Rod Quantock

Last updated

Rod Quantock
Rod quantock art.jpg
Rod Quantock as featured in an art piece at the Trades Hall.
Born1948 (age 74–75)
Medium Cabaret, theatre, television, radio, print, corporate sector
NationalityAustralian
Years active1975–present
Genres Political satire
Website www.quantock.com.au

Rodney Edward Quantock OAM (born 1948) is an Australian stand-up comedian and writer. [1] [2] Quantock is known for his pioneering style of stand-up comedy, which is often politically driven, as well as being the face of bed retailer Capt'n Snooze for many years. Described as "a living Melbourne treasure" by The Age newspaper, he has also achieved great prominence with his involvement in political activism and social justice and as a speaker at many public and corporate events.

Contents

Biography

Early life

Quantock grew up in Coburg. His father worked in Fitzroy in a metal polishing factory and as a tram conductor. Before venturing into professional comedy, Quantock studied architecture at the University of Melbourne for 5 years. His interest in comedy started at the university Architect's revue in 1969, [3] where he felt extremely comfortable once onstage. It was here that he met his future wife Mary Kenneally. One of Quantock's sisters, Loris, is a Sydney-based artist. [4]

Break into theatre

Quantock's break into theatre came in the early '70s. Quantock played a large part in the rebirth of live theatre in Australia in the '70s, conceiving and performing in full-scale productions for many of Australia's comedy venues including The Flying Trapeze Cafe, Foibles Theatre Restaurant, The Last Laugh, The Comedy Café and the Trades Hall. [5] [6]

Along with Kenneally, Geoff Brooks and Stephen Blackburn, Quantock opened and operated The Comedy Cafe and Banana Lounge.

Television

Quantock became more involved in television in the early 80s and the 90s, working on the series Ratbags , Australia You're Standing In It , Fast Forward , Denton , [3] BackBerner and was a regular on The Big Gig and Good News Week . [7]

In 2005, he appeared as the subject of an art exhibition displayed at Crown Casino.

Quantock was a founding member on the Melbourne International Comedy Festival board, [7] a consultant to the Melbourne Moomba Festival [7] and a member of the Arts Committee of the Bicentennial BHP Awards For Excellence.

Capt'n Snooze

Quantock starred in a series of television advertisements for bed retailer Capt'n Snooze from the '80s to the late '90s. In a working relationship spanning 18 years, Quantock explains that there were "a lot of things about Capt'n Snooze that were good and a lot of things that were bad" [8] but concedes that his main reason for continuing to be the face of Capt'n Snooze was financial:

They said, "All you've got to do is wear a little nightshirt and put a hat on and jump up and down on beds and you can have that semi-trailer full of money". But I think it made me a bit less ambitious in terms of comedy. I mean I won’t go into the details, but we’ve had a lot of medical problems in our family, so that money took a lot of pressure off working professionally as a comedian. So I regret it at that level. I think I probably would be a better comedian, doing more interesting things if I hadn't have had that in my life. [9]

Bus

Quantock conducted various evening bus tours of Melbourne and other parts of Victoria since the early '80s, a concept called Bus, Son of Tram or just Bus, where a group of people would travel on a bus with him to a surprise location to meet other people who had no idea of their coming. The success of the bus tour depended largely on the element of surprise and the results were almost always comical. [10] Quantock saw it as a way of seeing how frightened people have become:

We've got gated communities; we've got car alarms; we've got people putting steel shutters over their windows at night. People are frightened – of other people taking what they've got, of being killed, I suppose – so the thing I am going to find most interesting is how severe security has become but also as a way of introduc[ing] unsuspecting people to this idea that the world's not such a frightening place and you can have fun with strangers." [11]

The audience members were all given Groucho Marx masks and Rod carried a rubber chicken on a stick, [3] named Trevor.

Political activism

Quantock supports left-wing politics and was the host of the 1997, 1998 and 2004 Ska-TV Activist awards which were broadcast on community television around Australia.

He gave a speech at 17 January 2010 rally at the closure of The Tote Hotel.

