Richard Marsland
Encyclopedia
Richard Kemble Marsland (5 September 1976 – 6 December 2008) was an Australian comedy writer, actor
, comedian
and radio personality
.
breakfast show with Greg Fleet
, Marty Sheargold
and James Brayshaw
. He also co-hosted a live, daily morning program AM Adelaide on Channel 7
, Adelaide
with the multiple-Logie award
winning Anne Wills, and then hosted The Late Date Show nationally with Bessie Bardot
on 2DayFM, 92.9 and FoxFM.
Previously, he was on Tough Love with Mick Molloy
, in its first year (2004). He also appeared regularly on Triple M's The Shebang
with Marty Sheargold
and Fifi Box
, where he hosted a quiz segment known as "Dick's Box".
In 2006, he became the panel operator on the Triple M
radio program Get This
. He later started contributing verbally to on-air segments, and soon was essentially regarded as a third co-host, along with Tony Martin
and Ed Kavalee
. The last show aired on 23 November 2007.
Marsland also performed on Triple J
, posing as Family First member Spencer Penrose on the Restoring the Balance
radio show with Tony Moclair
.
On 29 January 2008, Richard became anchor/uncredited co-host of Triple M Melbourne's breakfast show Pete & Myf
, and took a similar role as he had on Get This.
with Shaun Micallef
, The Glass House
, and Rove Live, the latter on which he made several appearances in sketches with Ryan Shelton
, including a parody of The Rich List, The Bitch List.
In 2007, Marsland also took up a co-host role on C31 Melbourne's, The Breakfast Show.
Since October 2007, Marsland was a writer on Shaun Micallef
's news satire programme Newstopia
which premiered on 10 October on SBS
.
On 20 September 2009, Marsland was listed in the end credits of Rove's 10th Anniversary show under Special Thanks.
Print
He wrote a weekly column for The Sunday Mail
in Adelaide
.
.
. He was also a huge fan of "Weird Al" Yankovic
as was discovered when Yankovic came to Get This
to guest co-host
On Friday 5 December Marsland was meant to have dinner with former colleague Tony Martin
and friends at a pub, but he never showed. About 8.30pm he phoned his mum Alisson, intent on finding out the family's plans the following day. She secretly hoped the questions related to his penchant for surprise visits home to Adelaide. Instead, it was a final phone call home hours before Richard drove to Shiprock Falls in Victoria's Dandenong Ranges
, where he was found dead in his car by a park ranger around 10:30am on Saturday. In an interview Mrs Alisson Marsland and her husband Peter, of Gawler River, said their son had suffered depression and attempted suicide about 10 years ago but few people knew. He recovered after extensive counselling and had been "happy and in control" ever since.
But professional and personal difficulties in 2008, including a relationship break-up, wore down his coping mechanisms. He relapsed and reached his lowest ebb in October '08, telling his parents he felt "lonely and alone". She said he was concerned about what his future held in 2009 and talked about going on holidays for a while. They flew to his home in Melbourne to support him, but, never wanting to worry his family, Richard gave no indication of just how low he'd sunk. "He never would have wanted to hurt anyone," Mr Marsland said this week. "This was not an act of selfishness on his behalf, rather a loss to his recurring battle with depression. This was a way for Richard to get release from his pain and nothing else."
Subsequent to his death, Triple M said his role was to have been expanded on the Pete & Myf show in 2009, but friends said he had been told it would be cut back.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, comedian
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...
and radio personality
Radio personality
A radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
.
Radio
Marsland started his radio career in Adelaide on the SAFMSAFM
SAFM is a commercial FM radio station in Adelaide, Australia, primarily targeted at those in the 16-35 age group on a frequency of 107.1 MHz, and part of Austereo's Today Network.-Station History:...
breakfast show with Greg Fleet
Greg Fleet
-Early life:Greg was born in Michigan, United States. His father moved the family to Australia when Greg was four. He grew up in Geelong and as a teenager boarded at Geelong Grammar School...
, Marty Sheargold
Marty Sheargold
Martin "Marty" Sheargold is an Australian stand-up comedian and radio broadcaster. He is best known for his role on the Triple M radio show The Shebang with Fifi Box...
and James Brayshaw
James Brayshaw
James Antony Brayshaw is a former state cricketer and now Australian television and radio personality. As a cricketer he was known as Jamie Brayshaw. He is the son of former Western Australian cricketer and Australian rules footballer Ian Brayshaw, and the brother of Mark Brayshaw, a former...
