Rhod Gilbert

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Not to be confused with Canadian ice-hockey player Rod Gilbert.
Rhod Gilbert
Birth name Rhodri Gilbert
Born (1968-10-18) 18 October 1968
Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire, Wales
Medium Stand-up, Television, Radio
Nationality British
Years active 2002–present
Genres Observational comedy, Deadpan
Subject(s) Everyday life
Spouse Sian Harries (m. 2013)
Notable works and roles Walk on the Wild Side
Live At The Apollo
Rhod Gilbert's Work Experience
Website Official site

Rhodri "Rhod" Paul Gilbert (born 18 October 1968) is a Welsh comedian who was nominated in 2005 for the Perrier Best Newcomer Award. In 2008, he was nominated for the main if.comedy (as the Edinburgh Comedy Awards were then branded).[1]

He appears on television and radio panel shows, has performed stand-up on the Royal Variety Performance, and hosts a weekly show on BBC Radio Wales.[2]

Personal life

Gilbert was born in Carmarthen, Wales, one of three siblings to two teacher parents, and studied languages at Exeter University.[2][3] For the first three weeks, such was his painful shyness that Gilbert was unable to eat with other students in the canteen or even make friends with the student in the next room.[4]

After graduating, Gilbert travelled for a year and a half around Australia and Asia before returning to Carmarthen and working as an admin assistant for the Welsh Office.[4] Gilbert later worked as a qualitative researcher for several market research agencies in London.[2]

Gilbert married his long-term partner Sian Harries in August 2013.[5] They split their time between London and Cardiff.

Career

Stand-up comedy

Gilbert got into professional comedy in 2002, after taking a comedy workshop course, but only "thanks to a girlfriend’s constant nagging".[4] Within 18 months, Gilbert had already won several different talent competitions[3][6] and was nominated for the Perrier Newcomer award for his first solo show in 2005 at Edinburgh Fringe entitled 1984.[3] He has since performed worldwide.[7]

Many of Gilbert's stories are based around real life events, and his life in the wholly fictionalised village of Llanbobl. Originally invented to ensure an English heckler had nothing real to grasp on to,[8] it has since been geographically defined as being situated between "Wrexham and Holyhead, just north of Newtown, Powys," and a sort of "grown-up Thomas the Tank Engine" location.[1] Gilbert has described the number of audience members that come up to him at the end of shows, and say they have been to Llanbobl for holidays, and even that an English rugby union team "hammered" the Llanbobl team. Gilbert also admitted that he "may have 'accidentally' sent the rugby player that told him on a 7 hour goose-chase" to come back to Llanbobl and meet him. In 2008, Gilbert wrote a sitcom around life in Llanbobl, which featured on BBC Radio 2.[8][9]

In his 2006 Edinburgh Fringe show Knocking on Heaven's Door, Gilbert told stories from his life, weighing up whether he would be admitted to heaven. His 2007 show, Who's Eaten Gilbert's Grape? saw Gilbert return to Llanbobl and pick up the story following the 1984 show narrative. His 2008 show, Rhod Gilbert and the Award-Winning Mince Pie, saw Gilbert question his sanity, his career and his life after suffering a mental breakdown brought on by the award-winning mince pie at a motorway services.

On 17 December 2008 he appeared at the 80th Royal Variety Performance.[10]

On 18–19 June 2009, Gilbert made the last performances of Rhod Gilbert And The Award-Winning Mince Pie show at the Bloomsbury Theatre, which was recorded and released as a DVD on 16 November 2009.[11] The DVD also contains several special features, including his infamous rant about lost luggage, outtakes from the performance and a mockumentary called Back To Llanbobl in which Gilbert shows the viewer around his fictional home town.

Gilbert's 2009/10 show, entitled Rhod Gilbert and the Cat That Looked Like Nicholas Lyndhurst, was announced on 5 April. The show previewed around the UK in small venues, before being performed at the Edinburgh Festival. The show toured UK theatres from September 2009.[12] The tour included dates at many prestigious theatres such as London's HMV Hammersmith Apollo. A DVD of the tour was released on 15 November 2010.[13]

On 14 October 2010, Gilbert cancelled a stand up show in Swindon after coming down with pneumonia.[14] In 2011 he is beginning a series of warm-up/new material gigs across the country. One of the first is happening in Penperlleni, as part of the Penperlleni Comedy Festival.

