Stephen Hall | |
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Born | Melbourne, Australia | 17 May 1969
Years active | 1987−present |
Stephen Hall (born 17 May 1969) is an Australian actor, writer and producer.
Hall's career in television includes acting, writing and production duties. He was the host of Under Melbourne Tonight, a weekly live variety hour television program produced by RMITV that broadcast on C31 Melbourne from 1993 to 1998. [1] He has appeared in the long-running television series Neighbours , and in 2008 he performed the role of Warren in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) television comedy series The Hollowmen [2]
He has also appeared in telemovies, including The King (2007), playing the role of Bert Newton.
As a producer, he worked on the Australian version of the game show Deal or No Deal .
As a TV writer he has worked on many Australian comedy and light entertainment TV productions, such as BackBerner , Big Bite , Full Frontal , and Spicks and Specks . He was a writer on the third series of the weekly satirical comedy programme Newstopia , broadcast on SBS in 2008. [3] From 2009 to 2012, Hall served as head writer on the comedy game show Talkin' 'bout Your Generation . [4] In 2013, he wrote for ABC-TV's weekly satirical comedy show Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell , and Adam Hills Tonight series 2, of which he was also the Studio Producer.
As of 2014, Hall is a regular cast member on Shaun Micallef's Mad As Hell, [5] with popular characters including the political spokesman Darius Horsham. [6]
Hall's movie career includes appearances in Romper Stomper, The Wog Boy , Now Add Honey , That's Not My Dog! and Fraud Festival.
Hall starred in the original Australian professional production of Monty Python's Spamalot in 2007, playing the roles of Lancelot, The French Taunter, Tim The Enchanter and The Head Knight of "Ni". [7]
In 2011, Hall co-wrote (with Michael Ward) the comedy stage show Bond-A-Rama! Every James Bond Film Live On Stage, [8] in which he played the roles of Sean Connery, Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan. The show sold out, prompting a second season in 2012. [9]
In 2013, Hall wrote, produced and performed in the one man stage show Raiders of the Temple of Doom's Last Crusade; One Man Performs Three Indiana Jones Movies in One Hour, for the Melbourne Fringe Festival. [10] The show was then revived for a successful season in the 2014 Melbourne International Comedy Festival. [11]
In March 2016, John Cleese cast Hall as Basil Fawlty in Cleese's own stage adaptation of his TV series Fawlty Towers . [12] Fawlty Towers Live opened in Sydney at the Roslyn Packer Theatre in August 2016, and toured Australia, running for 157 performances before finishing in Brisbane on 22 January 2017. The show received favourable reviews in each city it played in. [13] [14] [15] [16]
In 2023, Hall wrote, produced and performed in the one man stage show LETTERS FROM MY HEROES... if they'd actually bothered to write back, for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. The show was then revived for a successful tour of regional Victoria in June and July of 2024.
Hall is an experienced voice actor for animation, playing characters in Cartoon Network's Monster Beach and Exchange Student Zero , along with roles in Kitty Is Not a Cat , Get Ace and Pacific Heat ... as seen in this showreel.
In September 2015, Hall released his first eBook How To Win Game Shows, which is a 197-page compilation of winning tips, hints and techniques plus interviews with game show champions, hosts, producers and question writers.
From May 2019 to May 2020, Hall wrote the first draft of his science fiction adventure novel Symphony Under Siege, releasing a new chapter online each week, at www.TheStephenHall.com/novel-chapters. During its writing, he also kept a weekly video diary chronicling the experiment. Symphony Under Siege is now available as a paperback on Amazon, as an audiobook on Audible and as an eBook on a number of platforms.
In September 2022, he released his third book 50 Things To Be Seriously Grateful For Today* *and 50 not-so-serious things to illustrate them , which he describes as "a very sincere, very silly non-fiction book... that also happens to be chock full of fiction".
From 1989 - 1993, Hall was one of the members of the late night (/ very early morning) comedy show The Marta Thripp Druidic Building Society Show TSP (in colour), on the Melbourne community radio station 3RRR.
