Testimonials and Reviews

Client testimonials

"Thank you so very much for your superb facilitation of our evening and your genuine humour and sensitivity. I really didn’t “get it” that a comedian would have such sensitivity and, sorry if this sounds so weird, I was surprised at what you were articulating, how well you were up to the cutting edge of the community conversations around it all. Brilliant, your bio is accurate."

Thanks once again on behalf of us all here at CASA in Bendigo!

Michael Beaumont-Connop, Executive Officer, Loddon Campaspe Centre Against Sexual Assault

"For our annual Criminal Bar Dinner, we wanted to 'shake things up' a bit and hired Nelly Thomas instead of using a speaker from one of our own (ordinarily a Judge or legal professional of some sort).

Nelly was a hit. Very funny was the idea, and very funny she was! Her humour was on point, intelligent and she had a tough (and skeptical) crowd in stitches of laughter. Thank you Nelly!"

Carolene Gwynn, Convener, Criminal Bar Association

'Nelly Thomas is the best MC we've ever had at one of our conferences'

Betty Kitchener, CEO, Mental Health First AID Australia (MHFA)

And from the conference audience evaluations at the MHFA Conference:

      • 'Nelly was awesome'

      • 'Great choice for an MC'

      • 'MC was fantastic and nice to have humour amidst the serious side of mental health issues'

      • 'Nelly Thomas was fantastic! Funny and entertaining - bring her back for the next conference!'

      • 'Nelly was a great MC - very funny, respectful, appropriately disclosing and genuinely interested. Great choice and please do it again!!'

Nelly Thomas is the gold standard of comedy. This year the Women Barristers' Association celebrated its 20th anniversary. We needed a speaker who was funny enough, and brave enough, to entertain a room full of politicians, judges, magistrates and barristers. We wanted someone who would have the room in stitches while tackling the big issues. Nelly was 10/10 on each count. She was professional, well researched and a pleasure to work with. We are so grateful to her for making our night a success.

Diana Price, Convenor, Women Barristers' Association

We had the absolute pleasure of working with Nelly as a speaker and MC. Nelly was professional, engaging, warm and incredibly funny. She has the ability to bring both professionalism and warmth in equal measure; ensuring that we all felt warm and cosy but also knowing we had been treated to something special - a very intelligent funny lady at the top of her game. Nelly's planning and attention to detail ensured both events and the day was a roaring success - she addressed important issues of women's health and men's violence against women with both reverence and irreverence and at all times appropriately and engagingly. Thanks heaps Nelly.

Women's Health Grampians

I recently engaged Nelly Thomas to MC a gender equality forum and have heard nothing but positive feedback since! Nelly was fabulous. She was organised and prepared. She made a complex issue (the prevention of violence against women) accessible and real. She drew together the various presentations, kept the event moving and held the audience through out. And she was funny! Nelly Thomas is a consummate professional.

Kristine Olaris, CEO, Women's Health East, July 2013

On behalf of the Festival committee I thank you for participating and sharing your expertise with our patrons... we had great feedback on your presentation. Our patrons said you are a very effective speaker, your delivery was engaging, thought provoking and there was much to discuss, dissect and digest from your session.Thank you for joining us in this adventure and hopefully you can join us next year.

Megan Smith, Executive Officer, Willliamstown Literary Festival

Feedback from the Talk Live (March 2013)

"Rare it is for someone to deliver high quality health information with a blend of humour and jocularity. Nelly had our parents engaged from the outset and "the talk" was over before we knew it. We had great parent feedback including one parent who said the presentation had inspired her and given her the confidence she needed to talk to her kids about what can be such a difficult subject - sex. We look forward to having Nelly return to work with our students in what is sure to be a brilliant success."

Tim Jezard, Head of Student Services, Overnewton Anglican Community College

At a recent event with Nelly Thomas, I commented to the audience that they were the most raucous bunch we’ve ever had at a library event! Nelly’s talk was so funny and entertaining, it was accompanied by a soundtrack of guffaws from the crowd, with plenty of questions and then a frenzy of paparazzi action at the end from fans wanting a photo. Comments from the audience included “Great talk, funny and insightful”, “That was so much fun!!! Nelly was fantastic – so warm” and “Nelly was the best so far – so good to listen to, she had everyone’s attention”. Nelly was definitely a hit with the women (and men) of Darebin.

