Thomas Zahariou

Last updated

Thomas Zahariou
Born
Thomas Armstrong
Occupation(s)Comedian, Composer
Years active2011–present
Notable work Aunty Donna, Godwolf

Thomas Zahariou is an Australian composer based in Melbourne. He is a founding member of Australian comedy group Aunty Donna, and their associated production company Haven't You Done Well Productions. He currently hosts an Australian Football comedy podcast The Footy with Broden Kelly with fellow Aunty Donna member Broden Kelly.

Contents

Early life

Zahariou grew up in Melbourne, Victoria. While at high school in Melbourne, he met Broden Kelly and Max Miller. [1]

Career

In 2010, his school friend Broden Kelly formed a comedy group with other students from the arts academy of the University of Ballarat. Zahariou and Miller were invited due to their friendship with Kelly. The group now known as Aunty Donna began working on a live show, which debuted at the 2012 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Aunty Donna in Pantsuits. The show was nominated for a Golden Gibbo, for the best newcomers. They then won the People's Choice Award at the 2012 Melbourne Fringe Festival, with their next show Aunty Donna and the fax machine shop. [2]

In 2011, Zahariou and Joe Koske formed an electronic duo, Godwolf, with has been on indefinite hiatus since 2018. [3]

Despite success with the Aunty Donna YouTube channel, including the webseries Glennridge Secondary College and 1999, and international tours, wider success was eluding Aunty Donna. After two failed pilots with the ABC, they managed to gain funding from Netflix to produce Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun, which was released in November 2020. [2] [4] [5]

On the back of this success, Zahariou and Aunty Donna toured Australia, New Zealand, North America and Europe with The Magical Dead Cat Tour, as well as creating Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe for the ABC. [6] [7]

In 2023, Kelly, a lifelong Australian Football fan began a podcast, The Footy with Broden Kelly, co-hosting with Zahariou. Marnie Vinall, a journalist with The Age joined them in mid-2023. In 2024, he shared the story of his battle with Crohns disease, hoping to spread awareness for the disease, and prompt earlier intervention for those who may have it. [8]

Personal life

Zahariou is a Gold Coast Suns fan. He is married with a son. [9]

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References

  1. ↑ "Memes and Drugs: An Interview with Aunty Donna". Medium. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  2. 1 2 Sarah Grynberg (19 March 2024). "Broden Kelly of Aunty Donna contracted Swine Flu". Listen Notes (Podcast). Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  3. ↑ "Godwolf". etcetc. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  4. ↑ "Aunty Donna's director talks the road from Channel 31 to Netflix". Neos Kosmos. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  5. ↑ Zaino, Nick A. (11 June 2018). "Australian Troupe Aunty Donna Brings A New Voice To Sketch Comedy". Wbur. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  6. ↑ "AUNTY DONNA announce North American tour dates for their new show, THE MAGICAL DEAD CAT TOUR as part of their 2023 World Tour". Westbeth Entertainment. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  7. ↑ "Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe review – sketch comedy trio scramble for laughs in new show". The Guardian . Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  8. ↑ ""I've managed to do so many things I wanted to do" – Tom's story". Medium. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  9. ↑ "The Falcon: Ep 37: Dungeons & Demons ft Thomas Zahariou". Listen Notes (Podcast). 4 June 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
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