Tours

1984 (2005)
# Date City Country Venue
1984 (2005)
1 4 August Edinburgh Scotland The Pleasance
2 5 August
3 6 August
4 7 August
5 8 August
6 9 August
7 10 August
8 11 August
9 12 August
10 13 August
11 14 August
12 16 August
13 17 August
14 18 August
15 19 August
16 20 August
17 21 August
18 22 August
19 23 August
20 24 August
21 25 August
22 26 August
23 27 August
24 28 August
Knocking on Heaven's Door (2006)
# Date City Country Venue
Knocking on Heaven's Door (2006)
1 3 August Edinburgh Scotland The Pleasance
2 4 August
3 5 August
4 6 August
5 7 August
6 8 August
7 9 August
8 10 August
9 11 August
10 12 August
11 13 August
12 15 August
13 16 August
14 17 August
15 18 August
16 19 August
17 20 August
18 21 August
19 22 August
20 23 August
21 24 August
22 25 August
23 26 August
24 27 August
Who’s eaten Gilbert’s Grape (2007)
# Date City Country Venue
Who’s eaten Gilbert's Grape (2007)
1 1 August Edinburgh Scotland The Pleasance
2 2 August
3 3 August
4 4 August
5 5 August
6 6 August
7 7 August
8 9 August
9 10 August
10 11 August
11 12 August
12 13 August
13 14 August
14 16 August
15 17 August
16 18 August
17 19 August
18 20 August
19 21 August
20 22 August
21 23 August
22 24 August
23 25 August
24 26 August
25 27 August
The Award Winning Mince Pie (2008–9)
# Date City Country Venue
The Award Winning Mince Pie (2008–9)
1 30 July 2008 Edinburgh Scotland The Pleasance
2 31 July 2008
3 1 August 2008
4 2 August 2008
5 3 August 2008
6 4 August 2008
7 5 August 2008
8 7 August 2008
9 8 August 2008
10 9 August 2008
11 10 August 2008
12 11 August 2008
13 12 August 2008
14 14 August 2008
15 15 August 2008
16 16 August 2008
17 17 August 2008
18 18 August 2008
19 19 August 2008
20 20 August 2008
21 21 August 2008
22 22 August 2008
23 23 August 2008
24 24 August 2008
25 25 August 2008
26 27 September 2008 Caernarfon Wales Galeri
27 2 October 2008 Norwich England Arts Centre
28 3 October 2008 Brecon Wales Theatr Brycheiniog
29 5 October 2008 Hull England The Other Side
30 6 October 2008 Scarborough
31 9 October 2008 Pontypridd Wales Muni Arts Centre
32 10 October 2008 Newport Riverfront Arts Centre
33 11 October 2008 Porthcawl Grand Pavilion
34 12 October 2008 Sheffield England Memorial Hall
35 16 October 2008 Manchester The Comedy Store
36 17 October 2008 Narberth Wales Queens Hall
37 20 October 2008 Brighton England Pavilion Theatre
38 24 October 2008 Abergavenny Wales Borough Theatre
39 25 October 2008 Cleethorpes England Parkway Cinema
40 29 October 2008 Birmingham The Glee Club
41 30 October 2008 Colne The Muni Theatre
42 31 October 2008 Bristol Comedy Theatre
43 1 November 2008
44 6 November 2008 Pontypridd Wales Muni Arts Centre
45 7 November 2008 Wadhurst England Barn Theatre
46 8 November 2008 Milford Haven Wales Torch Theatre
47 12 December 2008 London England Soho Theatre
48 13 December 2008
49 15 December 2008
50 16 December 2008
51 17 December 2008
52 18 December 2008
53 19 December 2008
54 20 December 2008
55 16 January 2009 Doncaster England Civic Theatre
56 17 January 2009 Darlington Arts Centre
57 18 January 2009 Salford The Lowry
58 22 January 2009 Canterbury Gulbenkian Theatre
59 23 January 2009 Cambridge The Junction
60 29 January 2009 Huddersfield Lawrence Batley Theatre
61 30 January 2009 Aldershot West End Centre
62 31 January 2009 Wycombe Swan Town Hall
63 1 February 2009 Harlech Wales Theatr Harlech
64 5 February 2009 Aberystwyth Arts Centre
65 6 February 2009 Reading England South Street Arts Centre
66 7 February 2009 Newtown Wales Theatr Hafren
67 10 February 2009 Taunton England The Brewhouse Theatre & Arts Centre
68 12 February 2009 Leicester Little Theatre
69 13 February 2009 Halifax Square Chapel
70 15 February 2009 York City Screen
71 16 February 2009 Harrogate Harrogate Theatre
72 18 February 2009 Telford Oakengates Theatre
73 19 February 2009 Kendal Brewery Arts Centre
74 20 February 2009 Swindon Arts Centre
75 21 February 2009 Gloucester Guildhall
76 26 February 2009 Swansea Wales Grand Theatre
77 27 February 2009 Bath England Rondo Theatre
78 28 February 2009 Colchester Arts Centre
79 1 March 2009 Coventry Warwick Arts Centre
80 4 March 2009 Aberdare Wales Grand Theatre
81 5 March 2009 Gateshead England Sage Theatre
82 7 March 2009 Stockton-on-Tees Arden Theatre Company
83 8 March 2009 Milton Keynes The Stables
84 11 March 2009 Wrexham Wales Glyndŵr University
