Belgrave’s Terry North performs at the St Kilda Laughs Festival this week. 26397
By Casey Neill
BELGRAVE comedian Terry North will take a piece of the hills to St Kilda when he performs his first solo festival show this week.
North has done stand-up throughout Australia and New Zealand for the past 11 years.
Tales of his children Wilson, 7, and Scarlett, 4, feature heavily in his 45-minute St Kilda Laughs Festival show It All Points North.
“It’s about living in the hills, too,” he said.
An England native, North began writing comedy while driving trucks and performing with an amateur theatre group in London. He worked on television shows Hale and Pace and Russ Abbott.
“But I wanted to do stand up,” he said.
“I did dabble with it in England but I never got the encouragement.”
North moved to Australia with Aussie wife Tiffany in 1997.
He got his stand up-break on a Sunday afternoon at St Kilda’s Esplanade Hotel, where budding comics could deliver a five-minute spot in The Waiting Room.
“My mate said to me, ‘Terry if you can’t get up and there and be funnier than those guys, I’ll eat my hat’,” he said.
“I got up and did my first five minute spot and I was hooked.”
Comedy stalwarts Dave Grant and Greg Fleet were stunned to learn it was his first attempt and encouraged him to do more.
North gradually landed regular spots, and became a Melbourne Comedy Club regular.
He performed before 30,000 people at Telstra Dome when he co-hosted the Rugby World Cup last year.
His St Kilda Laughs Festival crowd won’t top 50.
“A lot of people don’t like the smaller crowds but I love a nice little intimate chat,” he said.
“That’s when the funny stuff comes out.”
North will perform It All Points North at Amigo’s Restaurant, 92B Acland Street, St Kilda from Thursday 29 January to Friday 6 February at 8.15pm.
Tickets are $15 and are available from www.ticketmaster.com.au, by calling 136 100 or at the door.
North will hit the Melbourne Comedy Festival stage in April.
