“With all the moxie of an RSL barmaid and the library card of a research fellow, Nelly Thomas has emerged to talk about nothing slighter than the trials of her generation… She’s erudite, earthy and entirely unemployable.” Helen Razer – The Age Newspaper
Nelly Thomas has been described as one of Australia’s most natural and intelligent comedians. As well as being an award-winning performer, she was listed as one of Australia’s “most innovative thinkers” in The Age Newspaper’s, The Zone and was recently featured on the ABC’s Big Ideas: The Smartest Stuff on TV, Radio and Online. You’d be hard pressed to find a more engaging, thought-provoking comedy experience.
Nelly recently released her latest comedy DVD The Talk (a sexual health and ethics DVD for teens and their carers) and released her first book with Random House Publishing in 2012 to popular and critical acclaim. The book, described as “part memoir, part manifesto” is called What Women Want and canvasses the big issues of the modern era: politics, education, sex, relationships, health, family and Beyonce’s bottom. It is available online and in the shops.
Nelly sprung into comedy suddenly, winning the Triple J National Raw Comedy competition in 2003. In ten action packed years since then, she has directed Barry Award winning Maria Bamford, toured nationally and internationally, established her own Melbourne comedy room, created and toured several shows (including the highly acclaimed and unique The No Means No Show) and has performed in over a dozen festivals in Australia and around the world. She pops up on the telly, is a regular guest co-host on ABC radio and a prolific tweeter. She’s also grown two humans of her own, one of them just months ago.
Nelly continues to do live work in the community and government sectors, in particular, as a highly sought-after speaker, MC and producer of custom-made performances, specialising in social commentary and health promotion. She has many years of experience in these and related fields (especially women’s health and adolescent health) and is currently taking a short break from graduate studies in psychology at the University of Melbourne.
(No, she doesn’t have “work-life” balance – she talks a lot about it though.)
Comedian, author, health ambassador – her website (see above) includes extensive background information, reviews and testimonials from her numerous clients, audio and video clips of her general stand-up comedy club work, as well as the golden nugget that she was once an under-13s girls regional BMX champion.
Nelly’s Comedy Highlights
- Two Edinburgh Fringe Festivals, 8 Melbourne International Comedy Festivals, 4 Melbourne Fringe Festivals
- Five tours of Australia
- Listed as one of Australia’s “most innovative thinkers” in The Age Newspaper’s, The Zone in 2011
- Featured on the ABC’s Big Ideas: The Smartest Stuff on TV, Radio and Online
- Wrote her first book What Women Want – released by Random House in 2012 to popular and critical acclaim.
- Released her first comedy DVD The Talk – a sexual health and ethics DVD for teens in 2011.
- Winner: National Triple J Raw Comedy Competition
- Nominated for the Golden Gibbo Award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival for most innovative show
- Directed Barry Award Winner Maria Bamford (USA) in Plan B
- Has written and performed several ground-breaking shows with CASA House and the Royal Women’s Hospital combining health promotion and comedy including a show for young women about sexual health called The Condom Dialogues and one about consent called The No Means No Show.
- The No Means No Show has been commended a number of times, most notably in ‘A Right to Respect: Victoria’s Plan to Prevent Violence against Women 2010-2020’ and also during a speech by former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on White Ribbon Day
- 100’s of gigs at events as diverse as conferences, debates, planning days, parties and AGM’s