AUSTRALIAN comedian Tommy Little hopes that he'll be able to at last perform his popular touring show I'll See Myself Out at Newcastle's Civic Theatre on January 23.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The show was initially booked for a performance at the Civic on May 1 last year, but the COVID-19 outbreak in March led to the tour being postponed. When the virus's spread seemed in September to have eased, the show was listed for a presentation on November 27. But, once again, audiences had to be restricted, so many ticket-holders were not be able to see the show.
At this stage, touch wood, those with tickets will be able to see the hour-long show at the Civic on Saturday, January 23, at 7pm. The tour will include two performances at Wyong's Art House Theatre on June 26.
The 2020 tour that had to be postponed after just a few performances arose from the popularity of the show in Melbourne in 2019, with one reviewer noting that Little's performance could not be faulted and that it made the hour-long running time "feeling like seconds".
I'll See Myself Out arose from Tommy Little's experiences with the women and men in his life. As well as being a comedian, he is a writer, actor, and television and radio presenter.
He uses his popularity to help raise money for organisations that help to support communities.
His 2020 tour, for example, began just a few days after he performed in the sold-out Stand Up For Bushfire Relief comedy show in Melbourne to raise funds for the Victorian Bushfire Appeal. He was joined in the event by many other popular performers, among them Tom Ballard, Hannah Gadsby, Wil Anderson, Judith Lucy, Denise Scott, , Nazeem Hussain, Peter Helliar, Dave Hughes, and Joel Creasey.
Little, who turns 36 on February 23, started his performance and writing career when he was 23 in 2008, writing for Channel 31's talk show, Studio A, that was hosted by Dave Thornton.
He was also a performer in the show and in 2010 was promoted to its host, after contributing to it winning two Antenna Awards, a category that is an Australian awards ceremony which recognises outstanding achievements in community television production throughout Australia. The awards were for Best Program of the Year and Best Comedy. A new event succeeded the show in 2012.
Little's comedy talents led to him performing in the 2013 Melbourne International Comedy Festival and appearing in the festival's Gala show, which showcases five-minute sets of dozens of comedians. In 2014 he returned to the Melbourne festival with a new show, Middleclass Gangster, and again in 2019 with a show, Self Diognosed Genius.
Interestingly, he had made his television debut as a youngster, performing in two episodes of Rex Hunt's Fishing Adventures.
He has been the host of many television shows, among them Network 10's comedy and entertainment series, A League of Their Own. He has also been, since 2014 the comedic panellist on Ten's prime entertainment news program, The Project.
His radio programs have included, since January 2017, Carrie & Tommy, which he co-hosts with Carrie Bickmore, across the Hit Network, with more than 1.3million listeners.
Little has performed in standup comedies internationally, touring with shows including The Last King of Stupid (2018), Self Diagnosed Genius Solo Show (2019), and Heartbreak and Hilarity with Gossling (2017).
Tommy Little is a tattoo enthusiast and has much ink on his body, including a tic-tac-toe game tattoo on his chest, and one on his left arm that he likes to call "the funniest ink in the country".
He has a tattoo on his left arm that he likes to call "the funniest ink in the country".
All Civic tickets for Tommy Little: I'll See Myself Out are $29.90. The show is not recommended for under-15s as it has occasional coarse language.
TAKE A SEAT
Do you enjoy catching buses? If so, you should enjoy Passenger, a touring show that will be part of the New Annual Festival being presented in Newcastle from February 12 to 21.
Passenger, which was developed by Melbournians Jessica Wilson and Ian Pidd, has been a hit since it premiered in Melbourne in 2017. It has two bus passengers, a male and a female, who don't know each other, having to sit side by side in the last available seats in a suburban bus. And as they converse, initially reluctantly, their lives and relationships with people come out.
Passenger, which has a 60-minute running time, has the audience sitting on seats around the two people as the bus moves around streets and suburbs, with the final scene having them return to where they caught the bus and getting off it.
The discussion between the two passengers canvasses everything from children's Christmas presents to horrible bosses, and milk pricing to Saudi Arabian blood money.
The show has a musical score which moves between different genres, from eerie country to orchestral and to off-kilter, jazzy percussion. At times there is no music; at others it rises to a menacing volume.
Passenger was written by Nicola Gunn, with Wilson and Pidd as the directors. The music was composed by Tom Fitzgerald.
For faster access to the latest Newcastle news download our NEWCASTLE HERALD APP and sign up for breaking news, sport and what's on sent directly to your email.