COMEDY: PETER HELLIAR’S DREAMBOAT
“Did you know Tiger Woods’ nickname at Stanford was Urkel? That’s more embarrassing than all the cocktail waitresses and hookers put together,” says Peter Helliar, Rove McManus’ sidekick on ROVE the last ten years. Peter is feeling a nervous excitement about his solo comedy tour but unlike Woods, he has little to be embarrassed about. Peter has done radio, television and written and starred in an upcoming feature film. Is there anything the man wouldn’t do? “I probably wouldn’t do a Sham Wow informercial but you never say never.” Now he’s going back to his comedy roots in stand up. “Stand up is the untameable beast. Whenever you think you’re in control of it, it knocks you on your arse. But I do love trying to tame it,” he says. And tame it he will as the captain of Dreamboat. “It’s a name I’ve always loved in reference to the teen idols of the 50s and 60s. It’s a funny term. What does it mean? I get the dreamy reference but what’s James Dean got to do with a boat?” he muses. He does, however, guarantees to deliver the funniest 80 minutes he can. And what will the 80-minute cruise entail? “Pure escapism. You won’t learn a thing. That’s a promise.”
Jan 5-17, Playhouse, Sydney Opera House, $29.50-37.50, 9250 7777 or sydneyoperahouse.com
