About

I'm a writer & director working in film and live performance.I recently directed and edited the feature documentary Tales from the Colony Room and have written a narrative feature, Unteachable.I began as a stand-up comic, taking shows to the Edinburgh Festival, touring internationally and hosting & producing a nightly show on BBC Three.I later moved behind the camera, initially in comedy, collaborating with performers including Ross Noble, Sean Lock and Michael McIntyre and directing nearly a hundred live shows.Along the way, I became known as someone who's interested in how work holds together - how character, structure and emotional momentum combine, rather than existing as separate tricks.I’ve series-directed and produced for the BBC, Channel 4, and UKTV, directed concert films and TV specials, and my work has won and been nominated for awards internationally

Recent Work

TALES FROM THE COLONY ROOM
(Motherlode Productions 2026)
I wrote & directed this adaption of the book by Darren Coffield which tells the 60 year history of the infamous club.BARRY'S ECONOMICS (2026)
I edit & script-edit Barry Ferns' fast-growing YouTube channel about the psychology of inequality.SIMON BRODKIN: SCREWED UP (2025)
I directed & edited this stand up concert film which has become the most viewed UK comedy special to premiere on YouTube.

A Podcast for Kel

In 2018, my stepdaughter Kel died by suicide.A scandal broke out after her death and the case was covered in the national press. As a result, a shocking and false account of Kel's life came to dominate the discussion and ended up being believed by most who read it.Additionally, allegations of grooming and abuse were levelled against members of Kel’s family, myself included. These claims were all investigated by police and addressed in court where they were found to be entirely without merit.In the aftermath, more than two dozen witnesses came forward to speak as part of A Podcast for Kel.The series is a long-form documentary in which Kel’s life is told by those who knew her best. Kel herself appears throughout, in recordings made during her lifetime.
It's not an easy listen. It isn't intended as entertainment. But it's the thing I've made that I'm proudest of. For those of us who loved Kel, it was essential to give her a voice and allow her side to be told after the insanity caused by her death.

Press & Interviews

"His work is brilliant. Heartfelt & hilarious"
- THE TIMES"John Gordillo’s shows are so well-structured, they feel like essays: funny, rigorous and conceptually brilliant”
- JOHN ROBINS (Edinburgh Comedy Award winner)"There's a case to be made that John Gordillo is one of the key shapers of our modern comedy landscape. As a writer/director and benevolent svengali, he's helped to set many a major stand-up star on the road to greatness.
Spectacularly creative, he produces shows that genuinely make you think in a whole new way while keeping you laughing throughout. His last show was one of the most intellectually ambitious offerings the fringe has seen in recent years."
- THE GUARDIAN-----------------------------------
Below is an interview I gave about show-making, performing & directing comedy:

Contact

[email protected]
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my story consultancy
hiddenengine.studio[email protected]
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work enquiries:
[email protected]