In 2015, he guest starred in the second series of Australian science fiction audio drama Night Terrace , playing the dual roles of Francisco de Cuellar and Sir Francis Drake in the episode "The Retirement of Horatio Gray". Originally available only as a digital download, the series was later broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra as part of their "7th Dimension" programme. [17]
In August 2005, Hall completed seven nights on the quiz show Temptation , becoming the program's second Grand Champion, and the second largest quiz or game show winner in Australian television history (at that time), winning $672,357 in cash and prizes. [18] The following year, he won the title of "Australia's Brainiest Quiz Master" on the Australian TV program of the same name and donating $20,000 to RSPCA, and appeared as part of The Brains Trust on The Einstein Factor .
Since 2013, he has run the blog www.HowToWinGameShows.com, which aims to provide tips and hints for winning game shows.
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1988 | All the Way | Richard Dodds | TV series |
1989 | The Flying Doctors | Constable Pat Chandler | TV series |
1990 | Neighbours | Gary "Boof" Head | TV series |
1993 | RFDS | Keith Bainbridge | TV series |
1993-98 | Under Melbourne Tonight | Host | TV series |
1994 | A Country Practice | Dennis Chubb | TV series |
1994 | The Damnation of Harvey McHugh | Smedley | TV miniseries |
1995 | The Last Bullet | Fitzgerald | TV movie |
1999 | BackBerner | Various characters | TV series |
2000 | Russell Gilbert Live | Various characters | TV sketch series |
2003 | Welcher & Welcher | Security guard | TV series |
2003 | After the Deluge | Maggie's husband | TV miniseries |
2003 | Big Bite | Various characters | TV sketch series |
2004 | 2004 AFI Awards | James Killarney | TV special |
2004-09 | The Einstein Factor | The Brains Trust panel member (regular) | TV game series |
2005 | Temptation | Contestant (winner) | TV game series |
2006 | Australia's Brainiest | Contestant (Australia's Brainiest Quiz Master) | TV game series |
2008 | Newstopia | William Shatner | TV series |
2008 | The Hollowmen | Warren | TV series |
2010 | Offspring | Grown Up Man | TV series pilot |
2010 | Tangle | Dr Ian Hill | TV series |
2010 | Killing Time | Ken Garland | TV series |
2011 | Beaconsfield | Howard Sacre | TV miniseries |
2011 | The Slap | Jim, the Businessman | TV miniseries |
2011-22 | Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell | Darius Horsham & various characters | TV series |
2012 | Get Ace | Jack Union (voice) | Animated TV series |
2013 | The Time of Our Lives | Bam Bam | TV series |
2014 | Upper Middle Bogan | Digby Nolan | TV series, season 2 |
2015 | Exchange Student Zero | Voice | Animated TV series |
2016 | The Wrong Girl | Graeme the Coin Guy | TV series |
2016-17 | Pacific Heat | Voice | Animated TV series |
2017 | When TV Was Awesome | Narrator | TV special |
2017-19 | Kitty is Not a Cat | The Nazz / Lucky Chuck (voice) | Animated TV series |
2017-19 | Mustangs FC | Kev | TV series |
2018 | True Story | Dr Santos | TV series, season 2 |
2019 | Monster Beach | Butterfield (voice) | Animated TV series |
2020 | Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell - Christmas Special | Various characters | TV special |
2022 | We Interrupt This Broadcast | Guest | TV sketch series |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1992 | Romper Stomper | Flea | Feature film |
2000 | The Wog Boy | Sergeant | Feature film |
2007 | The King | Bert Newton | TV movie |
2015 | Now Add Honey | Concierge | Feature film |
2018 | That's Not My Dog! | Himself | Feature film |
Fraud Festival | Feature film |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Deal or No Deal | Producer | TV game series | |
BackBerner | Writer | TV series | |
Big Bite | Writer | TV series | |
Full Frontal | Writer | TV series | |
Spicks and Specks | Writer | TV game series | |
2008 | Newstopia | Writer | TV series, season 3 |
2009-12 | Talkin' 'bout Your Generation | Head writer | TV game series |
2012 | Adam Hills Tonight | Writer / Studio producer | TV series, season 2 |
2013 | Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell | Writer | TV series |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2001 | I Said I Said | Phineas Witt | Melbourne International Comedy Festival |
