Alastair Roberts is an English comedian and actor. He is part of the comedy trio "Sheeps" with Daran Johnson and Liam Williams. He is known for his TV roles including as Al in Stath Lets Flats (2018–23) and Elder Abijah in Everyone Else Burns (2023–24).
Early life and education
editRoberts attended the University of Cambridge from 2006 to 2009. He was part of the Footlights, alongside future collaborator Liam Williams and Daran Johnson.[1] He was Membership Secretary from 2006 to 2007, a General Member of the committee from 2007 to 2008, and President from 2008 to 2009. He played in the Footlights 125th anniversary tour show Devils (alongside Johnson) in 2008 and the 2009 tour show Wishful Thinking (alongside Johnson and Williams). Devils received a three-star review from The Skinny, who described Roberts' performance as "hilariously mannered and beautifully timed".[2]
Career
editSheeps
editRoberts is part of comedy trio Sheeps, with Daran Johnson and Liam Williams.[3] They have played shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2011,[4] 2012,[5][6] 2014, 2015, 2018, 2024 and 2025.
Television
editIn 2015, Roberts starred in BBC Two comedy sketch show The Javone Prince Show.[7]
In 2015, Roberts starred in Comedy Feeds: People Time, a pilot on BBC Three.[8] He starred alongside Jamie Demetriou, Natasia Demetriou, Daran Johnson, Claudia O'Doherty, Ellie White and Liam Williams (who had first met at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2010).[9] The Guardian urged the BBC to make a series, saying "The material on display here makes me suddenly and unexpectedly excited for the future of the sketch show...they make each subject new and weird, yet accessible and silly."[10] Chortle described it as "this decade's Big Train" and that "If it can find it's way onto the telly, People Time would be a near-guaranteed cult hit."[8] Despite its positive reception, the BBC decided not to commission a series.[9] With the same cast (apart from O'Doherty), Roberts starred in the comedy web series 2016: Year Friends. The series is about a group of friends who get together to set some new years resolutions, and also find out that Al is dying and Tash is pregnant. Each member of the group wrote an episode for the series.
From 2018 to 2023, Roberts starred as Al in Stath Lets Flats. Jamie Demetriou, who co-wrote the show with Robert Popper, wrote the part for Al, after seeing him perform with Sheeps.[11]
In 2019, Roberts starred in one of Channel 4's Comedy Blaps, Sam Campbell: Get Real Dude.[12] Produced by Blink Industries, it combined a mix of puppetry, 2D and 3D animation. Roberts starred alongside Sam Campbell, Jamie Demetriou, David O'Doherty, Charlotte Ritchie, Neil Edmond, Tanya Moodie, Rob Carter, Arnab Chanda, Shivani Thussu, Terry Bird, Carole Street, Mark Silcox and Aaron Chen.
Reception
editComedian Abi Tedder cites Roberts as an influence and "probably the funniest man I've ever seen on a stage".[13]
Personal life
editSheeps lived together for a period of time.[9]
Filmography
editTelevision
edit| Year | Title | Channel | Role | Other role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Live at the Electric | BBC Three | Himself | Series 3, Episode 1 | [14] | |
| Parents' Evening | Mr Wilson | Pilot | [14] | |||
| 2015 | The Javone Prince Show | BBC Two | Ensemble actor | Episodes 1-4 | [7] | |
| Comedy Feeds: People Time | BBC Three | Various | Writer | Pilot | [8] | |
| 2016 | Siblings | Ralph | Series 2, Episode 2: "Golden Aunt" | [14] | ||
| Flowers | Channel 4 | Tree Man | Series 1, Episode 6 | [14] | ||
| Comedy Feeds: Limbo | BBC Three | Francis | Pilot | [15] | ||
| Morgana Robinson's The Agency | BBC Two | Journalist | Episode 3 | [16] | ||
| Drifters | Channel 4 | Will Johnson | Series 4, Episode 4: "Homeless" | [14] | ||
| 2016: Year Friends | Vimeo | Al | 12 episodes | [9] | ||
| 2017 | The Windsors | Channel 4 | Richard III | Series 2, Episode 3 | [14] | |
| 2018-2023 | Stath Lets Flats | Al | Series 1-3 | [14] | ||
| 2019 | Sam Campbell: Get Real Dude | Ensemble actor | Pilot (Comedy Blap) | [12] | ||
| Down from London | Vimeo | Martin | 1 episode | [14] | ||
| 2020-2021 | Feel Good | Channel 4 | Jared | Series 1, Episodes 1, 3, 6; Series 2, Episode 3 | [14] | |
| King Gary | BBC One | Robin | Series 1, Episode 3: "The Bunion"; Episode 4 "The Big Schmooze"
Series 2, Episode 3: "Conquerors"; Episode 4: "Fully Dark" |
[17] | ||
| 2020 | Red Dwarf - The Promised Land | BBC Two | Count Ludo | [18][14] | ||
| Ghosts | BBC One | Francis | Series 2, Episode 4: "The Thomas Thorne Affair" | [19] | ||
| Truth Seekers | Amazon Prime | Young Byron, Berkeley | Episode 2: "The Watcher On The Water" | [14] | ||
| 2021 | Dead Pixels | E4 | DVT | Series 2, Episode 3: "Mission"; Episode 6: "Flanks/Yams" | [14] | |
| Intelligence | Sky One | Pavarotti | Series 2, Episode 3 | [14] | ||
| 2021-2023 | Starstruck | BBC Three | Ian | Series 1, Episode 1: "NYE"; Episode 3: "Summer"; Episode 6: "Christmas".
