Tim Minchin
Composer, actor and pianist Tim Minchin lept into the British comedy scene in 2005, with his Perrier-best-newcomer-winning Edinburgh show Dark Side.
It was a show he had debuted at the Sydney Big Laugh Comedy Festival earlier that year, and performed to critical acclaim at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, where it won the Festival Directors' Award.
His follow-up show, So Rock, was nominated for the Barry award for the most outstanding show in his native Melbourne in 2006 before returning to Edinburgh. That year he also appeared at the Just For Laughs comedy festival in Montreal.
He performed his first show, Navel, in Australia in 2003 and was a Victoria state finalist in the Raw competition for new comedians the following year.
As an actor, he has played Amadeus in Peter Schaffer's play, and Hamlet, both for the Perth Theatre Company, and has appeared with the Australian Shakespeare Company.
Winner of the best music and variety act at the Chortle awards in 2009, 2010 and 2011, where his show with a full orchestra was also named best tour.
In 2010, he wrote the music for the Royal Shakespeare Company's adaptation of Roald Dahl's Matilda.
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Tim Minchin at the 2011 Montreal Just For Laughs festival
Hollywood’s Variety magazine last week named Tim Minchin as one of the top ten comics to watch – but this Montreal audience were clearly well ahead of that advice. Given the reception something like his awesome Pope Song gets, they’ve clearly been hitting YouTube. O nce there was a self-irony when he drolly announced he was about to embark on a ten-minute beat poem – now the audience know what it entails, the excitement’s genuine.
Both these pieces eloquently vocalise Minchin’s overarching theme; the folly of blind faith that leads to every wrong-headedness from the vacuous frippery of aura-reading to the serious evil of covering up child abuse. Although his rationalism scores instant points with like-minded audiences, it’s also comedy’s de facto stance – so empirical comedians need more than simply an urge to pillory the church or mock the feeble-minded beliefs of hippies to stand out.
This is where Minchin shines. Not only does he have a grand piano, rock-star charisma and considerable musical talent to make his point, but he approaches his writing with an intellectual vigour that makes all the difference between yelling ‘Fuck the Pope’ and telling us in precise, unarguable detail, why the pontiff should be violated and in which holy orifice…
read more of this review …
In a similar vein to that witty, tricksy beat poem, Storm, is Thank You God, which effectively dismisses the belief in the power of prayer with a jaunty chorus. But not everything is so declamatory, he mocks his own rock-and-roll pretensions in his show-stopper Dark Side, and also plays with ideas that are just plain stupid. Conversely, he’s prepared to venture into areas that are decidedly uncomfortable, such as his frustrations with his baby, which have a real sense of edge and catharsis about them.
The stand-up between the songs is in similarly daring vein, and even seems to share the tempo of his epic musical compositions, with long, detailed build-ups evoking a certain felling before - bam! – the reveal, showing you’d been misdirected all along. It’s not laugh-a-minute but a complex, exciting emotional journey towards the safety of the punchline.
Master showman Minchin also knows it doesn’t always have to be laughs, and that’s never better demonstrated than in his well-deserved encore, the heartfelt Christmas song White Wine In The Sun. The soul might be a difficult concept for Minchin’s beloved science, but one thing’s for sure, if you’re not moved by this, you don’t have one.
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Tim Minchin
Tim MInchin: Ready For This? Tim Minchin and Friends Mark Watson Makes the World Substantially BetterSeries one of his radio show
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Older Comments
MsJinnifer - 14/02/2013
Yes great to see Tim in intimate venue, just him and piano like it used to be. Love the band, but also solo. The 16-year-old was not embarrassed, nor her parents -- all big fans.
carmellaj - 22/08/2011
Saw TM for second time at Beautiful Days this weekend, one of the most gifted and brilliant performers I have ever seen, who also happens to be extremely funny.
Cathy - 08/02/2011
That's the trouble with people called Mandy, they just don't do irony ....
Dave - 09/03/2010
@vicky... um what? guess I'm not 'intelectual' enough...
vicky - 15/02/2010
An utter pleasure to watch perform and a delightfully down to earth person. Eagerly awaiting his interpretation of Matilda to hit the west end.
Mandy Allan - 10/01/2010
I would advise this Art School Stilgoe to revise his sixth-form debater-informed 'Storm Movie' poetry - too preachy for his target crowd of rebounding Brand-ettes and too ill-informed and twitterati-driven to draw any intelectual audience worth its salt.
Helena - 13/10/2009
I saw Tim at the Glasgow Pavilion. Wow what a night.
Tim - 06/10/2009
You just can’t fault this guy. Saw his ‘Ready for this’ tour in Cambridge and was utterly brilliant. I bought his CD and listen too it regularly and you really start to appreciate all the ironies. All round good fun, sort off bloke if you met in a bar you would be entertained for hours just listening to him rant! Top class!!
howlieT - 22/05/2009
Always hilarious and a lovely bloke too
Saz - 10/10/2008
I think Russell Brand may begin to have competion. Watch him on the Secrets Policeman's Ball. I didn't stop laughing.
Stephanie Plowman - 20/09/2008
Saw Tim at Bloomsbury Theatre on 6th September and he's absolutely amazing! Ended up buying both CDs after the gig and play them every day in the car. His song 'If I didn't have you,I'd have somebody else...' was genius and he played the old classics like canvas bags and rock and roll nerd.... He also has the added benefit of being bloody beautifuly hot! Definitely a must see!!
Ashleigh - 07/08/2008
Seen Tim twice now at the Edinburgh Festival and think he is just amazing!
Elena - 15/06/2008
There aren't any words to descibe how utterly delicious this comedian is. Very very funny. Didn't put a foot wrong. Perfect.
Jo - 08/11/2007
Saw Tim at the brilliant 'Live at the Chapel' night at Union Chapel, London. I never anticipated laughing so much as I did during his set, even with it being a comedy gig. Touched by genius.
DC - 09/05/2007
I went to see Tim at Darlington Arts Center in February 2007. His songs were excellent and the way he deals with encores is great. Recommended
Flatbadger - 27/02/2007
Tim was on my "never seen" list. He is now firmly placed in my "see ever time" list. What an amazing show. Incredibly talented pianist, a formidable songwriter with a comic quirk like no other. Unmissable!
LULU - 12/02/2007
Really loved the show at Playhouse, Norwich. His poem was hilarious, songs brilliant, great personality. Will definately go to see him again.
Scott - 06/02/2007
Excellent in support of Mark Watson tonight as part of his Makes The World Better... slot for Radio 4 - worth listening out for from 13/2.
Alix - 24/01/2007
Amazing! I also discovered him at WSPA beneft, he stole the show in my eyes! Canvas Bags = pure genius!
Misty - 22/01/2007
DIscovered him at WSPA. Amazingly talented. Left the crowd at Hammersmith in stunned awe. Talented with no ego and a brilliant mind. Very magical.
BigJoe - 13/11/2006
Fucking Genius. Go watch this guy