Nelly’s Bio and CV

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Nelly's CV

 

BIO

“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

Nelly’s Pet Peeves

  • Andrew Bolt

  • Sweaty feet

  • Andrew Bolt

  • People tweeting, texting or booking face while in the presence of actual humans

  • Andrew Bolt

Nelly’s Loves

  • Barry Cassidy

  • Fridge-set cheesecake

  • Survivor

Interesting Facts

  • Nelly was an under-13 Girls Regional State BMX champion in WA. Other than the birth of her daughters, it was her proudest moment.

  • Nelly did half a PhD at Melbourne University and therefore considers herself a nurse. She is currently doing graduate studies in psychology at the University of Melbourne, just for kicks.

  • Nelly has had a mind-boggling array of jobs from cleaning houses and nannying to high level policy and research roles to working in domestic violence and homelessness shelters. She once worked on a farm picking wool off dead sheep – and people say being a mother is the hardest job in the world.

  • Nelly has two daughters and is thinking of starting a feminist collective or a basketball team (or both). She was in labour for 36 hours with the first so the second breezy 7 hours was like a walk in the park. But with more grunting.

  • Nelly wrote a regular column for a Perth newspaper in which she answered questions on – and only on - the Bronte Sisters. It was good.

  • Nelly doesn’t like tomatoes.

CV

Current Employment

Comedian and Writer (2002-present)

Media and Writing

  • What Women Want, by Nelly Thomas (released Random House in 2012)

  • The Talk DVD, a sexual health and ethics DVD for teens and their parents, released with Hopscotch Films and Dirty Work Comedy in 2011

  • Regular guest and co-host on ABC Radio 774 Melbourne and Victoria

  • Regular appearances on The Comedy Channel and special appearances on ABC, SBS, Channel 31 and Channel 10 TV

  • Former Co-host and now special regular guest of “BoxCutters” television podcast

  • Regular guest columnist in a variety of magazines and newspapers

Live Performance

MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL

2012

  • “Who’s That Chic?”, Candy B & Busty Beats, Directed by Nelly Thomas

2011

  • “Everything Must Go”, Rachel Leary, Directed by Damian Callinan, Assistant Director, Nelly Thomas

2010

2009

  • “Mother of the Year”, starring Nelly Thomas, Catherine Deveny & Christine Basil

2008

  • "Nelly Thomas is not a Yummy Mummy", (solo show), Nelly Thomas

  • Director, “The Comedy Zone”: the Festival’s showcase of new talent

2006

  • "Family Ties", Nelly Thomas (nominated for the Golden Gibbo Award)

2005

  •  “Plan B”, written and performed by Barry Award Winning Maria Bamford and directed by Nelly Thomas

  •  “Character Comedy”, Nelly Thomas (at the Festival Club)

2004

  • “Comedy Zone”, Nelly Thomas with Steve Sheean, Marcus Ryan and Josh Makinda.

2003

  • “Hair Supply”, Nelly Thomas with Carolyn Chillura and Mandy Hampson

MELBOURNE FRINGE FESTIVAL

2008

  •  “Careful, it Might Lead to Dancing” (Group show – writer and host)

2007

  •  “Character Comedy”, Nelly Thomas and rotating cast (at Fringe Club)

2004

  •  “Betty Blues: A Comedy Show about Depression”. By Nelly Thomas and featuring Toby Sullivan, Jill Peakock, Sam Simmons & Natalie Michelle Smith.

EDINBURGH FRINGE FESTIVAL, SCOTLAND

2006

  • “Family Ties", Nelly Thomas

2004

  • “Raw Prawns”, Nelly Thomas with Steve Sheehan, Josh Makinda and Marcus Ryan

  • “Birds on the Bill”, Nelly Thomas and others

Other Gigs

Nelly has done hundreds of gigs over the years in festivals, in comedy clubs and at private and corporate events. Highlights include performing at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Club, touring Australia on Roadshow and performing as part of UpFront and Birds on the Bill.

Corporate clients include: The Royal Women’s Hospital, the Gawler Foundation, Positive Women, Amnesty International, Nandos, CRANA, Department of Human Services, Women’s Health West, Women’s Health in the North, Westfield Shopping Centres, PANDA, CASA, Office for the Status of Women, The Child Safety Commissioner and many more.

COMEDY WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE

Facilitator, Class Clowns:

Each year the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) runs workshops with young people all over Australia who are interested in becoming comedians. Nelly has designed and facilitated these workshops on behalf of the MICF all over Australia, including most recently in rural Victoria and Alice Springs.

Comedy Mentor, Risky Business:

Risky Business is an Australian Research Council project auspiced by the University of Melbourne School of Creative Arts. It aims to divert young people from high risk-taking behaviour by getting them involved in the arts. Nelly was employed as an artistic mentor along with Rod Quantock and Brian Nankervis to assist the young people to write and perform a short comedy piece.

The Condom Dialogues and the No Means No Show:

In 2005 Nelly was commissioned by the Royal Women's Hospital to put together a show about safe sex for young people called The Condom Dialogues. This highly successful show has now toured all over the country. She was then asked to do another show about consent and sexual assault, also for young people called The No Means No Show which has also played to packed houses and toured the country. 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.

PAST EMPLOYMENT

Nelly has had a rich and varied working life – from packing crayfish in a seafood factory to writing high-level education and welfare policy.

Some examples include:

  • Tenancy Worker, Transitional Housing for the Homeless

  • Policy and Project Coordinator, Victorian TAFE Association

  • Support Worker, Family Violence Sector

  • Tutor, English with Cultural Studies Department, University of Melbourne

  • Research Officer, Equity Research Centre

  • Weighbridge Officer, CBH

  • Factory Hand, R&O Seafood Company

  • House cleaner

  • Bar-tender

  • Nutrimetics Consultant (she was desperate!!!)

  • Big Rooster

AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

  • Being listed as one of Australia’s “most innovative thinkers” in The Age Newspaper’s, The Zone in 2011.

  • Writing her first book, What Women Want (released by Random House in 2012 )

  • Squeezing out two human babies

  • Being awarded a federal grant to expand the No Means No Show

  • Winner, National Grandfinal: Raw Comedy

  • Nominee, The Golden Gibbo Award for innovative comedy

  • Volunteer Mentor - ASISTA Mentoring and Friendship Program for Young Women “at risk”,

  • Katherine Moss Prize in English Literature

  • Tom Collins Prize in Australian Literature