Bryan Dawe

Presentations as himself 
A Satirist’s Journey (includes an interview with Sir Murray Rivers on screen)
From the grim educational pickings of working class Port Adelaide in the 1950’s and 60's, surviving the advice of his alleged ‘career advisory officer’, Bryan escaped from high school at 15 and went on to become one of Australia's finest humorists. His journey has resembled the comment of fellow humorist, the late Spike Milligan, who said of his life 'I have nothing organised, so nothing can go wrong'.

At school, Bryan was told couldn't become a writer, performer or work on radio. His expressed desire to become a Barrister was quickly dismissed by his career advisory officer on the basis that he came from the “wrong background”. Despite this 'advice' Bryan went on to write, direct and perform on radio, stage, film and television for over 35 years. He also eventually became a Barrister - ‘Sir Murray Rivers QC’. Not only did Bryan create a lawyer, to the chagrin of his Career Advisory Officer, he made him a Judge and knighted Sir Murray as well! In late 2012 and early 2013, Bryan was the keynote speaker at the South Australian and the Victorian Bar Association’s dinners. He was given a standing ovation on both occasions.

A Satirist’s Journey is an highly amusing and at times poignant story (and a cautionary tale for those taking advice from a School Advisory Officer) in which we also meet Bryan’s two endearing characters: Roly Parks from Kalangadoo and the outrageous Sir Murray Rivers QC. In a hilarious interview “via satellite from Canberra”, Bryan on stage interviews ‘Sir Murray Rivers’ on screen). ‘His Honour ‘provides a very opinionated update on how the Federal election is going and what the colony might look like under an Abbott Government. It is a clever piece of multi-media illusion that has the audience in stitches.

The Art of Catching Trains
Growing up Bryan Dawe's backyard was the wharves, the Port river and the sight of the soon to be replaced steam locomotives ploughing their final journeys from the docks of Port Adelaide to the city of Adelaide. Born next to a busy rail line, Bryan fell in love with rail travel early and the fascination has never ceased. He has travelled on trains across Australia, Western and Eastern   Europe, Turkey, Morocco and Iran.

In a fascinating and humorous multi-media presentation, Bryan takes his audience on a story telling journey covering almost 60 years of train travel. Awaking the audience’s love of trains he tantalises them  by suggesting that they forgetting flying when there is a choice of a journey by train, encouraging them to take their time, their wine, a block of smelly cheese and their friends, on a veritable 'train picnic'.

Perfect as an after dinner presentation.

Political satire in character 
Sir Murray Rivers QC
Sir Murray Rivers QC (retired) is one of Australia's most controversial legal and political figures. He is a former Victorian Supreme Court Judge and an outspoken media commentator, often described unkindly, and he believes unfairly,  as ‘The Graham Richardson of the Liberal Party’.

His forthright speech “'Looking back to the future - Looking forward to the past. Australia under an Abbott Government' is a senior Liberal insider, not only outlining what's in store for the colony after September but what the Labor Party has done (or not done) to bring about its own demise.

This is a hilariously clever, insightful, thirty minutes of political humor and wit which is so politically incorrect it will annoy or satisfy in equal measure. No-one of either political persuasion escapes unscathed. This is political satire the way only Bryan can deliver.

Roly Parks – Letters from Kalangadoo
One of Bryan's most endearing and beloved characters, 'Roly Park's lives in a town called Kalangadoo - a real town in the South East of Australia. Each week Roly writes a letter to his son, Gene, who is gay and lives in London with his partner, Ahmed, a former Moroccan ballet dancer formerly with the Royal Ballet. The letters are about Roly’s life in Kalangadoo and about how Roly views the world as a bright but elderly man living in a small town. The 'Letters' are both ironic and humorous but also deeply touching.

The stories range from his ongoing encounters with his former wife of fifty years, Sonya, to his run-ins with the town gossip Beryl Coates, or with the hilarious attempt to bury the ashes of his best mate ‘Bull’ Devine.

This is Australian story telling at its finest. A thoroughly entertaining forty five minutes by one of Australia’s finest humorists. Dealing with aging, facing your maker and trying to stay afloat in a world that bears no resemblance to the Australia which Roly Parks grew up in. Roly’s not complaining about the changes, he’s just trying - like all of us - to make sense of it. Perfect for an audience not forty any more who enjoy a belly laugh and a bit of comfort in knowing that it's not just them that can't make sense of the world today.