85 12 March 2009 Glasgow Scotland The Garage
86 13 March 2009 Maidenhead England Norden Farm Centre for the Arts
87 14 March 2009 Newbury Arlington Arts Centre
88 19 March 2009 Worcester Marrs Barr
89 20 March 2009 Blackwood Wales Little Theatre
90 21 March 2009 Ebbw Vale Beaufort Ballroom
91 22 March 2009 Stafford England Gatehouse Theatre
92 24 March 2009 Nottingham Lakeside Arts Centre
93 25 March 2009 Pocklington Arts Centre
94 26 March 2009 Fareham Ashcroft Arts Centre
95 27 March 2009 Tunbridge Wells Trinity Theatre
96 29 March 2009 Cardiff Wales Wales Millennium Centre
The Cat That Looked Like Nicholas Lyndhurst (2009–10)
# Date City Country Venue
The Cat That Looked Like Nicholas Lyndhurst (2009–10)
1 18 September 2009 Cheltenham England Town Hall
2 20 September 2009 York Grand Opera House
3 21 September 2009 Durham Gala Theatre
4 22 September 2009 Newcastle The Journal Tyne Theatre
5 25 September 2009 Brecon Wales Theatr Brycheiniog
6 27 September 2009 Birmingham England Town Hall
7 28 September 2009 Leamington Royal Spa
8 2 October 2009 Port Talbot Wales Princess Royal
9 3 October 2009 Rhyl Pavilion Theatre
10 4 October 2009 Sheffield England Lyceum
10 5 October 2009 Loughborough Loughborough
11 8 October 2009 Reading Concert Hall
12 9 October 2009 Newport Wales Riverfront
13 11 October 2009 Cambridge England Corn Exchange
14 12 October 2009 Lowestoft Marina Theatre
15 13 October 2009 Brighton Corn Exchange
16 15 October 2009 Manchester The Comedy Store
17 16 October 2009 Swansea Wales Grand Theatre
18 23 October 2009
19 24 October 2009 Newtown Theatr Hafren
20 25 October 2009 Wolverhampton England Wulfrun Hall
21 26 October 2009 Bristol Tobacco Factory Theatre
22 27 October 2009
23 28 October 2009
24 29 October 2009 Winchester Theatre Royal
25 1 November 2009 Nottingham Playhouse
26 2 November 2009 Buxton Opera House
27 3 November 2009 Lincoln, England Engine Shed
28 4 November 2009 Doncaster Civic Theatre
29 8 November 2009 Shrewsbury Theatre Severn
30 11 November 2009 Yeovil Octagon Theatre
31 13 November 2009 Exeter Corn Exchange
32 14 November 2009 Portsmouth New Theatre Royal
33 15 November 2009 Southampton Nuffield Theatre
34 17 November 2009 Bath Komedia
35 18 November 2009
36 20 November 2009 London Hammersmith Apollo
37 3 February 2010 Basingstoke The Anvil
38 5 February 2010 Aberdare Wales Coliseum Theatre
39 6 February 2010
40 7 February 2010 Leicester England De Montfort Hall
41 8 February 2010 Birmingham Town Hall
42 10 February 2010 Swindon Wyvern Theatre
43 11 February 2010 Bedford Corn Exchange
44 13 February 2010 Milton Keynes Milton Keynes Theatre
45 15 February 2010 Perth Scotland Concert Hall
46 16 February 2010 Aberdeen Music Hall
47 17 February 2010 Aberystwyth Wales Arts Centre
48 19 February 2010 Treorchy Park & Dare Theatre
49 20 February 2010
50 21 February 2010 Bedworth England Civic Hall
51 24 February 2010 Llandudno Wales Venue Cymru
52 25 February 2010 Wrexham Glyndŵr University
53 28 February 2010 Warwick England Arts Centre
54 2 March 2010 King's Lynn Corn Exchange
55 3 March 2010 Northampton Royal & Derngate
56 4 March 2010 High Wycombe Swan Theatre
57 7 March 2010 Bridlington Royal Hall
58 8 March 2010 Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
59 9 March 2010 Grimsby Auditorium
60 10 March 2010 Hull City Hall
61 11 March 2010 Halifax Victoria Theatre
62 12 March 2010 Warrington Parr Hall
63 16 March 2010 Southend Cliffs Pavilion
64 17 March 2010 Aldershot Princes Hall
65 18 March 2010 Salisbury City Hall
66 20 March 2010 Dublin Ireland Vicar St.
67 24 March 2010 Glasgow Scotland King’s Theatre
68 25 March 2010 Milford Haven Wales Torch Theatre
69 26 March 2010
70 30 March 2010 Bournemouth England Pavilion Theatre
71 31 March 2010 Torquay Princess Theatre
72 1 April 2010 Barnstaple Queen’s Theatre
73 3 April 2010 Oxford New Theatre
74 4 April 2010 Cardiff Wales St David's Hall
75 5 April 2010
76 7 April 2010 Stoke-on-Trent England Victoria Hall
77 8 April 2010 Derby Assembly Rooms
78 15 April 2010 Harrogate Royal Hall
79 16 April 2010 Middlesbrough Town Hall
80 17 April 2010 Carlisle Sands Theatre
81 18 April 2010 Salford The Lowry
82 19 April 2010 Hayes Beck Theatre
83 21 April 2010 Tunbridge Wells Assembly Hall Theatre
84 22 April 2010 Hastings White Rock
85 23 April 2010 London Hammersmith Apollo

