Adam Hills
Adam Hills is one of Australia's most talented and
widely respected comedians. His unique style of positive, uplifting comedy
and rampant spontaneity have lead to worldwide acclaim and critical success.
Adam's solo shows have received rave reviews
and sell-out houses at the Adelaide Fringe, Melbourne International Comedy
Festival and the Kilkenny Cat Laughs. However it is at the Edinburgh Fringe
Festival that Adam has truly made his mark. Totally sold-out for the past
three years, twice nominated for the Perrier Award, and winner of the inaugural
"Best of the Fest" People's Choice Award in 2002 - Adam has become
one of the hottest attractions at the Fringe.
British Television credits include "The
BBC Stand Up Show", "Live At Jongleurs" and "The World
Comedy Tour" which also screened in Australia, USA and Canada. Back home
Adam has been seen on "Rove Live", "The Glasshouse" and
"Good News Week" and was a team captain on "Campaign"
for thecomedychannel.
Radio wise, Adam co-wrote and co-performed
"We Say Tomay-to", a six-part topical comedy series for BBC Radio
2, has appeared on Radio 4's "Loose Ends", and is a regular guest
on Radio Scotland's "Fred MacAulay Show". Adam has also hosted his
own show on SAFM Adelaide, and has been heard around Australia on Triple J
and the Austereo Network.
"Hills delivers stand up so effortlessly brilliant you wonder why some comedians even get out of bed."- The Guardian
"Comedy so brilliant
it could come with a money back guarantee. If you cannot enjoy Adam Hills
you cannot have a pulse. *****"
- The Scotsman
"Aw hell, just go see him alright.*****" - Metro UK
"Promoters could double the ticket price and Adam Hills would still be a bargain. Adam Hills is an Aussie, and proudly so. Play this child of the '80s a song by the Angels and he is happy. Let him on stage, and those watching him are too." stage left
EDINBRUGH 2003 PERRIER NOMINEE
Congratulations to Adam for recieving a record equalling third consecutive
nomination for the prestigious Perrier Award. Unfortunately it wasn't to be
third time lucky with the award going to American newcomer Demitri Martin.
Adam's show Cut Loose gained five star reviews from it's first outing and
was one of the festivals best selling shows.
LONDON RUN - SOHO THEATRE
London audiences will now be able to experience Adam's magical live show when
he performs a London run at the prestigious Soho Theatre. The shows will run
from 10th - 18th October 2003 (excluding 12th). Tickets are on sale now via
the Soho Theatre
Adam Hills, Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh
By Julian Hall 22 August 2003
"Having seen Hills storm Late 'n' Live a week previously, his rock entrance
for this performance whetted my appetite for another high-octane turn from
the Aussie. Though the audience ambiance at The Pleasance is not the bear
pit that is the Gilded Balloon slot, Hills' performance proved totally consistent.
"I'm having too much fun," he says, and you can see that this is a man who loves his work, though he works a little too hard with the audience at the beginning and end of this show. It's not as if he needs to prove what a good host he is.
Of the many examples of his charm there was a lovely moment where he explains to a boy that a clitoris is the Greek god of hide and seek, yet Hills doesn't dwell down under much in an act tinged with poignancy and wonder.
A tale of a woman who lost friends in the Bali bombing provides unexpected, tasteful comic relief, the skill of Hills here is to let it teeter on the brink of emotion before reining it back to "life goes on" territory. His examination on the effect of climate on attitude and accent is like a Beginners Guide to Montesquieu, we are laughing at credible observations here, and not merely surreal extractions." Independent
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Adam Hills - Cut Loose
Affable as ever but with a fresh, sharp edge
James Mullighan The Scostman
It seems as if Adam Hills has been waiting for his shot at a big room for years now. And, by jingos, as a fellow Aussie might say, is he ready. Sharper and looser than ever, his straight-up charm is still there in buckets, but now sweetening a harder bitten political message than previously. It is one of the most powerful and affirming acts on the Fringe.
Hills loves walking on and wading into the first couple of rows, introducing himself as if he was the last to arrive at the barbie. He does all that: "Where d’you come from?" and: "What d’you do?", those little details that become the glue that binds the show together. He finds punters from around the globe: Scots, Irish, English, Aussies ("g’day!"), some Americans ("easy now"), establishes a United Nationhood in the crowd, then segues into a quick bit on Chechnyan rebels taking over a theatre: "Just thought I’d check first."
And then, suddenly, the salutations are over, the air thickens, and Hills is off into the material. This year, he’s got plenty to say. He calls it "cutting loose" but "getting things out of his system that are really bugging him" would be a more accurate, if slightly more ungainly, title. For several years, Hills’s stock-in-trade has been his fellow Australians’ affability, their turn-a-laid-back cheek bemusement to, well, everything. How many foot pounds of laughter has he leveraged off Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin’s "oh, yeah!" catch-cry?
All this changed for Hills since 9/11 and, especially, the Bali bombing in which 81 Australians died. He found himself playing packed, tense rooms of confused punters, desperately seeking answers. Those he couldn’t offer, of course, but catharsis he could. Let’s talk, share, get choked up, and laugh away some tensions, so as to start the long journey towards mutual understanding and tolerance. It’s deeply political and moving stuff from the cheery thumbs-up purveyor of the "Go You Big Red Fire Engine" catchline. Very politically correct, sure, but in the best possible sense of the term, not even remotely woolly liberal.
All that, and what scintillating form he’s in. Clearly confident in his strong material, the already relaxed Hills is seeing them like Bradman. His timing is immaculate, his rejoinders perfectly pitched, drawn from a seemingly bottomless well of experience.
Try to book for a Sunday, if you can get a ticket, when Hills has his show signed. Watching the charming, implacable Catherine King do "wanker" or "titsbumfanny" is funny enough, but when Hills sings his set-ending Baby’s Oxymoronic, with guitarist-mate Pete Monaghan, and poor Catherine has to do "constipated/colonic", the house is on its feet, roaring. The
What the kids on Chortle say
Saw him at Reading, doing a 45 minute version of his edinburgh show. he was
funny, clever and some of his jokes were definately not predictable. Uses
crowd participation and takes heckles well and counters them with jokes and
stories. Go you big red fire engine. Jamie Hill 01.09.03
Saw Adam at the Reading Festival on Friday, and I haven't laughed like that in bloody ages. Can't wait to see him again. Go you big funny Ozzy! Jo Bird 26.08.03
As usual he was nothing short of brilliant at The Cat Laughs In Kilkenny last night. He had us in the palm of his hand. Not only was his material hilarious but educational also. He really does his homework Margo 02.06.03
Bloody brilliant Jack 10.05.03
A man that makes you laugh out loud and is so yummy? Strewth, that's a rarity. He should be playing bigger venues though, go and see him now. Lizzy 27.02.03
Nice is too lame a word for him,this has got to be one of the best reasons to go see live comedy.What a sex god Nicola 13.02.03
Adam Hills is the best comic on the scene today.
How he's manged to come home Perrier-less twice running I don't know. Anthony
Williams 23.01.03