Stephen Hall (born 17 May 1969) is an Australian actor, writer and producer.
Stephen Hall | |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 May 1969 Melbourne, Australia |
| Years active | 1987−present |
Career
editTelevision
editHall's career in television includes acting, writing and production duties. He was the host of Under Melbourne Tonight, a weekly live variety hour television program produced by RMITV that broadcast on C31 Melbourne from 1993 to 1998.[1] He has appeared in the long-running television series Neighbours, and in 2008 he performed the role of Warren in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) television comedy series The Hollowmen [2]
He has also appeared in telemovies, including The King (2007), playing the role of Bert Newton.
As a producer, he worked on the Australian version of the game show Deal or No Deal.
As a TV writer he has worked on many Australian comedy and light entertainment TV productions, such as BackBerner, Big Bite, Full Frontal, and Spicks and Specks. He was a writer on the third series of the weekly satirical comedy programme Newstopia, broadcast on SBS in 2008.[3] From 2009 to 2012, Hall served as head writer on the comedy game show Talkin' 'bout Your Generation.[4] In 2013, he wrote for ABC-TV's weekly satirical comedy show Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell, and Adam Hills Tonight series 2, of which he was also the Studio Producer.
As of 2014, Hall is a regular cast member on Shaun Micallef's Mad As Hell,[5] with popular characters including the political spokesman Darius Horsham.[6]
Film
editHall's movie career includes appearances in Romper Stomper, The Wog Boy, Now Add Honey, That's Not My Dog! and Fraud Festival.
Theatre
editHall starred in the original Australian professional production of Monty Python's Spamalot in 2007, playing the roles of Lancelot, The French Taunter, Tim The Enchanter and The Head Knight of "Ni".[7]
In 2011, Hall co-wrote (with Michael Ward) the comedy stage show Bond-A-Rama! Every James Bond Film Live On Stage,[8] in which he played the roles of Sean Connery, Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan. The show sold out, prompting a second season in 2012.[9]
In 2013, Hall wrote, produced and performed in the one man stage show Raiders of the Temple of Doom's Last Crusade; One Man Performs Three Indiana Jones Movies in One Hour, for the Melbourne Fringe Festival.[10] The show was then revived for a successful season in the 2014 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.[11]
In March 2016, John Cleese cast Hall as Basil Fawlty in Cleese's own stage adaptation of his TV series Fawlty Towers.[12] Fawlty Towers Live opened in Sydney at the Roslyn Packer Theatre in August 2016, and toured Australia, running for 157 performances before finishing in Brisbane on 22 January 2017. The show received favourable reviews in each city it played in.[13][14][15][16]
In 2023, Hall wrote, produced and performed in the one man stage show LETTERS FROM MY HEROES... if they'd actually bothered to write back, for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. The show was then revived for a successful tour of regional Victoria in June and July of 2024.
Cartoon voice actor
editHall is an experienced voice actor for animation, playing characters in Cartoon Network's Monster Beach and Exchange Student Zero, along with roles in Kitty Is Not a Cat, Get Ace and Pacific Heat... as seen in this showreel.
Author
editIn September 2015, Hall released his first eBook How To Win Game Shows, which is a 197-page compilation of winning tips, hints and techniques plus interviews with game show champions, hosts, producers and question writers.
From May 2019 to May 2020, Hall wrote the first draft of his science fiction adventure novel Symphony Under Siege, releasing a new chapter online each week, at www.TheStephenHall.com/novel-chapters. During its writing, he also kept a weekly video diary [3] chronicling the experiment. Symphony Under Siege is now available as a paperback on Amazon, as an audiobook on Audible and as an eBook on a number of platforms.
In September 2022, he released his third book 50 Things To Be Seriously Grateful For Today* *and 50 not-so-serious things to illustrate them [4], which he describes as "a very sincere, very silly non-fiction book... that also happens to be chock full of fiction".
Radio
editFrom 1989 - 1993, Hall was one of the members of the late night (/ very early morning) comedy show The Marta Thripp Druidic Building Society Show TSP (in colour), on the Melbourne community radio station 3RRR.
