Gerry Connolly (comedian)
Encyclopedia
Gerard William "Gerry" Connolly (born 15 November 1957) is an Australian comedian
, actor
, impressionist
and pianist
. He is best known for his satirical caricatures of public figures such as Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, Margaret Thatcher
, Joh Bjelke-Peterson, Bob Hawke
, Paul Keating
, Bill Collins
and Dame Joan Sutherland, amongst many others.
and the UK, having much success at the Melbourne Comedy Festival and Adelaide Comedy Festival with his hit one-man shows, including Gerry Connolly - Alone Or With Others and ICONNOLLY. In 1986, his live performances earned him the Wallace "Comedian Of The Year" Award. He has also made many TV appearances, including spots on Fast Forward, Live and Sweaty
, Tonight Live with Steve Vizard
, Hey Hey Its Saturday and Kath & Kim
, as well as his own series, The Gerry Connolly Show.
's Dead Gorgeous
.
Connolly appeared as himself in the ninth episode of the 1998 Australia television series The Games (in which he impersonated Bob Hawke
).
premier
Joh Bjelke-Peterson in the ABC TV
telemovie Joh's Jury. He also had the major role of "Lou Rickets" in the Australian family film The Real Macaw in 1998, and made a cameo appearance
as "Father Murphy" in The Wog Boy
.
, Sydney Theatre Company
and Belvoir St Theatre
. He played the role of "Mahoney" in the Melbourne Theatre Company's 1999 production of Arturo Ui, which earned him a nomination for a Green Room Award for Best Supporting Actor.
from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music
, and has played piano
with the Melbourne
, Queensland
and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras, being featured in concerts televised across Australia
and the UK.
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, impressionist
Impressionist (entertainment)
An impressionist or a mimic is a performer whose act consists of imitating the voice and mannerisms of others. The word usually refers to a professional comedian/entertainer who specializes in such performances and has developed a wide repertoire of impressions, including adding to them, often to...
and pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
. He is best known for his satirical caricatures of public figures such as Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
, Joh Bjelke-Peterson, Bob Hawke
Bob Hawke
Robert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....
, Paul Keating
Paul Keating
Paul John Keating was the 24th Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 1991 to 1996. Keating was elected as the federal Labor member for Blaxland in 1969 and came to prominence as the reformist treasurer of the Hawke Labor government, which came to power at the 1983 election...
, Bill Collins
Bill Collins
Bill Collins or Billy Collins may refer to:* Bill Collins , Masters athletics world record sprinter* Bill Collins , American baseball player...
and Dame Joan Sutherland, amongst many others.
Comedy
He has gained much notoriety in AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and the UK, having much success at the Melbourne Comedy Festival and Adelaide Comedy Festival with his hit one-man shows, including Gerry Connolly - Alone Or With Others and ICONNOLLY. In 1986, his live performances earned him the Wallace "Comedian Of The Year" Award. He has also made many TV appearances, including spots on Fast Forward, Live and Sweaty
Live and Sweaty
Live and Sweaty was an Australian sports television program, broadcast on the ABC from 1991 until 1995. Hosted by Andrew Denton , the show was part panel-based, part talk show and part comedy, and predated The Footy Show which has a similar format.-Live and Sweaty regulars:Andrew Denton was the...
, Tonight Live with Steve Vizard
Tonight Live With Steve Vizard
Tonight Live with Steve Vizard was a nightly Australian comedy chat show broadcast on Seven Network in Australia. It was a one hour live studio based show broadcast nationally 5 nights a week from February 1990 to November 1993, usually commencing at 10.30 pm every week night...
, Hey Hey Its Saturday and Kath & Kim
Kath & Kim
Kath & Kim is a Logie Award-winning character-driven Australian television situation comedy series. The series was created by, and is written by Jane Turner and Gina Riley who play the title characters: a suburban mother and daughter with a dysfunctional relationship...
, as well as his own series, The Gerry Connolly Show.
Television
Connolly plays the Headmaster in ABC1ABC1
ABC1 was a United Kingdom based television channel from Disney using the branding of the Disney owned American network, ABC.The channel initially launched exclusively on the British digital terrestrial television platform Freeview on 27 September 2004. On 10 December 2004 it was launched on...
's Dead Gorgeous
Dead Gorgeous
Dead Gorgeous is an Australian-British children's television show which premiered on 15 March 2010 in Britain and 5 April 2010 in Australia. It is produced by Burberry Productions and Coolabi Productions with funding from Screen Australia. It was previously known as Dead Normal, however the name...
.
Connolly appeared as himself in the ninth episode of the 1998 Australia television series The Games (in which he impersonated Bob Hawke
Bob Hawke
Robert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....
).
Film
In 1993, Connolly featured in a dramatic role portraying former QueenslandQueensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
premier
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
Joh Bjelke-Peterson in the ABC TV
ABC Television
ABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcasting broadcaster, the ABC provides four non-commercial channels within Australia, and a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....
telemovie Joh's Jury. He also had the major role of "Lou Rickets" in the Australian family film The Real Macaw in 1998, and made a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
as "Father Murphy" in The Wog Boy
The Wog Boy
The Wog Boy is a 2000 Australian motion picture comedy starring Nick Giannopoulos, Vince Colosimo, Lucy Bell, Abi Tucker, John Barresi, Stephen Curry, Hung Le, Geraldine Turner, Tony Nikolakopoulos and Derryn Hinch. -Plot:...
.
Theatre
Connolly has also had a successful career in the theatre, working with such groups as the Melbourne Theatre CompanyMelbourne Theatre Company
The Melbourne Theatre Company is a theatre company based in Melbourne. Founded in 1953, it is the oldest professional theatre company in Australia, and has its own theatre, The MTC Theatre – which houses the 500-seat Sumner Theatre and the 150-seat Lawler Studio – located in Melbourne's Arts...
, Sydney Theatre Company
Sydney Theatre Company
The Sydney Theatre Company is one of Australia's best-known theatre companies operating from The Wharf Theatre near The Rocks area of Sydney, as well as the Sydney Theatre and the Sydney Opera House Drama Theatre....
and Belvoir St Theatre
Belvoir St Theatre
Belvoir St Theatre is an Australian theatre venue in Sydney. The venue in Belvoir Street, Surry Hills previously operated as the Nimrod Theatre, and was founded as "Belvoir St" in 1984 by Sue Hill and Chris Westwood...
. He played the role of "Mahoney" in the Melbourne Theatre Company's 1999 production of Arturo Ui, which earned him a nomination for a Green Room Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Music
He has a Bachelor of MusicBachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree; the majority of work consists of prescribed music courses and study in applied music, usually requiring a...
from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music
Queensland Conservatorium of Music
Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University was originally an independent tertiary-level institution, called the Queensland Conservatorium of Music.-History:...
, and has played piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
with the Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras, being featured in concerts televised across Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and the UK.