Francesca Martinez
Who Francesca Martinez is
Francesca Martinez is a stand-up comedian, actor and writer who began in comedy in 2000, when she became the first female comic to win the Daily Telegraph Open Mic Award at the Edinburgh Festival. She toured her Edinburgh shows I'mperfect and In Deep around the UK from 2003 to 2008, took What the **** Is Normal?! to 140 dates around the world, opened series 11 of the BBC's Live at the Apollo in 2016, and has played the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival's Out to Lunch festival.
As an actor she spent five series on the BBC's Grange Hill and has appeared in Holby City, Doctors and Extras. Her book What the **** Is Normal?! came out from Penguin Random House in 2014, and her debut play, All of Us, in which she also starred, had a sell-out run at the National Theatre in 2022 and was nominated for the George Devine Award.
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At a glance
- Books
- What the **** Is Normal?! and All of Us
- On screen
- Live at the Apollo, Grange Hill, Holby City and 4 more
- Official site
- francescamartinez.com ↗
On stage
No dated show on D.O.C.'s Comedy Calendar right now — their own site has their dates: francescamartinez.com ↗.
Lineups belong to the rooms and the comedians, and can change; each listing has the last word. Their nights on the Comedy Calendar →
Specials, shows and podcasts
On screen
- Live at the Apollo BBC, series 11, 2016
- Grange Hill BBC, five series
- Holby City
- Doctors
- Extras
- The Jonathan Ross Show
- Loose Women
Books and writing
- What the **** Is Normal?! book, Penguin Random House, 2014
- All of Us play, writer and lead, National Theatre, 2022
Comedians like Francesca Martinez
Each linked to them by something on the record — a stage they both came through, a bill, a show, a style or a home town.
- Amy Gledhill also in The Jonathan Ross Show
- Kevin Bridges also in The Jonathan Ross Show
- Suzi Ruffell also in The Jonathan Ross Show
- Lucy Beaumont also in The Jonathan Ross Show
- Nina Conti also in Holby City
- Ricky Gervais also in Extras
- Ronnie Corbett also in Extras
- Vanessa Johnston also in Doctors
Career timeline
- 2014What the **** Is Normal?! (book, Penguin Random House, 2014) Book
- 2016Live at the Apollo (BBC, series 11, 2016) On screen
- 2022All of Us (play, writer and lead, National Theatre, 2022) Podcast or book
Questions and answers
Where is Francesca Martinez performing next?
No date is on D.O.C.'s Comedy Calendar right now; their own site has their dates: francescamartinez.com ↗.
Have they written a book?
Yes: What the **** Is Normal?! and All of Us.
What TV shows and films are they in?
Live at the Apollo (BBC, series 11, 2016), Grange Hill (BBC, five series), Holby City, Doctors, Extras and The Jonathan Ross Show, among 7 credits.
What is their official website?
Who are some comedians like them?
Amy Gledhill (also in The Jonathan Ross Show), Kevin Bridges (also in The Jonathan Ross Show), Suzi Ruffell (also in The Jonathan Ross Show), Lucy Beaumont (also in The Jonathan Ross Show) and Nina Conti (also in Holby City).
Are you Francesca Martinez?
This page can be your website, free. Send your bio in your own words, your links, your clips, who books you, a line said about you and your weekly show, and they go on this page beside the dates D.O.C. already keeps. Fans follow you here and get your news in the D.O.C. letter.
Your short address, for your bio: disciplesofcomedy.com/francesca-martinez
The full SUCDb record
The full record — the career in order, the specials and credits, and the sources for each — is on SUCDb, with a button to add them to your D.O.C., your twelve.
Sources
- Official site (Bio) ↗ Began in comedy in 2000 as the first female comic to win the Daily Telegraph Open Mic Award at the Edinburgh Festival; I'mperfect and In Deep toured from 2003 to 2008; What The **** Is Normal?! across 140 dates; opened series 11 of Live At The Apollo (2016); Grange Hill, Holby City, Doctors, Extras, The Jonathan…
- Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival — History ↗ Out to Lunch, founded in 2006, a January festival of comedy, theatre, literature and music; its artists include Sarah Kendall and Francesca Martinez (as of 11 October 2026)
Updated 11 October 2026 · the record checked 11 October 2026