| Anthony Irvine | |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 February 1951 |
| Medium | alternative comedy, performance art, fine art, outsider art |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Notable works and roles | The Iceman, Funny Bones , aim |
Anthony Irvine (born 17 February 1951), also known as the Iceman and aim, is a British performance artist and visual artist. [1] [2]
As the Iceman, his act is to creatively melt large blocks of ice [3] [4] [5] while talking to the audience over a soundtrack of tightly-looped music [6] and sound effects. [7] [8] His methods of attempting to melt the ice include breath, salt and a blowtorch. [9] [10] He might also sing songs, make puns, attempt to release a rubber duck from inside the block of ice, [11] or sell photographs of the ice to the audience. [12]
In the 1980s and '90s, he performed at notable alternative comedy venues including Cluub Zarathustra [13] [14] and Malcolm Hardee's Tunnel Club as well as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. [9] [11] [15] In 2007, he performed at the Hackney Empire in a tribute show to the late Malcolm Hardee. [16] In 2011 he performed at the Royal Festival Hall. [17]
He is often cited by Stewart Lee as a legend of alternative comedy [18] [19] [20] and by Jo Brand as a favourite act of the 1980s. [10] Lee dedicates his epic poem about stand-up comedy, "I'll Only Go if you Throw Glass," to notable 1980s performers including the Iceman. [21]
In 1995, Irvine appeared in Peter Chelsom's film Funny Bones . [22] [23] In the same year, he shared the Edinburgh Tapwater Award with Malcolm Hardee and Charlie Chuck. [24]
In 2022, Irvine published an ice-related children's book called Lockdown Melter. [25]
2025 saw an Iceman performance called "The Final Block" at the Bill Murray Comedy Club in London. [26]
Since 2014, he has produced art brut paintings under the name aim. [27] [28] 2023 saw his first solo art show at Guggleton Farm Arts in Dorset. [29]
He returned to Guggleton Farm Arts for a second show in 2024.
In 2025, he held an art show at The Tabernacle in Notting Hill.
The Iceman is the subject of a 2023 book released by Go Faster Stripe called Melt it! The Book of the Iceman. [30] [31] As a result, he appeared on Richard Herring's Leicester Square Theatre Podcast. [32]
There is also a film in production based on the book. [33] [34] [35]