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BILL BAILEY
@ Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide,
October 12th 2022
(Live Review)

Review by Colin Reid

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We arrived at The Thebbie around 15 minutes before showtime to find a queue winding its way out of the front doors, down the street and around the corner and up Danby Street.  English comedian, actor and musician Bill Bailey is playing the first of two sold out nights back to back gigs.  Bill has been in Australia for over a month now and still has best part of a month to go on his current tour.  Playing both the capital cities and the regional centres demand for tickets has been huge.

I first saw Bill on TV in “Spaced”, an outrageously funny off beat UK sitcom, where he played Simon Pegg’s boss at the Comic book store. Next time I saw him was as Manny in the equally wonderful ‘Black Books’ with Dylan Moran.  I remember literally crying with laughter in the episode where the two of them drink all of the expensive wine when house sitting.  Despite knowing how funny he was I had never seen him live before.  “You are in for a treat, So funny, clever & talented! There’s nothing he can’t do!” friends told me before hand, “What a brilliant mind he has, he is THE comedian of our times!!”.  Could he live up to such high praise?

Bill enters the stage to huge applause. He bounds around the stage introducing us to the wide array of musical instruments that are arranged on almost every part of it. As well as various guitars including one that appears to be using a vintage bible for its body, lutes, a theremin and a hand-pan drum. ‘You may been wondering why Bill has a BBQ on stage’ he quips. The hand pan does ,for all intents and purposes, look just like a weber BBQ. Bill goes on to demonstrate why it makes so much more relaxing a sound than the bagpipes do. Thankfully he doesn’t have a set of bagpipes with him!

He starts with a moment to reflect on the recent loss of a great British figure. As all our minds go towards the Queen and wondering whether Bill is a monarchist or a republican he trips up our thought pattern by saying it is Boris Johnson.  It is very clear that Bill has no love lost for either Boris or his successor Liz Truss who he describes as the political equivalent to a Dementor from Harry Potter.  After both have suffered a scathing array of observations Bill informs us that he isn’t saying any of this in a bad way!  He notes that Australian politicians aren’t much better but he trends a somewhat neutral line between the parties.

The musical virtuosity that Bill possesses is stunning, perhaps matched only by his capacity of languages and accents.  Throughout the night he drops into German, French and Dutch. He has perfect pitch and such great improvisation, at one point taking musical request from the audience for songs to turn into ragtime 1920s re-arrangements.  There is a certain gentle whimsy about the evening. Something very English but which universally translates.  He is so quick witted and has the ability to seamlessly transfer between comic stories and musical repartee, even when the routine suddenly goes in a different direction when asking the crowd for examples of feral creatures someone shouts “Poms!” back at him. Throughout the show the material references back onto itself weaving strands from earlier parts of the night into itself. It is so well written and delivered. Another thing that stands out from his act is the he has no use for the swearing that so many comedians resort to in their dumbed down routines that tell their dumbed down audiences when to laugh.  Other than one instance of “shit” as part of the Samuel Peeps Twitter routine Bill’s show is completely clean.

If you’ve seen Bill before or watched any of the shows or snippets of his stand up on YouTube or elsewhere you will recognise some of his usual targets. Coldplay, Gwyneth Paltrow and the west country dialect of England all get a going over but as Bill says, none of it is meant in a bad way.

Twice during the show Bill is joined on stage by South Australian soprano and principal artist at State Opera of South Australia Desiree Frahn.  She is simply stunning and all the ladies in the audience wanted that amazing dress with pockets. As well as having an incredible voice she appears to have great comic timing and visual comedy which makes her the perfect foil to Bill.  It seems like Bill is joined by a different musical guest where he plays, we in the Adelaide and surrounding areas where very lucky to get Desiree.

There are multiple mentions of surviving covid lockdowns, bizarre isolation behaviour, explicable 3am internet purchases, skype tv appearances and pigeons as well as anecdotes, such as the skydiving one, that demonstrate Bill’s love for Australia.  We can all relate to the covid experience to some degree and all appreciate this love for Australia.

Bill moves between the instruments throughout the night. Each are given a workout that either demonstrate is great talent for music or comic silliness or both. I particularly liked him playing the Theremin with his head and the switch on his ‘Bible’ guitar that let him play in either the style of the old or new testaments.

He performed way over the scheduled end of the show and came back for 2 encores.  There was a sense and feeling that he was having as much fun performing as we were having watching him and that he would keep going for as long as he possibly could.