2007 | Monty Python's Spamalot | Lancelot, The French Taunter, Tim The Enchanter & The Head Knight of "Ni" | Ozalot Pty Ltd |
2011-12 | Bond-A-Rama! Every James Bond Film Live On Stage | Sean Connery, Roger Moore & Pierce Brosnan | |
2013/14 | Raiders of the Temple of Doom's Last Crusade; One Man Performs Three Indiana Jones Movies in One Hour | Performer | Melbourne Fringe Festival / Melbourne International Comedy Festival (also writer & producer |
2016-17 | Fawlty Towers Live | Basil Fawlty | Roslyn Packer Theatre & Australian tour, 157 performances |
2017 | Brigadoon | Archie Beaton | The Production Company |
Year | Title | Notes |
---|---|---|
2015 | How To Win Game Shows | eBook |
2019-20 | Symphony Under Siege | Paperback & eBook |
2022 | 50 Things To Be Seriously Grateful For Today* *and 50 not-so-serious things to illustrate them |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1989-93 | The Marta Thripp Druidic Building Society Show TSP (in colour) | Core cast member | 3RRR |
1999 | Breakfasters | Guest | 3RRR |
2005 | The Loading Zone | Guest panellist | ABC Radio |
2006 | Home with the Howards | John Howard | ABC Radio |
2015 | Night Terrace | Francisco de Cuellar & Sir Francis Drake | Digital; Season 2, episode: "The Retirement of Horatio Gray" (later broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra |
Fawlty Towers is a British television sitcom written by John Cleese and Connie Booth, originally broadcast on BBC Two in 1975 and 1979. Two series of six episodes each were made. The series is set in Fawlty Towers, a dysfunctional fictional hotel in the English seaside town of Torquay in Devon. The plots centre on the tense, rude and put-upon owner Basil Fawlty (Cleese), his bossy wife Sybil, the sensible chambermaid Polly (Booth), and the hapless and English-challenged Spanish waiter Manuel. They show their attempts to run the hotel amidst farcical situations and an array of demanding and eccentric guests and tradespeople.
John Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, and presenter. Emerging from the Cambridge Footlights in the 1960s, he first achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report. In the late 1960s, he cofounded Monty Python, the comedy troupe responsible for the sketch show Monty Python's Flying Circus. Along with his Python costars Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Graham Chapman, Cleese starred in Monty Python films, which include Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), Life of Brian (1979), and The Meaning of Life (1983).
Monty Python were a British comedy troupe formed in 1969 consisting of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin. The group came to prominence for the sketch comedy series Monty Python's Flying Circus, which aired on the BBC from 1969 to 1974. Their work then developed into a larger collection that included live shows, films, albums, books, and musicals; their influence on comedy has been compared to the Beatles' influence on music. Their sketch show has been called "an important moment in the evolution of television comedy".
Santo Luigi Cilauro is an Australian comedian, television and feature film producer, screenwriter, actor, author and cameraman who is also a co-founder of The D-Generation. Known as the weatherman in Frontline, he is also an author and former radio presenter on Triple M, and achieved worldwide fame with the viral video Elektronik Supersonik.
Anthony Francis Martin is a New Zealand comedian, writer and actor, who has had a successful TV, radio, stand-up and film career in Australia.
Shaun Patrick Micallef is an Australian comedian, actor, writer and television presenter. He was the host of the satirical news comedy series Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell on the ABC. He also hosted the game show Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation on Channel 10.
Gary McCaffrie is an Australian television comedy writer and producer, best known for his work on Fast Forward and Full Frontal, and his many collaborations with comedian Shaun Micallef. Most recently he was the creator and co-writer of Very Small Business (2008).