. He also co-hosted a live, daily morning program AM Adelaide on Channel 7
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
, Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
with the multiple-Logie award
Logie Award
The TV Week Logie Awards are the Australian television industry awards, which have been presented annually since 1959. Renamed by Graham Kennedy in 1960 after he won the first 'Star Of The Year' award, the name 'Logie' awards honours John Logie Baird, a Scotsman who invented the television as a...
winning Anne Wills, and then hosted The Late Date Show nationally with Bessie Bardot
Bessie Bardot
Bessie Bardot is an Australian businesswoman, author, nude model, television host, and socialite. Her career began in the 1990s, when she was discovered by former Australian Gladiator Geoff Barker, who is now her husband.- Early life :A child of hippie parents, she was born in the Blue Mountains,...
on 2DayFM, 92.9 and FoxFM.
Previously, he was on Tough Love with Mick Molloy
Tough Love with Mick Molloy
ToughLove was an Australian comedic radio talk program broadcast from Melbourne through the Triple M network from 12:00PM - 1:00PM AEST in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide....
, in its first year (2004). He also appeared regularly on Triple M's The Shebang
The Shebang
The Shebang was a radio show broadcast weekday mornings from 6am to 9am AEST in Sydney, Australia on 2MMM, the local Triple M outlet. It was hosted by Marty Sheargold, Fifi Box and Paul Murray with Anthony Maroon as the show anchor...
with Marty Sheargold
Marty Sheargold
Martin "Marty" Sheargold is an Australian stand-up comedian and radio broadcaster. He is best known for his role on the Triple M radio show The Shebang with Fifi Box...
and Fifi Box
Fifi Box
Fifi Box is an Australian radio broadcaster and television personality, formerly hosting The Shebang with Marty Sheargold on Triple M, and presenter on the Seven Network's Sunrise program....
, where he hosted a quiz segment known as "Dick's Box".
In 2006, he became the panel operator on the Triple M
Triple M
The Triple M Network is an active rock radio network in Australia owned by media company Austereo, who also own the Today Network.- History :...
radio program Get This
Get This
Get This was an Australian radio comedy show which aired on Triple M and was hosted by Tony Martin and Ed Kavalee, with contributions from panel operator, the late Richard Marsland...
. He later started contributing verbally to on-air segments, and soon was essentially regarded as a third co-host, along with Tony Martin
Tony Martin (comedian)
Tony Francis Martin is a comedian and writer from Te Kuiti, New Zealand who has had a successful TV, radio, stand-up and film career in Australia.- Career :...
and Ed Kavalee
Ed Kavalee
Edward Robert Kavalee is an Australian actor and radio host. He is currently co-host of a comedy program on the Nine Network, The Joy of Sets, with Tony Martin....
. The last show aired on 23 November 2007.
Marsland also performed on Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
, posing as Family First member Spencer Penrose on the Restoring the Balance
Restoring the Balance
Restoring the Balance is a satirical radio segment that occasionally appears on Australian radio station Triple J, which originally attempted to display the contrasting political views between the then conservative Australian Howard government, and the majority of the Left wing government-funded...
radio show with Tony Moclair
Tony Moclair
Tony Moclair is an Australian actor, writer and comedian. He has worked on various Australian radio networks, often appearing in character rather than as himself.-3RRR Breakfasters:...
.
On 29 January 2008, Richard became anchor/uncredited co-host of Triple M Melbourne's breakfast show Pete & Myf
Pete & Myf
Pete & Myf was a Melbourne breakfast show on Triple M. It was broadcast weekdays from 6am - 9am with "Pete & Myf Re-gifted" being aired on a Saturday. Hosts of the show are Peter Helliar and Myf Warhurst with Mike Fitzpatrick being anchor of the show in 2009...
, and took a similar role as he had on Get This.
Television
He contributed to TV shows such as NewstopiaNewstopia
Newstopia is an Australian half-hour satirical comedy programme hosted by Shaun Micallef. The first series premiered at on SBS TV on 10 October 2007 and concluded on 3 December 2007. A second season began on 27 February 2008 and concluded on 30 April 2008. A third season of the show screened from...
with Shaun Micallef
Shaun Micallef
Shaun Patrick Micallef is an Australian actor, comedian and writer. After ten years of working in insurance law as a solicitor in Adelaide, Micallef moved to Melbourne to pursue a full-time comedy career in 1993...