Sadly the night had to finish. Bill graciously signing material for people in the front rows to great applause from the rest of us.  He’s just wonderful! yes there truly appears to be no end to his talents, watching on tv somehow doesn’t do him justice. You need to see him live to fully appreciate it.  This was absolutely the best comedy show I’ve been too, if Thursday night was sold out I would have considered going again, what a talented man you are Bill Bailey!!

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TOUR DATES

Empire Theatre, Toowoomba, QLD   Thu 22 Sep 2022
The Events Centre, Caloundra, QLD  Sat 24 Sep 2022
QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane, QLD  September 25, 27, 28
The Star Gold Coast, QLD   Fri 30 Sep 2022
Riverside Theatre, Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, WA  October 3 & 4
Performing Arts Centre, Mandurah, WA   Thu 6 Oct 20
Wrest Point Entertainment Centre, Hobart, TAS    Sun 9 Oct 2022
Princess Theatre, Launceston, TAS   Mon 10 Oct 2022
Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide, SA  October 12 & 13
Costa Hall, Geelong, VIC   Sat 15 Oct 2022
Town Hall, Wollongong, NSW  October 17 & 18
Palais Theatre, Melbourne, VIC   October  20, 21, 22
State Theatre, Sydney, NSW  October 26, 27, 28, 29 November 8
Civic Theatre, Newcastle NSW  October  30,  31
Sydney Coliseum Theatre, NSW   Tue 1 Nov 2022
Civic Hall, Ballarat, VIC  3 Nov 2022
Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo, VIC  Fri 4 Nov 2022
Royal Theatre Canberra, ACT   Sat 5 Nov 2022

TICKETS ON SALE NOW HERE

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Credit – Alex Connock

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Follow BILL BAILEY
Website – Facebook – Instagram

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Press Release May 2022 (below)

BILL BAILEY
‘En Route To Normal’
Australian Tour 2022

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Following a thumbs-up from immigration, Bill Bailey returns to Australia with his brand new show En Route To Normal starting in Toowoomba on September 22 and taking him around the country for 16 shows.  Bill  performed this show with rave reviews and sold out theatres in New Zealand earlier this year while he was there filming his new television series Patriot Brains currently airing on SBS.

“Always hirsute and always hilarious, Bailey is approaching the status of a national treasure.” The Guardian Guide

How did we get here?  How do we find our way through this?  And exactly who are we again?  In Bill’s new show, En Route To Normal, Bill ponders these and other questions that this moment in history has thrown up and tries to see a way through the strange unreality of our new world.  With Bill naming the show before we’d even heard of Covid-19, En Route To Normal has become not just a funny, heart-warming mix of stories, music and history, but a personal mission to find our way through these strange times!

“Still one of the funniest and most brilliantly original comedians around.” The Telegraph

Tracing lines through chaotic moments in history, Bill seeks out parallels where human resilience and our ability to endure has got us through times of strife.  Through music, songs, and memories, Bill considers our changing priorities, the wonder of dogs, how little things can keep you on track, and rhapsodises on his new-found love of skydiving.  He recounts his own experiences of dealing with isolation, ruminating the ‘sounds of lockdown’ which led to a greater appreciation of birdsong and perhaps led to the creation of music itself, and  how our reliance on technology has inspired Bill himself to create dance remixes of video-calling ringtones.

“Bloody excellent… The material is solid gold.” The NZ Herald

Last in Australia in 2018, the British Comedy Award winner is a frequent visitor to our shores, with a massive Australian fan base flocking to theatres to see the master in action.  Irreverent and immensely talented, En Route To Normal will be the seventh show that Bill has brought down under, delivered with the energy the multi-faceted entertainer is known for.

Never one to slow down, Bill had the opportunity to fulfil some lifelong dreams when Covid put a halt to his relentless touring schedule. Most recently taking the dance floor by storm on the iconic reality series Strictly Come Dancing, Bill has also lent his voice to the animated film adaption of children’s book Dragonkeeper due for release this year, and managed to find time to write a new book – Bill Bailey’s Remarkable Guide to Happiness, a collection of funny, meditative and thoughtful essays exploring the nature of happiness.

With his trademark blend of satire and surrealism, stories and dismantled jokes, crowd sing-alongs, weird instruments and musical showstoppers, don’t miss this legendary comedian, musician and actor back on stage!

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AMNPLIFY – DB