Stand-Up DVDs

Title Released Notes
The Award-Winning Mince Pie 16 November 2009 Live at London's Bloomsbury Theatre
The Cat That Looked Like Nicholas Lyndhurst 15 November 2010 Live at London's HMV Hammersmith Apollo
The Man With The Flaming Battenberg Tattoo 19 November 2012 Live at London's HMV Hammersmith Apollo

Television

Gilbert has appeared three times on the BBC2 show Mock the Week, and has presented an episode of Never Mind the Buzzcocks in October 2009 and an episode of Have I Got News for You in April 2011. He has also appeared as a guest on Channel 4's 8 out of 10 Cats, and has used his comedy talents to write and narrate BBC Three's 2007 Goals Galore, Pranks Galore, Football Gaffes Galore and TV Gaffes Galore programmes.[2] He has also presented BBC 2W's Rhod Gilbert's Teen Tribes, providing an insight into the teen tribal worlds of "Emos", "Chavs" and "Goths".

Gilbert was Paramount Comedy's continuity writer and announcer between September 2004 and October 2005, providing end-credit voice-overs for their peaktime programme schedule.

In December 2008 Gilbert was signed for an advertising campaign to further promote tourism in Wales[3] and became the official Voice Of Wales for the country's tourist-board, fronting the 2009 Visit Wales television advertising.[15]

Gilbert has done reports for the BBC One current affairs/human interest show The One Show.

