Editing Tony Slattery (section)

==Early life and education==
Slattery was born in [[Stonebridge, London]], into a working-class background, the fifth and last child of [[Catholic]] [[Irish immigrants]], Michael and Margaret Slattery.<ref name="rage 1998">{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/all-the-rage-and-how-he-survived-it-tony-slattery-1158324.html |title=All the rage, and how he survived it: Tony Slattery |first=Deborah |last=Ross |work=[[The Independent]] |location=London |date=17 May 1998 |access-date=14 January 2025}}</ref>

In April 2019 Slattery revealed that he had been repeatedly [[sexually abused]] by a priest at the age of eight, but had never told his parents; he believed the event contributed to his unstable character later in life.<ref name="horizon"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/stage/tony-slattery-something-happened-when-i-was-very-young-a-priest-i-was-eight-1.3875574|title=Tony Slattery: Something happened when I was very young. A priest. I was eight|date=30 April 2019|author=Hadley Freeman|newspaper=The Irish Times}}</ref> He was educated at [[Gunnersbury Boys' School]] in [[London|west London]] and won a scholarship to read Modern and Medieval Languages at [[Trinity Hall, Cambridge]], specialising in French literature and Spanish poetry. Slattery held a [[Black belt (martial arts)|black belt]] in judo and represented England internationally for under-15s.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://edinburghfestival.list.co.uk/article/109892-tony-slattery-i-promise-to-behave-myself/|title=Tony Slattery: 'I promise to behave myself'|date=23 July 2019|author=Jay Richardson|work=The List}}</ref>

At the [[University of Cambridge]], Slattery discovered a love of the theatre, taking delight in making people laugh. He met [[Stephen Fry]], who invited him to join the [[Cambridge Footlights]].<ref name="independent.co.uk">{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/variety-the-song-and-chance-man-has-anyone-made-tony-slattery-an-offer-he-can-refuse-tristan-davies-talks-to-the-prolific-comedian-actor-and-gameshow-host-1550666.html|title=The song and chance man: Has anyone made Tony Slattery an offer he can refuse? |first=Tristan |last=Davies |work=[[The Independent]] |date=10 September 1992 |access-date=15 January 2025}}</ref> Other members at that time included [[Hugh Laurie]], [[Emma Thompson]], [[Sandi Toksvig]], [[Jan Ravens]] and [[Richard Vranch]].<ref name="footlights"/>

In 1981 Slattery, Fry, Laurie, Thompson and Toksvig won the inaugural [[Perrier Award]] for their [[revue]] ''[[The Cellar Tapes]]''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UCk-AAAAIBAJ&pg=3743%2C4617210 |title=Your Hit Or Miss Guide To The Fringe |work=[[The Glasgow Herald]] |date=21 May 2020 |pages=4 |access-date=14 January 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/edinburgh-festivals/art/hugh-laurie-to-make-edinburgh-festival-fringe-comeback-545637 |title=Hugh Laurie to make Edinburgh Festival Fringe comeback |first=Brian |last=Ferguson |work=[[The Scotsman]] |date=11 June 2019 |access-date=14 January 2025}}</ref> The following year, Slattery was made President of the Footlights. During his tenure, the touring annual revue was ''Premises, Premises''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cambridgefootlights.org/archive-1960-2000|title=ARCHIVE 1960-2000|website=cambridge-footlights}}</ref>