Series 2, Episodes 1-6. Series 3, Episodes 1, 2, 4, 5, 6. |
[20] | |
| 2022 | This Is Going To Hurt | BBC One | James | Episode 7 | [21] | |
| What We Do in the Shadows | Freddie | Series 4, Episode 2: "The Lamp", Episode 9: "Freddie" | [14] | |||
| 2023-2024 | Everyone Else Burns | Channel 4 | Elder Abijah | Series 1 and 2 | ||
| 2023 | A Whole Lifetime With Jamie Demetriou | Netflix | Sigmund the City Boy | One episode | ||
| Man Like Mobeen | BBC | Memory Stick | 4 episodes | |||
| 2024 | Industry | BBC | Nicholas St John | 1 episode | ||
| 2025 | Mammoth | BBC Two | Matthew | Series 2, Episode 2 | ||
| Chess Ham | Spy | |||||
| 2026 | Saturday Night Live UK | Sky One | Writer |
Film
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Intervention | Will | Short film | |
| The Bird | Son | Short film | ||
| 2016 | Three Women Wait for Death | Solicitor | Short film | |
| 2021 | Last Night in Soho | Librarian | ||
| 2024 | And Mrs. | Daniel (paramedic) |
Radio
edit| Year | Title | Station | Role | Other role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Sketchorama | BBC Radio 4 | As "Sheeps" | Writer | Series 2, Episode 2 | |
| 2014 | Newsjack | Writer | Series 11, Episodes 2, 4 | |||
| Script Editor | Series 11, Episode 3 | |||||
| 2015 | Sabotage | BBC Radio 4 Extra | As "Sheeps" | Series 2, Episode 2 | ||
| 2017 | Liam Williams – Ladhood | BBC Radio 4 | Ensemble actor | Series 2 | ||
| 2025 | DMs Are Open | Series 4, Episodes 1-6 | ||||
| Kat Sadler's Screen Time | Series 2, Episodes 1-4 |
Live performance
edit| Year | Title | Role | Group | Venue | Festival | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Much Ado About Nothing | Dogberry, a Constable | Footlights | ADC Theatre | [22] | |
| Circus | Various | [23][24] | ||||
| The Alchemist | Subtle | [25] | ||||
| Grow Up | Various | [26] | ||||
| Faust: ADC/Footlights Panto 2006 – Cornelius | Cornelius | [27] | ||||
| 2007 | I'll Be Back Before Midnight | Arthur | [28] | |||
| The Comedy of Errors | Antipholus of Ephesus | Queens College | [29] | |||
| Coat | The Man | White Belly, Underbelly | Edinburgh Fringe Festival | [30] | ||
| Motortown | Paul | ADC Theatre | [31] | |||
| Once Upon a Time... The 2007 ADC/ Footlights Panto | Enjolras | [32] | ||||
| 2008 | Romeo and Juliet | Romeo | [33] | |||
| Devils: Footlights 125th Anniversary Tour Show | Writer, Performer | Pembroke New Cellars | [34] | |||
| ADC Theatre | [35] | |||||
| Underbelly | Edinburgh Fringe Festival | |||||
| Theseus and the Minotaur: ADC/Footlights Panto 2008 | King Minos | ADC Theatre | [36] | |||
| 2009 | An Oak Tree | Father | [37] | |||
| Footlights Tour Show 2009 - Wishful Thinking | Writer, Performer | [38] | ||||
| Etcetera Theatre | ||||||
| Canal Cafe | ||||||
| Pleasance | Edinburgh Fringe Festival | |||||
| West Walls Theatre | ||||||
| Royal Northern College of Music | ||||||
| Nottingham Arts Theatre | ||||||
| Old Fire Station | ||||||
| Royal Naval College | ||||||
| Tivoli Theatre, Dorset | ||||||
| Torch Theatre | ||||||
| Gulbenkian Theatre | ||||||
| New Cut Arts | ||||||
| Arena Theatre | ||||||
| Uppingham Theatre | ||||||
| 2010 | Sheeps and You Have Sixty Minutes | Sheeps | ADC Theatre | [39][40] | ||
| 2011 | Sheeps: A Sketch Show | Pleasance Courtyard | Edinburgh Fringe Festival | [3] | ||
| 2012 | Armageddapocalypse: Threat Level Dead | Udderbelly | ||||
| Sheeps - Dancing With Lisa | Sheeps | Pleasance Courtyard | [5] | |||
| 2014 | Sheeps: Wembley Previews | Bedlam Theatre | [41] | |||
| 2015 | Sheeps Skewer the News | The Cellar Monkey | [42] | |||
| 2018 | Sheeps: Live and Loud Selfie Sex Harry Potter | Pleasance Dome | ||||
| 2021 | Aberystwyth Comedy Festival | |||||
| King of the Table | Moth Club | [43] | ||||
| 2024 | Sheeps: The Giggle Bunch (That's Our Name For You) | Pleasance Courtyard | Edinburgh Fringe Festival | |||
| 2025` | Sheeps: A Very Sheeps Christmas? Live in Concert! In the Summer! |
References
