# Mackenzie Taylor

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**Andrew Iain Mackenzie Taylor** (8 September 1978 – 18 November 2010) was a British comic, writer and director.

## Early life

Born in [Crewe](/source/Crewe), [Cheshire](/source/Cheshire), his family moved to [Camberley](/source/Camberley), in [Surrey](/source/Surrey), when he was still a baby.[1] Taylor attended [Royal Grammar School](/source/Royal_Grammar_School,_Guildford) in [Guildford](/source/Guildford) and was a member of the Surrey Youth Theatre. Taylor was diagnosed with bipolar schizoaffective disorder at the age of 15.[1] He worked as an accounts assistant for a firm of [quantity surveyors](/source/Quantity_surveyor) in [Chobham](/source/Chobham), Surrey.[1]

## Career

He started his comedy career in the sketch and improvisational group Wayward Council.[1] He co-founded *Phone Book Live!*, in which guests attempted to be funny by reading from a [telephone directory](/source/Telephone_directory).[2] Performers included [Nicholas Parsons](/source/Nicholas_Parsons), [Les Dennis](/source/Les_Dennis) and [Maureen Lipman](/source/Maureen_Lipman); proceeds from *Phone Box Live!* were donated to the mental health charity [Mind](/source/Mind_(charity)).[1]

Taylor was diagnosed with [bipolar](/source/Bipolar_disorder) [schizoaffective disorder](/source/Schizoaffective_disorder) at the age of 15.[1] He turned his suicide attempt in 2008, in which he slipped into a drug-induced coma in the [Komedia](/source/Komedia) comedy club in [Brighton](/source/Brighton), into an acclaimed show, *No Straightjacket Required*, at the 2009 [Edinburgh Festival Fringe](/source/Edinburgh_Festival_Fringe).[2] He performed the show again at the Fringe in 2010, alongside his new show, *Joy*.[3]

Taylor participated in "[Warning: May Contain Nuts](/source/Warning:_May_Contain_Nuts)", a project launched by [John Hegley](/source/John_Hegley) to use comedy to increase awareness of mental illness.[4] He performed an abridged version of *No Straightjacket Required*, which *The Independent* described as "his remarkable true story about struggling with mental illness and his suicide attempt manages to be both unflinchingly candid yet consistently entertaining."[5]

## Death

Taylor died on 18 November 2010 at the age of 32 after taking an overdose of drugs.[2] His funeral took place on 8 December at St Michael & All Angels' church in [Pirbright](/source/Pirbright), near [Woking](/source/Woking), Surrey.[6]

## References

1. Bruce Dessau (25 November 2010). ["Mackenzie Taylor obituary"](https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2010/nov/25/mackenzie-taylor-obituary). *The Guardian*. Retrieved 2010-12-15.

1. ["Comic Mackenzie Taylor takes his life"](http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2010/11/20/12191/comic_mackenzie_taylor_takes_his_life). *Chortle*. 2010-11-20. Retrieved 2010-11-10.

1. Ivy Broadhead (18 August 2010). ["13 Questions: comedian Mackenzie Taylor"](http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/interviews/13_questions_comedian_mackenzie_taylor.shtml). *BBC*. Retrieved 2010-11-10.

1. Jenny Minard (25 May 2010). ["Mackenzie Taylor talks about mental health problems"](http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/berkshire/hi/people_and_places/arts_and_culture/newsid_8701000/8701610.stm). *BBC*. Retrieved 2010-11-10.

1. Toby Green (20 May 2010). ["Warning: May Contain Nuts, South Street Arts Centre, Reading"](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/comedy/reviews/warning-may-contain-nuts-south-street-arts-centre-reading-1977593.html). *The Independent*. Retrieved 2010-11-20.

1. ["Mackenzie Taylor funeral announced"](http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2010/11/28/12249/mackenzie_taylor_funeral_announced). *Chortle*. 2010-11-29. Retrieved 2010-12-29.

## External links

- [13 Questions with Mackenzie Taylor](http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/interviews/13_questions_comedian_mackenzie_taylor.shtml) at BBC.co.uk

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Mackenzie Taylor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackenzie_Taylor) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackenzie_Taylor?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.