Jonathan Biggins
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Biggins is an Australian actor, singer, writer and comedian. He has appeared on film, stage and television, as well as in satirical sketch comedy television programs. Jonathan currently lives in Sydney, Australia.
He attended Newcastle Boys' High School
in the mid-1970s and says it was a "fairly intimidating place to be if you weren’t great at sports or maths. However once [I] joined the debating team, and went on to win the state finals, things started looking up."
Stage appearances include The Importance of Being Earnest
(in which he appeared as "John Worthing", inheriting the role from Geoffrey Rush
) — also appearing in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
, Orpheus in the Underworld
, and the Gilbert and Sullivan
Savoy
operas Ruddigore
and The Mikado
.
His television appearances include The Dingo Principle and Three Men and a Baby Grand, satirical sketch television comedy programs for which he was a writer/performer with Phillip Scott
and Drew Forsythe
. He also presented the arts panel program "Critical Mass".
His film appearances include Thank God He Met Lizzie
and Gettin' Square
. He also co-wrote, with Phillip Scott, some of the dialogue for The Man from Snowy River: Arena Spectacular
, a stage musical based on the poem "The Man from Snowy River". Biggins also played Peter Sellers
in Ying Tong, a play about Spike Milligan
and The Goons and an Australian-wide hit.
Jonathan Biggins has directed the Wharf Revue
since 2000, written for the Sydney Morning Herald weekly magazine Good Weekend for seven years, and directed the Australian production of Avenue Q
. He recently hosted the 2010 New Year's Eve Gala Concert at the Sydney Opera House
.
He is married to Ayrshire-born Australian actress Elaine Smith, most known for playing the role of Daphne Clarke
in the soap opera Neighbours
.
He attended Newcastle Boys' High School
Newcastle Boys' High School
Newcastle Boys High School was a selective high school located in Waratah—a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.- History :Newcastle Boys High School was established in 1929 when the Hill High School was split into two selective single-sex schools, the other being Newcastle Girls High...
in the mid-1970s and says it was a "fairly intimidating place to be if you weren’t great at sports or maths. However once [I] joined the debating team, and went on to win the state finals, things started looking up."
Stage appearances include The Importance of Being Earnest
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at St. James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personae in order to escape burdensome social obligations...
(in which he appeared as "John Worthing", inheriting the role from Geoffrey Rush
Geoffrey Rush
Geoffrey Roy Rush is an Australian actor and film producer. He is one of the few people who has won the "Triple Crown of Acting": an Academy Award, a Tony Award and an Emmy Award. He has won one Academy Award for acting , three British Academy Film Awards , two Golden Globe Awards and four Screen...
) — also appearing in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart....
, Orpheus in the Underworld
Orpheus in the Underworld
Orphée aux enfers is an opéra bouffon , or opéra féerie in its revised version, by Jacques Offenbach. The French text was written by Ludovic Halévy and later revised by Hector-Jonathan Crémieux....
, and the Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan . The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S...
Savoy
Savoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
operas Ruddigore
Ruddigore
Ruddigore; or, The Witch's Curse, originally called Ruddygore, is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It is one of the Savoy Operas and the tenth of fourteen comic operas written together by Gilbert and Sullivan...
and The Mikado
The Mikado
The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations...
.
His television appearances include The Dingo Principle and Three Men and a Baby Grand, satirical sketch television comedy programs for which he was a writer/performer with Phillip Scott
Phillip Scott
Phillip Scott , is an Australian actor, singer, pianist, writer and comedian.He has appeared on film as well as in sketch comedy television programs...
and Drew Forsythe
Drew Forsythe
Drew Forsythe is an Australian actor, singer, writer, and comedian.He attended Atherton Primary School, far north Queensland....
. He also presented the arts panel program "Critical Mass".
His film appearances include Thank God He Met Lizzie
Thank God He Met Lizzie
Thank God He Met Lizzie is a 1997 Australian romantic comedy film starring Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh. It was the directorial debut of Cherie Nowlan...
and Gettin' Square
Gettin' Square
Gettin' Square is a crime caper movie set on Australia's Gold Coast and directed by Jonathan Teplitzky. The protagonists are ex-criminals trying to keep out of trouble....
. He also co-wrote, with Phillip Scott, some of the dialogue for The Man from Snowy River: Arena Spectacular
The Man From Snowy River: Arena Spectacular
The Man from Snowy River: Arena Spectacular, which was based on Banjo Paterson's poem The Man from Snowy River, was a very popular musical theatre production which toured Australian capital cities twice during 2002....
, a stage musical based on the poem "The Man from Snowy River". Biggins also played Peter Sellers
Peter Sellers
Richard Henry Sellers, CBE , known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian and actor. Perhaps best known as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther film series, he is also notable for playing three different characters in Dr...
in Ying Tong, a play about Spike Milligan
Spike Milligan
Terence Alan Patrick Seán "Spike" Milligan Hon. KBE was a comedian, writer, musician, poet, playwright, soldier and actor. His early life was spent in India, where he was born, but the majority of his working life was spent in the United Kingdom. He became an Irish citizen in 1962 after the...
and The Goons and an Australian-wide hit.
Jonathan Biggins has directed the Wharf Revue
Wharf Revue
The Wharf Revue is a series of musical comedy revues presented by the Sydney Theatre Company. Each show features four comedians - usually Jonathan Biggins, Phillip Scott and Drew Forsythe, accompanied by a female performer - satirising media personalities and political events in sketches and songs....
since 2000, written for the Sydney Morning Herald weekly magazine Good Weekend for seven years, and directed the Australian production of Avenue Q
Avenue Q
Avenue Q is a musical in two acts, conceived by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who wrote the music and lyrics. The book was written by Jeff Whitty and the show was directed by Jason Moore and produced by Kevin McCollum, Robyn Goodman, and Jeffrey Seller...
. He recently hosted the 2010 New Year's Eve Gala Concert at the Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
.
He is married to Ayrshire-born Australian actress Elaine Smith, most known for playing the role of Daphne Clarke
Daphne Clarke
Daphne Rose Clarke is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Elaine Smith. She made her first on-screen appearance in the serial's first episode on 18 March 1985. Daphne a stripper hired for Des Clarke's bucks party and she moved in him. She and Des fell in love...
in the soap opera Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
.
External links
- Meet Jonathan Biggins
- Jonathan Biggins – New South Wales Art Gallery
- The Wharf Revue
- Jonathan Biggins – Interview
- Jonathan Biggins – Supporting Newcastle and Hunter Talent
- Jonathan Biggins – The Wharf Revue – Queensland Musical Festival
- Jonathan Biggins – on ABC TV's Q&A – 26 February 2009