edit- ↑ "ARCHIVE 2000-2018". cambridge-footlights. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ Robertson, Rebekah (2008-08-09). "Footlights: Devils". The Skinny. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- 1 2 "Sheeps: A Sketch Show". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ Hall, Julian (2011-07-28). "Fantastic Fringe: Your guide to the very best of the 2011 Edinburgh". The Independent. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- 1 2 "Sheeps - Dancing With Lisa". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ Tapley, Chris (2012-08-26). "Sheeps: Dancing with Lisa - Comedy Review". The Skinny. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- 1 2 "BBC Two - The Javone Prince Show, Episode 1". BBC. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- 1 2 3 "Alastair Roberts, comedian reviews". Chortle. 2015-07-14. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- 1 2 3 4 Aroesti, Rachel (2016-04-08). "Mockumentaries, millennials and Zayn Malik – inside web comedy 2016: Year Friends". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ Raeside, Julia (2015-07-21). "Comedy Feeds: People Time – the sketch show rises from the dead". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "'It's comforting to watch someone who's less intelligent than you are' : Interviews 2018". Chortle. 2018-06-19. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- 1 2 "Channel 4 announces six new Blaps". Channel 4. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ Parlett, Jack (2011-06-08). "Spotlight: Abi Tedder". Varsity Online. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Alastair Roberts". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ "BBC Three - Comedy Feeds, Series 5, Limbo". BBC. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "BBC Two - Morgana Robinson's The Agency, Episode 3". BBC. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "BBC One - King Gary, Series 1, Episode 3". BBC. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "Cast and Crew | The Promised Land | Guide | Red Dwarf - The Unofficial Archive". Red Dwarf. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "BBC One - Ghosts, Series 2, The Thomas Thorne Affair". BBC. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "BBC Three - Starstruck, Series 2, Episode 2". BBC. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "This Is Going To Hurt". BBC. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "Much Ado About Nothing". Camdram. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "View From the Gods". Varsity. 2006-03-06. p. 17. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "Circus". Camdram. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "The Alchemist". Camdram. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "Grow Up". Camdram. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "Faust: ADC/Footlights Panto 2006". Camdram. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "I'll Be Back Before Midnight". Camdram. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "The Comedy of Errors". Camdram. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "Coat". Camdram. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "Motortown". Camdram. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "Once Upon a Time... The 2007 ADC/ Footlights Panto". Camdram. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "Romeo and Juliet". Camdram. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "DEVILS - Footlights 125th Anniversary Tour Show". Camdram. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "DEVILS - Footlights 125th Anniversary Tour Show". Camdram. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "Theseus and the Minotaur: ADC/Footlights Panto 2008". Camdram. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "An Oak Tree". Camdram. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "Footlights Tour Show 2009 - Wishful Thinking". Camdram. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "Review: Sheeps and You Have Sixty Minutes". The Tab. 2010-04-23. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "Societies, etc. - Cambridge University Reporter 6185". www.admin.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "Sheeps: Wembley Previews". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "Sheeps Skewer the News". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ Dessau, Bruce (2021-10-25). "Comedy Club Stages Table Tennis Tournament". Beyond The Joke. Retrieved 2026-03-27.