The D-Generation was a popular and influential Australian TV sketch comedy show, produced and broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) for two series, between 1986 and 1987. A further four specials were broadcast on the Seven Network between 1988 and 1989. The show would also serve as a stepping stone for many early incarnations of iconic characters, including Lynne Postlethwaite, Gina Hard-Faced B***h, Eileen Maverick and Kelvin Cunnington.
Francis Greenslade is an Australian comedic actor and acting teacher.
Jason Stephens is an Australian actor and comedian. He was educated at Wesley College, Melbourne and signed up as a writer on the second season of the ABC comedy The D-Generation (1987), before graduating to the role of writer/performer on the latter years of D-Gen's Triple M radio show (1990–1992). Stephens also performed with Tony Martin, Mick Molloy and John Harrison on the 1991 radio show Bulltwang and was a writer/performer on the D-Gen's subsequent TV venture, The Late Show (1992–1993). Along with Mick Molloy, Stephens hosted the Late Show segment Muckrakers. After The Late Show ended, Stephens became involved in other TV comedy programmes, including a stint as director on the Network Ten comedy Totally Full Frontal (1998). From 2004 - 2014 Stephens worked as the creative director for FremantleMedia Australia, one of Australia's leading independent television production companies.
Payne is a 1999 American sitcom adapted from the 1970s British television comedy Fawlty Towers. This adaptation, which was a mid-season replacement on CBS, originally aired from March 15 to May 4, 1999. It costars John Larroquette, who was also an executive producer for the series, and JoBeth Williams. Featured too as regular supporting characters are Julie Benz and Rick Batalla. Despite receiving the blessing of John Cleese, who reportedly agreed to be an "irregular cast member" and perform in a recurring role as a rival hotelier if Payne were renewed, the series was cancelled following the broadcast of its eighth episode. A total of nine episodes were filmed, but one was not aired as part of the series' original presentation on CBS.
Richard Kemble Marsland was an Australian comedy writer, actor, comedian and radio personality. At the time of his death, Marsland co-hosted on Triple M after starting his radio career in Adelaide on the SAFM breakfast show.
Kate Jenkinson is an Australian actress, known for her various roles on The Wedge, as well as her role of Kendall Quinn on Super Fun Night. She is known for her role as Allie Novak in the Australian TV series Wentworth.
Rosalind Hammond, often credited as Ros or Roz, is an Australian actress and writer who has worked in theatre, film, and television. Hammond's television appearances include the role of Heather in ABC's Bay of Fires, Claudia in The Heights, and ten seasons of Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell.
Sam Simmons is an Australian comedian, actor, and radio and TV presenter. He has toured extensively with his stand-up shows, as well as many appearances on TV in Australia, the US, and the UK. He has won and been nominated for many awards, and won the Helpmann Award for Best Comedy Performer in 2014.
Newstopia is an Australian half-hour satirical comedy programme hosted by Shaun Micallef. The first season premiered at 10:00 pm 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 1 October to 3 December 2008. The show was developed by Micallef, Gary McCaffrie, Michael Ward and Jason Stephens, with McCaffrie and Ward working as writers on the programme. A fourth season in 2009 was planned, but cancelled due to production clashes with Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation.
Katherine Louise Stewart is an Australian actress who has made numerous appearances in television series, movies and on-stage.
Emily Taheny is an Australian comedian, television actress and singer known for her multiple appearances on the sketch comedy television series Comedy Inc. from 2003 through 2007, her role as "Kat" on the 2009 series The Jesters, and as a regular cast member on long-running satirical news program Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell. She was born at Warooka, Yorke Peninsula, South Australia.
Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell is an Australian comedy news television program hosted by Shaun Micallef. The show first aired on ABC at 8:00 pm on Friday 25 May 2012. The show was named as Most Outstanding Comedy Program at the Logie Awards of 2016. Its title is a reference to the 1976 American satirical black comedy-drama film Network.
Fawlty Towers: The Play is a comedy play by John Cleese based on his TV sitcom of the same name that he co-wrote with Connie Booth.
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