by Helen Gallagher and Aleks Paluszek
Comedian and actor John Thomson was born in Salford in 1969 and given up for adoption six weeks later. John was brought up by his adoptive parents in the Preston area, but returned to study drama at Manchester Polytechnic. It was here he met Steve Coogan who secured him a job on ‘Spitting Image’ they continued to collaborate on many comedy projects over the following few years. The two won the Perrier Comedy Award in 1992. In the 1990s John was a familiar face on the 'The Fast Show' with his character Louis Balfour, the host of 'Jazz Club' and his catchphrase, "Nice!" John is also known for his role as Pete Gifford in the popular comedy drama ‘Cold Feet’.
John and the cast of Cold Feet
The Fast Show - Jazz... Nice!
John’s CV is long and impressive including:
Knowing Me Knowing You With Alan Partridge.
Coronation St
Men Behaving Badly
The Fast Show
Waterloo Road
Celebrity Masterchef
Cold Feet
After Hours
Wallace and Gromit
The Keith Lemon Sketch Show
Casualty
THE SHOOT: The Lowry Theatre, Salford
John was back in his home city performing at the CAFT Comedy Gala. We photographed him on stage just before the show
Student reflection: Aleks Paluszek
"Photographing John backstage at the Lowry was quite an experience. We were given just 10 minutes to set up the studio flash, take test shots and then photograph John. We just about managed it before the stage curtain had to be opened for the show. John was incredibly natural and photogenic, offering a range of facial expressions, all of which brought the photographs to life. Assembling and testing our equipment under such intense pressure was an invaluable insight into working to a strict client brief."
