Paul Vickers is the vocalist and lyricist with cult rock band Dawn of the Replicants. After the group went on indefinite hiatus in 2007, he continued to release music with various collaborators as well as branching out into comedy and writing. Described by The Guardian as "a pioneer of the indie/fringe crossover", since 2010 he has performed an annual, award-winning cabaret show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe as Mr. Twonkey. He has also released four albums with Edinburgh band The Leg. In 2013 he published his first book, Itchy Grumble, and in 2015 his first theatrical play Jennifer's Robot Arm debuted in London. Twonkey's Mumbo Jumbo Hotel won the Malcolm Hardee Award for Comic Originality at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. In 2022 What Broke David Lynch? written about the Hollywood film director having difficulty making a costume for The Elephant Man was announced as Vickers 2nd theatre vehicle with Paul playing Lynch himself.
Early years
Vickers moved to Galashiels from Marske-by-the-Sea to work on a short-lived Scottish music magazine, Sun Zoom Spark. Several of the contributors formed the band Dawn of the Replicants and landed a major label record deal with eastwest, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group. Despite strong reviews and the backing of DJ John Peel, the group were dropped from eastwest after two albums. They continued releasing new material to critical acclaim on independent labels until Fangs (2006), their last studio album to date. Vickers also released an album of electronica with Replicants band member Roger Simian as Pluto Monkey in 2000.
Comedy
Vickers, who enjoyed talking to the audience between songs at live shows, had long been encouraged to try his hand at stand-up. In 2008, he released a comedy album Recording The Impossible in collaboration with Andy Currie. The recording featured impersonations by Currie, elaborate sketches and musical backing, inspired by the likes of Ivor Cutler, the Jerky Boys, Chris Morris and Tom Waits. By 2009, Vickers was performing one-off stand-up gigs around Edinburgh as a solo act. That same year he performed at Edinburgh's prestigious The Stand Comedy Club, but was banned after covering the stage in syrup. He was finally allowed back in July 2015.
Mr. Twonkey
In 2010, he made his debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, performing Twonkey's Cottage throughout the month of August. He has performed a new "Twonkey" show at each subsequent Fringe Festival (and the Brighton Festival since 2012). Title character "Twonkey" was initially a small on-stage puppet, described as "half dragon, half witch, all accountant" and she featured heavily in the absurdist storytelling. By his fourth show, Twonkey's Blue Cadabra, the puppet was gone, with Vickers himself referred to as Mr. Twonkey. His on-stage persona has been described as "Harpo Marx on heroin," as he tells "tales of such ridiculousness that they make the works of Edward Lear sound like the Six O'Clock News."
The shows have been a critical success, garnering positive reviews from, amongst others, The Scotsman and Time Out, where the show's unique peculiarity allowed it to be described as "a steaming pile of twaddle" in a four star review.
2013's Twonkey's Blue Cadabra "about young Stan Laurel's sexual yearnings, a flying Parisian tailor and a girl who regrettably booked a skiing holiday while on ecstasy," had "a warmth that's often missing from absurdism." It was nominated for a 2013 TO&ST Award for Best Cabaret at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which lead to a 2014 performance at London's Soho Theatre.
Fifth show Twonkey's Private Restaurant opened in 2014, featuring tales of "time travel, puffer fish and dictators," and rated as "oddly entertaining and utterly bizarre," and "mind-boggling from start to finish". Time Out described it as "a dog's dinner of unexpected, absurd, even offensive content. But it's also a classic."
In 2015, Paul performed Twonkey's Private Restaurant with a return to The Soho Theatre and at the Prague Fringe Festival. He debuted new show Twonkey's Stinking Bishop, at the Brighton Fringe in May, before returning to the Edinburgh Fringe in August. The run, with shows selling out, was his most successful yet, receiving four star reviews in The Times and The Scotsman. The latter also featured Mr. Twonkey on their front page, with Kate Copstick's review claiming "oddity by oddity, song by song, Twonkey draws them in" and "he creates wonderlands of weird." Also described as "a genuinely laugh-aloud show, a joyous experience", and "being in his presence for an hour is delightful", it garnered a nomination for the 2015 Malcolm Hardee Award For Comic Originality.