Following a thumbs-up from immigration, Bill Bailey returns to Australia with his brand new show En Route To Normal starting in Toowoomba on October 23 and taking him around the country for 16 shows, including Canberra at the Royal Theatre on Saturday, 27 November. Bill performed this show with rave reviews and sold out theatres in New Zealand earlier this year while he was there filming his new television series Patriot Brains currently airing on SBS.
“Always hirsute and always hilarious, Bailey is approaching the status of a national treasure.” – The Guardian Guide
How did we get here? How do we find our way through this? And exactly who are we again? In Bill’s new show, En Route To Normal, Bill ponders these and other questions that this moment in history has thrown up and tries to see a way through the strange unreality of our new world. With Bill naming the show before we’d even heard of Covid-19, En Route To Normal has become not just a funny, heart-warming mix of stories, music and history, but a personal mission to find our way through these strange times!
“Still one of the funniest and most brilliantly original comedians around.” – The Telegraph
Tracing lines through chaotic moments in history, Bill seeks out parallels where human resilience and our ability to endure has got us through times of strife. Through music, songs, and memories, Bill considers our changing priorities, the wonder of dogs, how little things can keep you on track, and rhapsodises on his new-found love of skydiving. He recounts his own experiences of dealing with isolation, ruminating the ‘sounds of lockdown’ which led to a greater appreciation of birdsong and perhaps led to the creation of music itself, and how our reliance on technology has inspired Bill himself to create dance remixes of video-calling ringtones.
“Bloody excellent… The material is solid gold.” – The NZ Herald
Last in Australia in 2018, the British Comedy Award winner is a frequent visitor to our shores, with a massive Australian fan base flocking to theatres to see the master in action. Irreverent and immensely talented, En Route To Normal will be the seventh show that Bill has brought down under, delivered with the energy the multi-faceted entertainer is known for.
Never one to slow down, Bill had the opportunity to fulfil some lifelong dreams when Covid put a halt to his relentless touring schedule. Most recently taking the dance floor by storm on the iconic reality series Strictly Come Dancing, Bill has also lent his voice to the animated film adaption of children’s book Dragonkeeper due for release this year, and managed to find time to write a new book – Bill Bailey’s Remarkable Guide to Happiness, a collection of funny, meditative and thoughtful essays exploring the nature of happiness.
With his trademark blend of satire and surrealism, stories and dismantled jokes, crowd sing-alongs, weird instruments and musical showstoppers, don’t miss this legendary comedian, musician and actor back on stage!