Leanne Murray, Events Officer, Darebin Library

'Thank you Nelly! In supporting our client Nandos Sauces and their charity, United against Malaria at a Thrill by Mouth comedy night in Sydney, you were a stand out stand up total star. So very professional, completely hilarous, a top crowd pleaser and a real pleasure to work with. We can't wait to book you again and thank you so much'

Fi Bendall, Managing Director, Bendalls Group Pty Ltd

“I was recently hosting a Nando's Peri-Peri Sauce Comedy event to raise money for a charity called United Against Malaria. It was a great turnout with lots of laughs all for a great cause. The night was particularly made extra special by Nelly Thomas (whom I actually fell in love with :)). As the host of the evening I remember running around like mad man not really having time to listen to the entertainment. I was outside trying to get a promotional staff member into our mascot suit and when all I could hear was a rumble of laughter that sounded like a thunderstorm had just rolled in. I walk into the room and there was Nelly with the audience basically in fetal position!! Nelly definitely brought down the house that night!! I would have no hesitations in recommending Nelly as a quality act that will test anyone's pelvic floors. Thanks Nelly for making the night so special!”

Tim Paton, Brand Manager – Nando's Grocery Australia.

Celebrating Rural Women 2012 Dinner

"100% of our evaluation forms rated you 5/5. Gold star for you! Not surprised though, because it was great.

Some evaluation comments included:

      • 'She was terrific. I had a good laugh.'

      • 'Fantastic and very engaging - I'll be recommending her for future events with my organisation. '

      • 'Mixing humour and the serious stuff was on the knocker. And it will be a catalyst for family discussion with our teenagers. '

      • 'Very inspiring and natural/down to earth. Nelly was hilarious! '

      • 'Brilliant. Could have listened to Nelly all night.' "

        Ellen White, Community Leadership Loddon Murray

"Nelly Thomas manages to be hilariously funny, while also getting across important messages about mental health and work/life balance. She had obviously done her homework and hit the perfect note with our conference delegates."

Angela Savage, EO, Association of Neighbourhood Houses and Learning Centres

"Thank you so much for your performance at the SCAP conference.  It was pitched perfectly and everyone loved it - not to mention hilarious.  Such a great way to finish the first day and it put everyone in high spirits for the remainder of the conference."

Paula Teggelove, The 2011 School Psychologists and Counsellors Conference

"Nelly never fails to impress, she has a gift for translating complex issues into common language. She tells funny stories that people really relate to but still fit neatly within our health promotion aims. She is great to work with. We know when we ask Nelly to speak we can be confident that she will be funny, engaging and irreverent."

Kiri Bear, VicHealth (Victorian Health Promotion Foundation)

"We had overwhelming praise of our choice of Nelly as an MC. For those that already knew her, they were adamant that she never fails to please with new comedy surprises. Those who didn’t know her, demanded to know where we found her and what a great atmosphere and commentary she provided to uplift such a difficult topic. On top of this, Nelly was a charm to work with. She was highly professional in her understanding of the running of the schedule and asked all the right questions to make sure she met our needs for the event. When things didn’t go as planned, she was on the ball to redirect and keep everything running smoothly. Once again, our deepest thanks!"

Eva Awards organising committee

Nelly recently performed at the 2010 Australian Women’s Health Network Conference where the vast majority of surveyed respondents rated her performance as “excellent” - she was a huge hit among audience members. Audience feedback included:

      • 'Hilarious. I love her.'

      • 'Superb.'

      • 'A great choice, what a smart, funny comedienne.'

      • 'Loved Nelly - good to start with a laugh at ourselves.'

      • 'Nelly said it all.'

"Your performance was definitely a highlight of the evening. You managed to keep 340 women in stitches and there was only positive comments made regarding your performance. You greatly contributed to the success of Night Off-Night Out and you helped ensure that the ladies really did get a chance to unwind."

Amanda Driscoll, Events Coordinator, PANDA (Post and Antenatal Depression Association)

"The dedication and enthusiasm you brought to both the opening address and debate were beyond our expectations. … Uproarious laughter was seen and heard at the debate … [and it was] arguably the most popular session we’ve had at a Learnscope event”.

Jane Carroll, Victorian Learnscope Management Team, Department of Education, Victoria

"Thanks so much Nelly for launching our Mum’s the Word program yesterday. According to the girls you were ‘laugh out loud hilarious’. I have received so many emails and comments from mums and the women that attended the breakfast saying what a fantastic program launch it was... I loved the way you were so hilariously funny yet delivered a very powerful message to our girls and their mums about growing up, relationships and acceptance of themselves. We could not have had a more perfect person launch the program."

Nadia Bettio, Principal, Delacombe Primary School

“The Victorian TAFE Association employed Nelly as a dinner speaker for the Association’s State Conference. The audience was made up of CEOs, Council Presidents, Council Members, Senior Managers, international guests and government officials. Aside from having everyone in stitches, Nelly’s performance demonstrated a great understanding of the audience… Her depth of research and her ability to transform a dry topic (governance) into an ironic, witty and downright side splitting speech is extraordinary…”

David Williams, Executive Director, Victorian TAFE Association

Epworth nurses of all backgrounds celebrated International Nurses Day in the presence of hilarious storyteller Nelly Thomas. Did they hear a thing or two about medical appointments  from the patient’s perspective? Sure did and they nodded, giggled and guffawed throughout.  Apart from being very funny, Nelly is relaxed and very easy to work with!  She engages wonderfully with any audience!