In November 2008, Gilbert appeared on the BBC's Live at the Apollo as a guest. In December 2009, he hosted the show, introducing fellow comedian John Bishop. On 6 June 2009 Gilbert appeared as the headline act on Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow on BBC One, and he guested on 8 out of 10 Cats on 17 July 2009. He also provided voiceover material for the sketch show Walk on the Wild Side.

On 19 January 2010, Rhod Gilbert's Work Experience aired on BBC One Wales. Zipline Creative Limited worked freelance as producer/directors, editors and also camera and sound on the series for Presentable RDF.[16] The four-part series saw Gilbert attempt a number of jobs including hairdresser, refuse collector, soldier and parent.[17] Following the show's success on BBC One Wales, the series aired nationally on BBC2 from 10 March.

In August 2010, the BBC commissioned eight episodes of Ask Rhod Gilbert following a successful pilot earlier in 2010. The show featured Gilbert, Greg Davies and Lloyd Langford answering random trivia questions, such as ‘Who would win in a race, Usain Bolt or a grizzly bear?', posed by the public and celebrities, with additional celebrity guests on the panel.[18] The show ran for two series.[19]

On 7 March 2011, series 2 of Rhod Gilbert's Work Experience began airing on BBC One Wales. In this series Gilbert tried out jobs as a farmer, butler, tattoo artist and firefighter.[20] In January 2012, Gilbert began filming series 3 of the show. It aired on BBC One Wales from 7 May 2012 and saw him take on jobs such as primary school teacher, zookeeper, drag artist and police officer.[21] A fourth series was broadcast in June-July 2013.[22] This series, the jobs were wedding planner, scout leader, tour guide and male model. Gilbert has been asked to return for a fifth series.[23]

Radio

In 2006, Gilbert hosted the BBC Radio Wales comedy panel show Jest a Minute, live from The Comedy Store in London. The second series of Jest a Minute was recorded in late 2008 in Cardiff's Glee Club, hosted by Gilbert and featuring regular team captains Chris Corcoran and Lloyd Langford, and guests from the comedy circuit such as Elis James, Greg Davies, Lucy Porter and Jon Richardson. A third series was also broadcast.

Gilbert was also the host of BBC Radio 4's 4 Stands Up comedy series which aired in the Autumn of 2008, and has also appeared twice on Radio Four's Just a Minute, Radio 2's Does the Team Think?, and BBC Radio 4's Act Your Age.

In December 2008, a pilot of his sitcom Rhod Gilbert's Leaving Llanbobl was broadcast on BBC Radio Two; the sitcom was written and starred Gilbert and Greg Davies, with additional writing by Sian Harries. Lloyd Langford played Gilbert's amiable younger brother Emrys, Di Botcher played Brenda, a gossipy hairdresser, and Mike Hayward played Gilbert's father Gurnos. The show was produced by Ed Morrish. He has hinted in interviews that the sitcom is likely to move to TV when it is completed as he found that he was "seeing it" as he wrote it.[24]

Gilbert has also made several appearances on the BBC Radio 4 comedy program The Unbelievable Truth.[25][26]

In 2010 Gilbert recorded a radio show for BBC Radio 2 called Rhod Gilbert's Bulging Barrel of Laughs with comedians Lloyd Langford, Greg Davies and Sarah Millican. Each show also featured live music from bands such as Athlete, Scouting for Girls, Kid British and The Hoosiers. It has since been repeated on BBC Radio 4 Extra.[27]

Gilbert currently fronts his own radio show, "The Rhod Gilbert Radio Show", broadcast by BBC Radio Wales on Saturdays between 11am and 1pm,[28] often co-hosted by fellow Welsh stand-up comedian Chris Corcoran. Gilbert occasionally covers for Dermot O'Leary's BBC Radio 2 show on Saturdays (prompting other broadcasters to cover for him on his own radio show).

