Take Sideshow Bob, remove the loincloth, and add a nice suit; give him a joke book, and sit him in front of a piano. You’re now somewhere on your way to discovering Tim Minchin: comedian, actor and music aficionado (but not serial killer).
I remember the first time I saw the Australian comedian at the Edinburgh Fringe a few years ago. It was a sweaty wee venue off the Pleasance Courtyard, packed to the rafters for Nicholas Parsons’ Happy Hour, a chat show and showcase for Parsons’ own brand of inoffensive – but often filthy – humour.
As the wiry-framed, insanely-haired Minchin took to the stage and sat behind the piano, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But as he played through Inflatable You, and chatted to Parsons, his talent and comedic insight shone through; here was a musical comedian to rival Bill Bailey and Bo Burnham.
Tim Minchin’s music is somewhat hard to describe. A terrible excuse from a music critic, I know, but a truth nonetheless. It is not mere musical comedy, as Minchin’s mastery of the keyboard elevates it above that. Rather he is a superb pianist who happens also to be extremely funny. Or is he a superb comedian who also happens to be an extremely good pianist? I'm not quite sure.
Minchin himself believes that his comedy and music go hand in hand, but that neither would stand up to individual scrutiny. I am certain, however, that this is not the case, as the past few months have been incredible for him: his RSC musical adaptation of Roald Dahl classic Matilda has been given a West End upgrade, his epic nine-minute beat poem Storm has been turned into a striking animated film, and he is currently on tour with a 55-piece orchestra.
Things have moved on from that sweaty little venue in Edinburgh, eh?
Tim Minchin and His Orchestra hit the AECC on the 19th of April.
Find out more at www.timminchin.com
ES
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