Bringing his critically acclaimed TINSELWORM show to Australia, Bill Bailey will
return in September for his 6th Australian tour.
Voted the seventh greatest stand-up comedian of all time on Channel 4 (UK) in
2007; comedian, musician, actor and presenter, BILL BAILEY is perhaps the
consummate guitar wielding, beard wearing, Klingon-resembling entertainer.
Best known for stand-up tours and his work on television in programs including
ABC TV’s cult comedy Black Books, ABC2’s Spaced and the UK’s Never Mind
the Buzzcocks (the TV quiz show that the Australian ‘Spicks and Specks’ was
born from) he has also acted on stage, appeared in films and played with the BBC
Concert Orchestra.
As a student the urge to lampoon the pretentious was strong, and fellow members
of serious school rock bands ‘The Famous Five’ and ‘Behind Closed Doors’ were not
amused by his attempts to work jokes into the music, which might otherwise have
changed the world.
Cultivating his musical talents by busking, playing lounge piano, and accompanying
a mind-reading dog in his TV premiere, he happened upon his now trademark look whilst in New York, sprouting an unkempt beard to avoid the attention of muggers.
A couple of years, and two borrowed cassocks later, he formed provocative double
act The Rubber Bishops and launched his comedy career.
After cutting his comedy teeth on the club circuit, Bill was gnashing to full effect in
1995 when his refreshingly whimsical solo effort Cosmic Jam proved a hit with
audiences at the Edinburgh Fringe and earned him an Edinburgh Festival
Critics’ Award. After touring the UK and showcasing his act in a Channel 4
special featuring a giant ant, he was unleashed onto BBC2 with his own show, Is
it Bill Bailey?, a self-penned mélange of stand-up, musical parodies, and offbeat
sketch comedy.
While appearing all over the international comedy scene, Bill has kept up his
television profile, with a starring role in ABC1’s Black Books, and appearances on
ABC2’s Spaced, and UK shows Wild West, QI and Have I Got News For You
(as both panellist and guest host). His role as team captain on Never Mind the
Buzzcocks has brought his surreal comedy stylings to millions of viewers, and
injected a new lease of life into the long-running pop quiz.
His stand-up has been combined with straight acting roles, appearing at the
Edinburgh Festival in hit adaptations of 12 Angry Men and The Odd Couple,
and showcasing Harold Pinter’s comic sketches in West End hit Pinter’s People,
called “riveting” by Pinter himself. His wizard-like features have also graced the
silver screen in films Saving Grace and Hot Fuzz.
In recent years Bill has also branched out as a radio and television presenter,
hosting the wildlife preservation series Wild Thing I Love You, and presenting
documentaries on subjects such as Prog Rock, endangered jaguars and
Stonehenge. He has played with the BBC Concert Orchestra in a 2-hour charity
concert, and raised canvas roofs off mud-stained marquees in music festivals all
over the country.
Bill has continued to tour and his fusion of music and comedy has spellbound
audiences across the globe in shows such as Bewilderness and Part Troll and
now TINSELWORM.
Critics have been just as enthusiastic, with The Times calling him "the finest
stand-up comedian this country has to offer" and The Observer describing his
show as "a consistently brilliant collage of musical parodies, anecdotes and off the
wall surrealism". His 2007 arena tour Tinselworm boldly went where no
comedian had gone before. In short, as The Scotsman put it, “Bailey is an allround
entertainer whose appeal transcends age, gender or coolness quotient. He
is, quite simply, brilliant.”