Colleen Coghlan, Media Manager, Epworth Healthcare  

“Nelly was gobsmackingly great! Her humour was topical, relevant, clever and damn funny. In a word, Nelly Thomas is brilliant!”

Sally Browne, Board Member, Gawler Foundation

“Fabulous… a huge hit with all the guests at the function”.

Leah Kemp, Roland Pinder Pty Ltd

“A pleasure to work with throughout the entire process of contract negotiation, background research, preparation and final presentation… respectful of the sensitive issues surrounding [working with young people with a mental illness] and managed to convey a positive message without being heavy handed or overly emotive.”

Maree Sidey, ORYGEN Youth Health

“Nelly was a blast at out Christmas Function! [She performed] … a stand-up routine which gave people belly aches from the laughs! I would definitely recommend Nelly for comedic entertainment”.

Anne Kingston, O’Connell Family Centre, Victoria

“What a fantastic finish to our practice forum. As always Nelly knows how to get the audience thinking and laughing at the same time! The feedback was really positive and a few participants are keen to follow her up for future work”.

Meg Gulbin, Senior Policy Advisor, Diversity Unit, Department of Human Services

“Nelly Thomas – Wow!, fun, engaging, and I admire the way [she] can put a truthful, guilt-free slant on the most normal/abnormal conditions of human nature, and make us as an audience laugh without prejudice”.

Gippsland Women’s Health Service

“The perfect comedian – young, feminist and funny.”

Liberty Sanger, YWCA Victoria

“Very impressive … my colleagues spoke very highly of your contribution to the conference”.

Tracie Conroy, Senior Project Officer, SA TAFE Equity Standing Committee

“Easy to work with … arranged everything with a minimum of fuss … a lovely manner and obviously worked well with external service providers…”

Helen MacDonald, DVIRC

“It will be a pleasure to recommend you to other organisations.”

Tim Tolhurst, Radio 3CR

“The research you had done on our people and even the local locations was amazing. The result was your capacity to keep nearly 200 staff fully entertained… All [staff] were very impressed… a great session!”

Barrie Baker, Director, South West Institute of TAFE

“It is often difficult to mix politics and humour, but Nelly Thomas managed to strike a balance between the two. Her performance was topical and designed to suit her audience, and she came prepared with well-researched and relevant thoughts to share.”

Amanda Rainey, Coordinator, EMILY’s List WA

“Nelly Thomas was invited to provide a touch of humour and jolliness to [our strategic planning day] and she did a terrific job. Nelly bought a degree of personalised humour that had everyone laughing and enjoying themselves.”

Peter Whitley, CEO, Central Gippsland Institute of TAFE

“She had an obvious ability to engage people, draw them in and cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time… Feedback from the staff and volunteers was particularly positive and favourable. Nelly had obviously done her homework…”

Alex Nikolovski, Aids Hepatitis and Sexual Health Line

“[Nelly’s involvement] contributed significantly to the success of our International Women’s Day activities. [Her] performance was hilarious and right on target [and helped us] set a fun, festive mood and have a good laugh.”

Cheryl Teng, General Manager, Queen Victoria Women’s Centre

Reviews

“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… Very funny.”

Helen Razer on City Search & **** The Age Newspaper

“Thomas has a warm, engaging delivery that feels like chatting with a friend. Her life story becomes fascinating through her skill in connecting to the audience and her deft turn of phrase. … Nelly Thomas is rehearsed, confident, and extremely funny… Luckily for us she became a comedian. See this show.

John Richards on Aussietheatre.com

“Even the most nappy-fearing adult will be won over by Thomas … instantly likeable … a guaranteed night of laughs.”

The Age Newspaper, 2008 (Nelly Thomas is Not a Yummy Mummy)

"Instantly likeable"

The Age Newspaper

“She has an astringent, intelligent sense of humour… very good”

Metro, Edinburgh

"The best comedian Australia has produced in the last few years ... my absolute favourite comedian at the moment"

Catherine Deveney, ABC Radio 774

"The future’s in good hands.”

Chaser Newspaper, MICF 2004

“Just fabulous!”

Derek Guille, ABC Radio 774

"Absolutely fabulous…”

Wil Anderson, Radio Triple J

“She had the audience genuinely laughing hard”

Three Weeks: Edinburgh Festival Newspaper

“Ultra dry”

Spank the Monkey, U.K.

“Has a cool confidence and a calm, deadpan delivery. This combination makes her humour irresistible.”

Beat Magazine

“Hot Property”

Beat Magazine

“Keep your ears tuned because this woman may soon be up there with the likes of Judith Lucy and Rachel Berger.”

Andrew Milnes, MCV

“I was blown away … very funny”

Libby Jamieson, Radio 3CR

"Top notch. Her story telling was captivating and executed with warmth. Her character work was brilliant"

Groggy Squirrel