Tom Ballard is a comedian who gets to perform the ancient art of stand-up all around Australia and who also gets to talk on the radio on a regular basis.
He began performing in the Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s Class Clowns competition when he was in high school but he never won it which has left him with an overwhelming sense of inadequacy and bitterness and he’d rather we all just moved on.
He was a national finalist in RAW Comedy 2006 and, based on that performance (which featured a joke about his small penis), he was approached by the hip and funky managers at national youth radio network triple j. They offered him some airtime and he’s since signed some contracts and now they can’t take that back.
In 2008 Tom was selected to perform in the MICF’s Comedy Zone, a showcase of up-and-coming comedic talent. In 2009, along with his silly friend Alex Dyson, Tom took over the triple j Weekend Breakfast shift, as well as performing his debut solo stand-up show, Tom Ballard Is What He Is. The show was nominated for a Golden Gibbo Award (an award that recognises shows which “buck trends and pursue the artist’s ideas more strongly than [they] pursue any commercial lure”) and saw Tom become the youngest person ever to win the prestigious Melbourne Airport Best Newcomer Award.
Since then, Tom’s performed at the invite-only Montreal Just For Laughs Comedy Festival, at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and at comedy festivals, fringe festivals, theatres and comedy clubs all over Australia.
2010 saw Tom and Alex take over the weekday triple j breakfast show, following in the footsteps of the likes of Wil Anderson, Adam Spencer, Helen Razer, Mikey Robbins, Marieke Hardy and Paul McDermott. He considers the show to be a lot of good old-fashioned fun and worth getting up at 4am for.
You may have seen Tom wearing make-up and telling jokes on Good News Week, Spicks’n’Specks, Adam Hills In Gordon Street Tonight, Can of Worms, The Circle, triple jtv, ABC’s The Drum or as co-host of ABC TV’s broadcast of the 2011 RAW Comedy Final with the mega-awesome Hannah Gadsby. He appears as The Project’s Resident Expert fortnightly and pretends to get angry and know things about issues.
In 2011, Tom released a DVD of his Is What He Is show and a half-hour special from that taping screened on ABC2 as part of The Warehouse Comedy Festival. 2012 will see him release a CD of his critically-acclaimed stand up show Since 1989.
In his spare time, Tom suffers from eczema and has fluctuating weight issues and in the spring of 2010, he contracted scabies.
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Live Shows
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2012 |
Doing Stuff
Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Adelaide Fringe Festival, Brisbane Comedy Festival, Sydney Comedy Festival |
2011 |
Since 1989
Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Brisbane Comedy Festival, Wild West Comedy Fest, Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney Comedy Store |
2011 |
Tom ballard Is What He Is – Solo Show
Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney |
2010 |
Tom Ballard Is What He Is – Solo Show
Feast Festival, Adelaide |
2010 |
Cogito Ergo Some Funny – Solo Show
Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Brisbane Comedy Festival. |
2009 |
Several Nights Only – Solo Show
Melbourne Fringe Festival |
2009 |
Tom Ballard Is What He Is - Solo Show
Melbourne International Comedy Festival & St Kilda Laughs Festival
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2008 |
The Comedy Zone
Melbourne International Comedy Festival |
Radio
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2010-12 |
triple j |
triple j breakfast – Host |
2011 |
QRadio |
Qantas Inflight Radio, Smile High Club
(Guest Host) |
2009 |
triple J |
Weekend Breakfast Host |
2008 - 09 |
triple J |
Summer Lunch Host |
Television
|
2012 |
Network Ten |
OXFAM Melbourne Comedy Festival Gala
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2011-12 |
Network Ten |
The Project, Resident Expert,
Fortnightly segment |
2011 |
Network Ten |
Can of Worms, Guest |
2011 |
ABC TV |
Spicks and Specks, Guest |
2011 |
ABC TV |
The Drum, Regular Guest |
2009-11 |
Network Ten |
The 7PM Project,
(Regular Guest) |
2010 |
Network Ten |
The Circle, Guest |
2009-10 |
Network Ten |
Good News Week,
(Regular Guest) |
2009 |
SBS |
ADbc |
2009 |
ABC TV |
triple jtv with the Doctor
(Writer/performer) |
2008 |
ABC TV |
Triple jtv’s The Hack Half Hour
(Guest) |
2008 |
Channel 31 |
Studio A
(Guest) |
Recording
|
2011 |
Tom Ballard Is What He Is
Madman Entertainment
(Stand-up DVD) |
Writing
|
2010-11 |
Regular Contributor
JMAG |
2010 |
Good Weekend
Guest Contributor |
2009-10 |
The Warrnambool Standard
Monthly Blog Contributor |
Other Notable Work
|
2009 |
Shiny Thing – Acting Role, Short Film |
2009 |
Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow |
2009 |
Class Clowns Gala
Melbourne International Comedy Festival |
2008 |
Young Blood Comedy Tour |
2008 |
Squeaky Clean Comedy |
2007 |
Eskimo Jokes
Guest Performer, Melbourne International Comedy Festival |
2007 |
Young Blood Comedy Tour |
Awards
|
2009 |
Best Newcomer Award – Melbourne International Comedy Festival |
Exclusively represented by Token Artists.
Contact Erin Zamagni on 03 9417 4700 for further details.
Updated: January 2012
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