Thomas Hermanns

Thomas Hermanns was born in Bochum and grew up in Nuremberg. He has worked as a director and author for television since he was 19. He studied Theatre Studies, graduating with an MA, and in 1992 sowed the seeds for the German-speaking stand-up comedy scene in Hamburg: the »Quatsch Comedy Club«. In addition, Hermanns also brought karaoke to Germany, organising the parties that go with it. The »Quatsch Comedy Club«, which he comperes himself, has also been running as a TV broadcast on ProSieben since 1996, making it the longest running humour format on German television. As the »father of German stand-up comedy«, Thomas Hermanns has opened the career doors to many greats of the genre, including Michael Mittermeier, Rüdiger Hoffmann, Ingo Appelt, Atze Schröder and many more. In 2002, the »Quatsch Comedy Club« moved to Berlin, finding a new, permanent venue there in the basement of the Friedrichstadt Palace.

As an author, Thomas Hermanns wrote the television series »Lukas« (1997–1999) for Dirk Bach, created the story for the television film »Meine beste Freundin« (2000) with Mariele Millowitsch and Doris Kunstmann and was also the author of the comedy »Sing, wenn du kannst!« (2002), performed in the Schmidts Tivoli Theatre. As a director, he staged the live programmes for Gayle Tufts, Michael Mittermeier and Cora Frost plus the shows »Grease« and »Es fährt ein Zug nach Nirgendwo« along with the German rat-pack show »Alive and Swinging« with Rea Garvey, Sasha, Xavier Naidoo and Michael Mittermeier.

He also worked as an author on the musical »Kein Pardon«, which was premiered in Düsseldorf in 2011. The leading role of Heinz Wäscher was played by Dirk Bach and was continued in May, June and July 2012 by actors including Thomas Hermanns himself. The musical ran until December 2012.

As a TV presenter, he compered, for example, the »Red Nose Day« and the »Pop Club« on ProSieben, and in the years 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, he guided viewers through »Countdown Eurovision« on Das Erste. From 2006 to 2008, he also presented the German preliminary decision for the Eurovision Song Contest on ARD. In November 2005, along with Sky Du Mont and Bettina Zimmermann, he compered the »Bambi« Awards on Das Erste. In spring 2010, he presented »Die Thomas und Helga Show« alongside Helga Raspel on NDR-Fernsehen.

Thomas Hermanns was awarded the German Comedy Prize twice (1997 and 2000) for the »Quatsch Comedy Club«. In 2006, he received the Golden Camera for his outstanding achievements as an entertainer. In 2009, he was once again awarded the German Comedy Prize, this time for the special broadcast of »Quatsch Comedy Club – Die große Wintergala«.

Thomas Hermanns has so far published three books: »Für immer d.i.s.c.o.« in spring 2009, followed a year later by »Das Tomatensaftmysterium – Fliegen in der Comedy Class«. His first detective novel, »Mörder Quote«, appeared in September 2012.

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