Jazz Emu

Archie Henderson, better known by his stage name and persona Jazz Emu, is an English comedian, musician, and writer known for his eccentric performances.

Early life

Henderson was born in London. He attended Cambridge University, where his comedy career started in 2015 with sketch and stand-up shows as a member of the Footlights and at the Edinburgh Fringe. His inspirations include Flanders and Swann, Bill Bailey, Flight of the Conchords, and Victor Borge.[citation needed]

Career

Early work

In 2016, Henderson formed the comedy trio Two Plus Ones with fellow Footlights alumni Luke Sumner and Josh Chana. Their comedic endeavours included performances at the Edinburgh Fringe, contributions to Comic Relief, and sketches for the children's show So Beano! on Sky One, where the group performed under the pseudonym All the Same. They won Best Newcomers at the 2017 Musical Comedy Awards. Henderson's stand-up comedy career included participation in events like the London BBC New Comedy Awards 2018, Heat 1. He also had a solo show NOW That's Who I Call Archie Henderson that was performed at the Brighton Fringe in 2018, winning him the IYAF Best of Brighton Fringe Comedy award. In 2019, he gained recognition alongside comedian Adrian Gray for a comedic Twitter thread tracing music charts back to 14,000 BC and playfully answering the question, "What happened to the first four versions of Mambo No. 5?" He made cameo appearances in various television programs, such as Late Night Mash and the BBC Three pilot Britney.[citation needed]

Jazz Emu

In 2018, Henderson introduced his stand-up show Archie Henderson: Jazz Emu. The name originally referred to his act rather than a distinct character. The choice of "Jazz" alluded to the musical aspect of his comedy, while "Emu" reflected his own physical appearance, which he described as resembling an emu. Performances continued into 2019 at venues such as the Brighton Fringe, Buxton Fringe, and Edinburgh Fringe.[citation needed]

Unable to perform live due to COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, Henderson adapted by creating comedy songs and sketches on both his personal and Jazz Emu YouTube channels and social media accounts. This led to his breakthrough as Jazz Emu, with his song "How to Socialise" being featured on BBC Radio 1 by presenter Greg James, who described him as "a very funny man".

The character of Jazz Emu has a unique persona and backstory, often characterised as a "global sensation", "1970s lothario", or "unlicensed sex therapist". He adopts a low and smooth voice, an exaggerated pronunciation of words, and a 1970s fashion sense which includes bell-bottoms and platform shoes as well as spectacles with oversized frames. The character's backstory delves into a strained relationship with his father, explored extensively in his full-length show You Shouldn't Have. Henderson rarely conducts press interviews as Jazz Emu, instead opting to discuss the character in the third person; when Jazz Emu does participate in interviews, the responses tend to be whimsical, obscure, and bizarre.[citation needed]

In 2022, Henderson wrote and starred in a 7-and-a-half-minute pilot titled Jazz Emu, produced in collaboration with Blink Industries. This pilot garnered a Discovery Award in the Comedy Shorts Category at the LOCO London Film Festival in May 2023. Comedian Phil Wang played the character Crimpsy Dimpson in the show. Jazz Emu has also made appearances in musical comedy skits on BBC Radio 4's The Now Show, including playing the last song on the show's final episode.

Henderson appeared as a guest on Richard Herring's Leicester Square Theatre Podcast in 2023. That year, he won the Chortle Awards for Best Social Media and Best Variety or Character. He also collaborated with television channel Dave to write an "unofficial entry for the Eurovision Song Contest" called "We Also Wrote a Song" featuring Rachel Parris, a parody of Mae Muller's official 2023 UK entry "I Wrote a Song".

In February 2024, Jazz Emu hosted four episodes of a BBC Radio 4 show entitled Jazz Emu: The Sound of US, which Henderson co-wrote with Adrian Gray. He appeared as Jazz Emu on Channel 4's 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown on 2 February. In June, he appeared on BBC Four's Loose Ends.

Themes & Images

Henderson refers to his work as a musical smorgasbord, which include a few crow impressions. The themes in the majority of Jazz Emu performances revolve around an overly confident, oblivious musician who refers to himself as a sex therapist. His lyrics frequently cite modern trends, technology, and social dynamics. His character dons a retro-aesthetic, drawing inspiration from the 1970s. His costumes often feature orange, brown and grey colours, wide lapels, aviator sunglasses, which adds to the character’s braggadocious persona. Live performances usually incorporate the music videos, and has plenty of video effects that he interacts with as part of the performance.[citation needed]

Jazz Emu shows

• 2018 – Archie Henderson – Jazz Emu
• 2019 – Archie Henderson – Jazz Emu including a run at Gilded Balloon
• 2022 – You Shouldn't Have including a sold-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe and a run at London's Soho Theatre
• 2024 –2025 Knight Fever including a run at The Pleasance, Edinburgh Fringe, and a UK Tour (February-March 2025).
• 2025 - Jazz Emu: The Pleasure Is All Yours (previously known as Perfect: Work In Progress), London, Edinburgh Fringe, and USA + Canada Tour

Discography

Since 2020, Henderson has released seven full-length, self-produced albums and six singles as Jazz Emu. Whilst his work is broadly comedic, Henderson's 2026 release Jazz Emu Sings: The Inimitable Sound Of Archie Henderson is his first non-comedic album. Simerly, releasing in 2026 Henderson's EP Six Upbeat Songs With A Positive Message reflects his own experiences post-divorce with a tone reminiscent of his previous album.

Albums

Singles

EP's

Awards and recognition

In August 2023 Jazz Emu ranked 26th in the Daily Telegraph's 50 Funniest Comedians of the 21st Century.