ANTHONY MORGAN Comedian/Writer
"Free wheeling, free falling and free of logical structure" The Age
Anthony Morgan has been working as a stand up comic since 1982. In 1998 Anthony stunned the comedy industry and his management by announcing on stage in front of 2000 people that he was retiring. The existence of an updated biography probably means that you can whack a "semi" in front of that "retirement".
Anthony's conversational stand up style has taken him to every city in Australia, to London, Manchester and twice to the Edinburgh Festival. Anthony's stand up seeks to come to grips with the simple matters of domestic, political and social life. He does this by making these matters unimaginably complex then seeking to explain them to himself and the audience members. The result is ultimately satisfying but thoroughly confusing.
"Morgan provided markedly superior comedy" The Sunday Times (UK)
Anthony is a consummate live performer and has received awards at both the Melbourne and Adelaide Fringe Festivals. He presented a show at every Melbourne Comedy Festival until his announcement in 1998 and constantly produced new live work in Melbourne and around the country.
Most people however know Anthony for his television work. This started in 1991 as a regular on the BIG GIG (ABC) and spots on HEY, HEY IT'S SATURDAY and TONIGHT LIVE. In 1994 Anthony became the Melbourne correspondent for DENTON (Seven Network). This more than anything else brought Anthony to the public's attention. Anthony's regular crosses saw him boxing against world champions, proclaiming his love to Kylie Minogue and getting a tattoo of Lenny Bruce on his back. Anthony also appeared on the Melbourne Comedy Festival debates shown on both the ABC and the Seven Network in 1994, 1995 and 1997. Most recently, he's even been spotted on the ABC's SPICKS and SPECKS, more often than not resplendent in a well-loved cowboy hat.
In the 1996 Melbourne Comedy Festival Anthony produced, INK, PINK, YOU STINK. Three separate shows to sold out houses in the 1300 seat Melbourne Town Hall. In 1997 more fans again flocked to see Anthony with his five piece band, "RON".
"wonderful comedy - daring, vulnerable and rivettingly honest" The Age
Post retirement he returned in 2000, initially popping up at venues around Melbourne and reprising his 1994 Melbourne Comedy Festival hit, MORGAN'S BAR AND GRILL at the Comedy Festival. Later that year, Anthony launched his first new show since "retirement"; Bag Of Nails at the Melbourne Fringe Festival. This show saw Anthony back in full swing. It proved to be a welcome homecoming for old fans and something of a master-class for the uninitiated. Anthony followed up with the seething and dangerous self-titled ANTHONY MORGAN in the next year's Melbourne Comedy Festival. After helping to close the Prince Patrick Hotel in January 2003, Morgan was up for a quiet drink and a fortnight of good old fashioned pub shows at Bar Open in August.
In 2006 he returned to the Melbourne Comedy Festival travelling from his new found home in Tassie to perform for two weeks, and then again in 2007 with his new show Sackful of Bullfrogs. Morgan is expecting to find himself back in the festival every year for the foreseeable to keep us all up to date on the comings and goings in Tassie as well as the comings and goings in his mind.
"a brutally honest, hazy, yet disarmingly frank show" The Age