He was MC at a number of rallies and public meetings in the campaign to stop the East-West Link. . [12] [13]

In 2014, Quantock became a research associate at the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, University of Melbourne, working on the presentation of climate change impacts and resource crises. [7]

Double Disillusion

From 1989–1994, Quantock was a weekly columnist for the Sunday Age [7] and in September 1999, Double Disillusion, a compilation book of these columns and some of his live performances, was published.

Awards

Biography by year

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melbourne International Comedy Festival</span> Annual comedy festival in Melbourne, Australia

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) is the largest stand-alone comedy festival and the second-largest international comedy festival in the world. Established in 1987, it takes place annually in Melbourne over four weeks, typically starting in March and running through to April. The Melbourne Town Hall has served as the festival hub, but performances are held in many venues throughout the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Hughes</span> Australian stand-up comedian and a radio and television presenter

David William Hughes is an Australian stand-up comedian, television and radio presenter. He is known for his larrikin personality, drawling Australian accent, and deadpan comedic delivery. Hughes co-hosts Hughesy, Ed & Erin with Ed Kavalee & Erin Molan on 2DayFM and is also a guesser on The Masked Singer Australia with Mel B, Chrissie Swan and Abbie Chatfield on Network 10.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Denton</span> Australian television producer, comedian and host

Andrew Christopher Denton is an Australian television producer, comedian, Gold Logie–nominated television presenter and former radio host, and was the host of the ABC's weekly television interview program Enough Rope and the ABC game show Randling. He is known for his comedy and interviewing technique. He is also responsible for introducing the troupe of The Chaser to Australian audiences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colin Lane</span> Australian comedian and actor

Colin Stuart Lane is an Australian comedian, actor and TV host, best known for being one-half of comedy duo Lano and Woodley.

Frank Woodley is an Australian comedian, author and musician who is best known for his work alongside Colin Lane as part of the comedic duo Lano and Woodley. The two first performed together for almost 20 years in live shows, a television series and an album of comedic songs, before deciding to pursue individual careers in 2006. They announced their reformation in November 2017.

Australia You're Standing In It is an Australian sketch comedy series produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, first screened in September 1983 with a second series screened in September 1984. In honour of the 30th Anniversary of the show, the complete series was released on DVD on 13 March 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eddie Perfect</span> Australian actor and comedian

Eddie Perfect is an Australian singer-songwriter, pianist, comedian, writer and actor.

The Green Room Awards are peer awards which recognise excellence in Cabaret, Dance, Theatre Companies, Independent Theatre, Musical Theatre, Contemporary and Experimental Performance and Opera in Melbourne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wendy Harmer</span> Australian comedian and writer

Wendy Gai Harmer is an Australian author, children's writer, journalist, playwright, dramatist, radio show host, comedian, and television personality.

<i>Stand Up Australia</i> Australian TV series or program

Stand Up Australia was an Australian comedy TV program locally produced by The Comedy Channel from 2006 to 2008.

Jeremy Leo Kewley is an Australian actor, writer, producer and convicted child sex offender. He made his professional acting debut as an adolescent in the feature film The Devil's Playground (1976).

Gerald William Connolly 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, Ronald Reagan, Joh Bjelke-Petersen, Neville Wran, Malcolm Fraser, Bob Hawke, Paul Keating, John Howard, Bill Collins and Dame Joan Sutherland, amongst many others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian comedy</span> Australian television series

Australian comedy refers to the comedy and humour performed in or about Australia or by the people of Australia. Australian humour can be traced to various origins, and today is manifested in a diversity of cultural practices and pursuits. Writers like Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson helped to establish a tradition of laconic, ironic and irreverent wit in Australian literature, while Australian politicians and cultural stereotypes have each proved rich sources of comedy for artists from poet C. J. Dennis to satirist Barry Humphries to iconic film maker Paul Hogan, each of whom have given wide circulation to Australian slang.

