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Sunday Mail (Adelaide)

Shaun Goes East - 23 January 1994

By Peter Goers

NOT ONLY are we losing the Grand Prix to Melbourne but also the funniest man in Adelaide, Shaun Micallef. What will we lose next to Melbourne? "Popeye,'' quips Mr Micallef, "and perhaps Jeff Kennett will annex Poland. Actually, I've been banned by Trevor Griffin.''

Shaun Micallef has joined the writing team of Full Frontal on Channel 7. The new edition of the show premieres in March after the writers have kicked around a few concepts. "I've suggested that it should be funny,'' says Mr Micallef.

He is the nicest man in show business with a heart as big as his talent. His friends and fellow comedians (most of whom moonlight as

lawyers) have planned a tribute/debate/roast for Shaun Micallef called "Is Shaun Micallef Funny?'' at the infamous showroom at the Governor Hindmarsh Hotel at 7pm on Friday.

The negative team for the proposition will be the formidable and famous Francis Greenslade (star of Andrew Denton's TV debates), actors Tim Heffernan, James Neate and food critic Anthony Durkin. The affirmative cases will be put by the team of Shaun Micallef and the debate will be chaired by lawyer/comedian Alex Ward. The really good news is the tickets are available at the very popular price of completely free, proving for once and for all that the best things in life are free.

Shaun Micallef, 28, began his career as an actor/comedian as the dog Nana in Peter Pan for the Bunyip Children's Theatre Company 20 years ago. He later graduated to playing Humphrey B Bear. "I was the stunt Humphrey.''

While at the university and beyond, Mr Micallef became the head writer and star of a slew of revues for Footlights and the Marat Pack including Puttin' On The Kettle, Beckoning Gullett, The Love Goat, 39 Steps, 2 Escalators And A Lift, As Time Goes Bi, Barristar Galactica, Star Laws and Subpoena Hard Day's Night.

He also wrote, directed and starred in the plays Bishop Takes Knight and The Ages Of Man, directed the SA premiere of Kafka's Dick by Alan Bennett and appeared in The Frogs, Amadeus and The Sigularity. He was also the most memorable meat in the theatrical sandwich between Margery Irving and Hayette Erickson in Noel Coward's Relative Values at The Space in 1991."I was also memorable in the audience of The Philanthropist'', adds Mr Micallef.

He appeared in an hysterical TV ad for Halls Lemonade and Micallef and Ward performed radio comedy on SA.FM for two years "but we were eventually sacked for stealing icecreams''.

Shaun Micallef once wrote the immortal line: "It was a pity they didn't make a second sequel to The Jolson Story because then we could have seen Larry Parks played by Larry Parks played by Larry Parks watching Larry Parks as played by Larry Parks sitting next to Al Jolson as played by Larry Parks watching themselves on screen in the first movie. Then they would turn to each other and say to themselves:

"Hey, those guys were great, weren't I?''

Get to the Governor Hindmarsh Hotel for the last merry japes from Micallef in Adelaide for a while where Shaun Micallef will have every right to say: "Hey, those guys were great, weren't I?'' Au revoir.

He'll be the only lawyer ever missed.