The Ten Network have officially unveiled it's new skit-comedy show for 2003 - Skithouse.
Skithouse (formerly known by its working title, Sketchy At Best) is being produced in Melbourne by Roving Enterprises, the company that produces Rove Live and the ARIA Awards.
A true ensemble show, Skithouse is driven by a team of writer/performers, most of whom are well known faces on the Australian live comedy circuit.
Scott Brennan
Scott has been acting since 1994 and over the last few years has been producing, writing and performing in his own live comedy shows. As a core member of the must see live sketch comedy ensemble, The Home Owners, Scott played to sell out rooms at the Melbourne Comedy Festival and Edinburgh Fringe. He has been performing characters in stand-up venues around Australia, most recently as his fourteen year old alter ego, Glen Bush, who might just pop up in Skithouse.
Tripod
Over the last few years Tripod has evolved from a musical comedy act to the classic comedy three hander. Gatesy, Scod and Yon (the cute one, the geek and the weird looking one) have sold out big rooms at the Melbourne Comedy Festival and Adelaide Fringe as well as debuting at the Sydney Opera House in a sold-out run just before Christmas. Shows are currently on sale for them in Brisbane and Perth. They can be heard every week on Triple J’s breakfast show performing a Song In An Hour, a concept that spun into a highly successful CD last year. Tripod will be performing as a three hander as well as popping up in sketches across Skithouse.
Fiona Harris
Nuns have a way of bringing out the comedy in people. Educated by nuns in the western suburbs of Melbourne, Fiona learned from an early age that the best jokes are usually standing right in front of you. Since first coming to our attention in thecomedychannel short film festival and as a core cast member and writer on the ABC’s ultra late night Flipside, Fiona has found her vocation – a divine calling to write and perform sketch comedy.
Damian Callinan
Damian has championed character driven live comedy since he hit the scene, taking his characters into clubs, pubs and theatres around the country. His exceptionally observed Australian archetypes are Melbourne Comedy Festival highlights every year, and have featured in the awards lists two years in a row. He’s also a radio slut (Triple J, Triple M and 774 ABC), written and performed a series of interstitials for thecomedychannel and got a berth on the 2002 Melbourne Comedy Festival Gala.
Roz Hammond
Roz brings a wealth of TV sketch comedy acting experience to the team as a core performer on Micallef, Eric and a whole range of comedychannel programs including Introducing Gary Petty and Small Tales and True, which she co-created and co-wrote. A WAAPA trained actor with a couple of MTC plays under her belt, Roz brings enormous skill and range to the program as well as established sketch comedy pedigree.
Michael Chamberlin
At twenty-four Michael is one of the most exciting comedians in the country, bringing up the front row in a new guard of young stand ups coming from the live comedy scene. Michael was one half of the team that produced Boiling Point, one of the most talked about shows at the Melbourne Comedy Festival and Adelaide Fringe. Prior to that Michael also ran Stagetime, a weekly comedy room that reinvigorated the Melbourne comedy scene.
Tom Gleeson
Tom is a blood nut – a skinny redhead from Sydney who has developed a name as one of Australia’s most affable (and consistently hilarious) comedians – he even charmed his way onto Rove Live. As well as presenting shows in Melbourne and Edinburgh, Tom has written for O’Loughlin and Frequently Asked Questions for ABC-TV and has co-hosted Triple J’s Sunday afternoons, incorporating both live comedy and pre-recorded sketches.
Corinne Grant
Corinne is trying to get herself as much sketch comedy action as she can around her commitments to Rove Live and Saturday Morning Rove. Corinne started her comedy career in live sketch and ensemble shows at university and in the Melbourne Comedy Festival. Since then sketch and character work has remained Corinne’s first love, although flying around the country for Rove Live on a relentless quest for regional Australia’s oddest offerings has got to come a close second.
Peter Helliar
Also from Rove Live and Saturday Morning Rove, Peter Helliar is a man who loves his comedy on the sketchy side. Pete has being doing stand up comedy since 1996 and has always loved the writing that comes with the job – he was always going to make time to join the Skithouse ensemble. Pete has also applied to Roving to be referred to only as “resident funny man”.
Ten have not yet set an official air date or timeslot.