St Martins Youth Arts Centre is a youth-focused performing arts centre in South Yarra in inner Melbourne. It is a non-profit organisation that makes contemporary theatre works for adult audiences and runs weekly drama workshops for young people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celia Pacquola</span> Australian comedian and actress (born 1983)

Celia Pacquola is an Australian comedian, writer, presenter and actor who performs predominantly in Australia and the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luke McGregor</span> Australian comedian, writer and actor (born 1983)

Luke William McGregor is an Australian comedian, writer and actor, who has performed at various national and international comedy festivals, as himself in many TV shows, and is known for his roles in the ABC TV series Utopia and Rosehaven.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nazeem Hussain</span> Australian comedian

Nazeem Hussain is an Australian comedian, actor, television and radio presenter.

Stop Laughing...This Is Serious is a conversational-style Australian television documentary program which debuted in 2015 on the ABC. The first season of three episodes is narrated by Eric Bana and features 63 well-known comedians and actors who analyse the history of comedy in Australia and relive their own experiences. It includes Barry Humphries, Andrew Denton, Adam Hills, Shaun Micallef, Garry McDonald, Magda Szubanski and Paul Hogan. The second season, narrated by Colin Lane, screened in 2017. Its title references a famous 1933 cartoon by Stan Cross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karl Chandler (comedian)</span> Australian writer and entertainer

Karl Chandler is an Australian writer and light entertainer. He co-hosts the popular comedy podcast The Little Dum Dum Club with Tommy Dassalo. Chandler grew up in the small rural Victorian town of Maryborough. He has written for many TV shows, like Hard Quiz, Spicks and Specks, and The Project, and written and been part of the cast for shows like Studio A.

Anne Elizabeth Gabrielle Edmonds is an Australian comedian and actor best known for her stand-up work and for creating and starring in the ABC comedy series The Edge of the Bush. Beginning her career in comedy at 29 (2010) after working in mental health in rural Australia, Edmonds uses her suburban background, singing/songwriting and storytelling to create a fearless, self-deprecating and often macabre stand up voice. Humiliation and despair are central themes to Edmonds' comedy, as are stories of teenage mischief, sex, failure, relationships and loneliness.

References

  1. ↑ McCallum, Brendan (12 April 2007). "Rob Quantock – An Inconvenient Interview". Articles. Spark Online. Archived from the original on 6 October 2009.
  2. ↑ Bailey, John (12 February 2007). "Court in the Act". The Age .
  3. 1 2 3 Cunningham, Sophie (2010). Melbourne. Sydney: UNSW Press. pp. 79–80. ISBN   9781742240442.
  4. ↑ "If you do one thing today . . ". The Age. 8 April 2005. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  5. ↑ Bedwell, Steve (2007). Vizard Uncut. Melbourne University Publish. pp. 86–87. ISBN   9780522854749 – via Google books.
  6. ↑ Fitzgerald, Ross; Murphy, Rick (2011). "5". AustenTayshus-Merchant of Menace. The GHR Press. ISBN   9780868064581 – via Google Books.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Honours" (PDF). Governor General of the Commonwealth of Victoria. 2010. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  8. ↑ Thompson, Peter (24 October 2005). "Talking Heads – Rod Quantock". ABC.
  9. ↑ Denton, Andrew (25 September 2006). "Enough Rope with Andrew Denton – Rod Quantock". ABC. Archived from the original on 28 February 2015.
  10. ↑ Macklin, Robert (2 May 1993). "Adventure bus startles a few toffy diners". The Canberra Times. p. 20. Retrieved 12 September 2018– via Trove.
  11. ↑ Bunbury, Stephanie (6 December 2002). "Back on the buses". The Age .
  12. ↑ "Rally: All I Want For Xmas Is Better Public Transport". Yarra Campaign for Action on Transport. 5 December 2013. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  13. ↑ "Trains Not Tolls Campaign Launch". Yarra Campaign for Action on Transport. 15 June 2013. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  14. ↑ Cuthbertson, Debbie (7 June 2015). "Comedian and environmental activist Rod Quantock receives Medal of the Order of Australia in Queen's Birthday Honours". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  15. ↑ Cahill, Mikey (22 April 2012). "Dr Brown wins 2012 Melbourne International Comedy Festival Barry Award". Herald Sun. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  16. ↑ "1997 Green Room Awards". Green Room Awards. 17 February 1998. Archived from the original on 5 January 2008.
  17. ↑ "Rod Quantock". Artists. Token. 25 September 2006. Archived from the original on 6 February 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.