, The Glass House
The Glass House (TV series)
The Glass House was a half-hour Australian comedy talk show which screened on the ABC from 2001 to 2006.It was hosted by stand-up comedian Wil Anderson, and co-hosted by fellow television and radio comedians Corinne Grant and Dave Hughes...
, and Rove Live, the latter on which he made several appearances in sketches with Ryan Shelton
Ryan Shelton
Ryan Shelton is an Australian comedian, actor, radio presenter, television personality, host and writer.- Biography :He attended St Leonards College for some of his schooling, where he met Hamish Blake...
, including a parody of The Rich List, The Bitch List.
In 2007, Marsland also took up a co-host role on C31 Melbourne's, The Breakfast Show.
Since October 2007, Marsland was a writer on Shaun Micallef
Shaun Micallef
Shaun Patrick Micallef is an Australian actor, comedian and writer. After ten years of working in insurance law as a solicitor in Adelaide, Micallef moved to Melbourne to pursue a full-time comedy career in 1993...
's news satire programme Newstopia
Newstopia
Newstopia is an Australian half-hour satirical comedy programme hosted by Shaun Micallef. The first series premiered at on SBS TV on 10 October 2007 and concluded on 3 December 2007. A second season began on 27 February 2008 and concluded on 30 April 2008. A third season of the show screened from...
which premiered on 10 October on SBS
Special Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
.
On 20 September 2009, Marsland was listed in the end credits of Rove's 10th Anniversary show under Special Thanks.
The Advertiser (Australia)
The Advertiser is a daily tabloid-format newspaper published in the city of Adelaide, South Australia. First published as a broadsheet named "The South Australian Advertiser" on 12 July 1858, it is currently printed daily from Monday to Saturday. A Sunday edition exists under the name of the Sunday...
in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
.
Film
He appeared as a record company executive in the 2006 Australian comedy film, BoyTownBoyTown
BoyTown is a 2006 Australian comedy film, directed by Kevin Carlin and starring an ensemble cast of prominent Australian comedians, including Glenn Robbins, Mick Molloy, Bob Franklin, Wayne Hope and Gary Eck. It was filmed in Melbourne, Victoria....
.
Personal life
Richard used to be a DJ in a Goth nightclub in Adelaide in the 1990s as mentioned a number of times when panelling Get ThisGet This
Get This was an Australian radio comedy show which aired on Triple M and was hosted by Tony Martin and Ed Kavalee, with contributions from panel operator, the late Richard Marsland...
. He was also a huge fan of "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
as was discovered when Yankovic came to Get This
Get This
Get This was an Australian radio comedy show which aired on Triple M and was hosted by Tony Martin and Ed Kavalee, with contributions from panel operator, the late Richard Marsland...
to guest co-host
Death
Marsland died in Melbourne, Australia on 6 December 2008.On Friday 5 December Marsland was meant to have dinner with former colleague Tony Martin
Tony Martin (comedian)
Tony Francis Martin is a comedian and writer from Te Kuiti, New Zealand who has had a successful TV, radio, stand-up and film career in Australia.- Career :...
and friends at a pub, but he never showed. About 8.30pm he phoned his mum Alisson, intent on finding out the family's plans the following day. She secretly hoped the questions related to his penchant for surprise visits home to Adelaide. Instead, it was a final phone call home hours before Richard drove to Shiprock Falls in Victoria's Dandenong Ranges
Dandenong Ranges
The Dandenong Ranges are a set of low mountain ranges, rising to 633 metres at Mount Dandenong, approximately 35 km east of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...
, where he was found dead in his car by a park ranger around 10:30am on Saturday. In an interview Mrs Alisson Marsland and her husband Peter, of Gawler River, said their son had suffered depression and attempted suicide about 10 years ago but few people knew. He recovered after extensive counselling and had been "happy and in control" ever since.
But professional and personal difficulties in 2008, including a relationship break-up, wore down his coping mechanisms. He relapsed and reached his lowest ebb in October '08, telling his parents he felt "lonely and alone". She said he was concerned about what his future held in 2009 and talked about going on holidays for a while. They flew to his home in Melbourne to support him, but, never wanting to worry his family, Richard gave no indication of just how low he'd sunk. "He never would have wanted to hurt anyone," Mr Marsland said this week. "This was not an act of selfishness on his behalf, rather a loss to his recurring battle with depression. This was a way for Richard to get release from his pain and nothing else."
Subsequent to his death, Triple M said his role was to have been expanded on the Pete & Myf show in 2009, but friends said he had been told it would be cut back.