Awards

2002
  • Finalist in So You Think You're Funny.
2003
  • Winner of the Leicester Mercury comedian of the year as part of the Leicester Comedy Festival
  • Winner of the Paramount Gift Of The Gag competition
  • Chortle Award nominee for best new act
  • Winner of the BBC New Comedy Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
  • Runner-up in the Hackney Empire New Act of The Year competition
  • Winner of the Metro and Jongleurs Spike Award for New Talent, South East
  • Winner of the National Talent Hunt at the York Festival[29]
2005
  • Chortle award for Best Breakthrough Act
  • Nominated for The List and Writers Guild Comedy Award for "Rhod Gilbert's 1984"
  • Perrier nominated for Best Newcomer for "Rhod Gilbert's 1984."
2006
  • Placed in The Times's Top 50 Comedians
  • Named one of The Rough Guide to British Cult Comedy's top 50 icons.[30]
2008
  • Nominated for the main IF.COM Eddies (formerly Perrier award) at the Edinburgh fringe for "Rhod Gilbert and the Award-winning Mince Pie"
  • Winner of the Time Out 'Comic of the Year'
  • Winner of the Time Out 'Best Show of the Year' for "Rhod Gilbert and the Award-winning Mince Pie"
  • Winner of the Time Out 'Breakthrough Act'
  • Nominated for the Celtic Media awards 'Best Radio Personality' for the "Rhod Gilbert Radio Show" on BBC Radio Wales
2009
  • Nominated for the Times/South Bank Show Awards, 'Breakthrough Act'
  • Winner of Chortle award for 'Best Headliner'
  • Winner of "Comics Comic" Chortle award
  • Nominated for the Chortle award for Best Show for "Rhod Gilbert and the Award-winning Mince Pie"
2010
  • Winner of 'Wales' Sexiest male'

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Armstrong, Stephen (2008-08-24). "Why the if.comedy shortlist is intriguingly short". London: The Times. Retrieved 2009-11-23. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Rhod Gilbert". BBC Wales Arts. Retrieved 2009-11-23. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Malcolm Hay (2006-10-16). "Rhod Gilbert: interview". TimeOut. Retrieved 2009-11-23. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Correspondent (2010-01-16). "Would the real Rhod Gilbert please stand up". Western Mail. Retrieved 2010-01-19. 
  5. http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/comedy/rhod-gilbert-im-turning-back-6209311
  6. Rhod Gilbert's Biography : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide
  7. "Radio Wales – Rhod Gilbert". BBC. 
  8. 8.0 8.1 "How Rhod is aiming to put Llanbobl on the map". Western Mail. 2008-03-24. Retrieved 2009-11-23. 
  9. "Rhod Gilbert's Leaving Llanbobl". BBC Radio 2. Retrieved 2009-11-23. 
  10. EABF – Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund / 2008, London Palladium
  11. Play.com: Rhod Gilbert And The Award-Winning Mince Pie
  12. Rhod Gilbert And The Cat That Looked Like Nicholas Lyndhurst
  13. Play.com – Rhod Gilbert And The Cat That Looked Like Nicholas Lyndhurst
  14. TV comic Rhod forced to pull out of Oasis gig
  15. Rhod Gilbert to front Wales tourism ads – suchsmallportions.com
  16. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zipline_Creative_Limited
  17. Rhod Gilbert tries out other jobs for a new tv series
  18. [http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2010/08/28/11625/hot_rhod... Hot Rhod... – Chortle.co.uk]
  19. http://www.list.co.uk/article/49249-rhod-gilbert-comedy-panel-shows-are-brutal/
  20. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00zf3m1/broadcasts/2011/03
  21. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00zf3m1/broadcasts/2012/05
  22. http://www.list.co.uk/article/49249-rhod-gilbert-comedy-panel-shows-are-brutal/
  23. http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/comedy/rhod-gilbert-im-turning-back-6209311
  24. Si Hawkins. "Circuit Training 7: The Word of Rhod". The British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 2010-01-07. 
  25. The Unbelievable Truth Series 4, Episode 1
  26. The Unbelievable Truth Series 4, Episode 4
  27. http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/arts/sites/rhod-gilbert/
  28. "Rhod Gilbert BBC radio show". BBC Radio Wales. Retrieved 2009-11-23. 
  29. Comedy CV – The UK's largest collection of comedians biogs and photos
  30. "Rhod Gilbert". Lancashire Telegraph. 

External links

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