In 2015, he guest starred in the second series of Australian science fiction audio drama Night Terrace, playing the dual roles of Francisco de Cuellar and Sir Francis Drake in the episode "The Retirement of Horatio Gray". Originally available only as a digital download, the series was later broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra as part of their "7th Dimension" programme.[17]
Quiz show champion
editIn August 2005, Hall completed seven nights on the quiz show Temptation, becoming the program's second Grand Champion, and the second largest quiz or game show winner in Australian television history (at that time), winning $672,357 in cash and prizes.[18] The following year, he won the title of "Australia's Brainiest Quiz Master" on the Australian TV program of the same name and donating $20,000 to RSPCA, and appeared as part of The Brains Trust on The Einstein Factor.
Since 2013, he has run the blog www.HowToWinGameShows.com, which aims to provide tips and hints for winning game shows.
Filmography
editTelevision
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | All the Way | Richard Dodds | TV series |
| 1989 | The Flying Doctors | Constable Pat Chandler | TV series |
| 1990 | Neighbours | Gary "Boof" Head | TV series |
| 1993 | RFDS | Keith Bainbridge | TV series |
| 1993-98 | Under Melbourne Tonight | Host | TV series |
| 1994 | A Country Practice | Dennis Chubb | TV series |
| 1994 | The Damnation of Harvey McHugh | Smedley | TV miniseries |
| 1995 | The Last Bullet | Fitzgerald | TV movie |
| 1999 | BackBerner | Various characters | TV series |
| 2000 | Russell Gilbert Live | Various characters | TV sketch series |
| 2003 | Welcher & Welcher | Security guard | TV series |
| 2003 | After the Deluge | Maggie's husband | TV miniseries |
| 2003 | Big Bite | Various characters | TV sketch series |
| 2004 | 2004 AFI Awards | James Killarney | TV special |
| 2004-09 | The Einstein Factor | The Brains Trust panel member (regular) | TV game series |
| 2005 | Temptation | Contestant (winner) | TV game series |
| 2006 | Australia's Brainiest | Contestant (Australia's Brainiest Quiz Master) | TV game series |
| 2008 | Newstopia | William Shatner | TV series |
| 2008 | The Hollowmen | Warren | TV series |
| 2010 | Offspring | Grown Up Man | TV series pilot |
| 2010 | Tangle | Dr Ian Hill | TV series |
| 2010 | Killing Time | Ken Garland | TV series |
| 2011 | Beaconsfield | Howard Sacre | TV miniseries |
| 2011 | The Slap | Jim, the Businessman | TV miniseries |
| 2011-22 | Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell | Darius Horsham & various characters | TV series |
| 2012 | Get Ace | Jack Union (voice) | Animated TV series |
| 2013 | The Time of Our Lives | Bam Bam | TV series |
| 2014 | Upper Middle Bogan | Digby Nolan | TV series, season 2 |
| 2015 | Exchange Student Zero | Voice | Animated TV series |
| 2016 | The Wrong Girl | Graeme the Coin Guy | TV series |
| 2016-17 | Pacific Heat | Voice | Animated TV series |
| 2017 | When TV Was Awesome | Narrator | TV special |
| 2017-19 | Kitty is Not a Cat | The Nazz / Lucky Chuck (voice) | Animated TV series |
| 2017-19 | Mustangs FC | Kev | TV series |
| 2018 | True Story | Dr Santos | TV series, season 2 |
| 2019 | Monster Beach | Butterfield (voice) | Animated TV series |
| 2020 | Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell - Christmas Special | Various characters | TV special |
| 2022 | We Interrupt This Broadcast | Guest | TV sketch series |
Film
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Romper Stomper | Flea | Feature film |
| 2000 | The Wog Boy | Sergeant | Feature film |
| 2007 | The King | Bert Newton | TV movie |
| 2015 | Now Add Honey | Concierge | Feature film |
| 2018 | That's Not My Dog! | Himself | Feature film |
| Fraud Festival | Feature film |
Writer/producer
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deal or No Deal | Producer | TV game series | |
| BackBerner | Writer | TV series | |
| Big Bite | Writer | TV series | |
| Full Frontal | Writer | TV series | |
| Spicks and Specks | Writer | TV game series | |
| 2008 | Newstopia | Writer | TV series, season 3 |
| 2009-12 | Talkin' 'bout Your Generation | Head writer | TV game series |
| 2012 | Adam Hills Tonight | Writer / Studio producer | TV series, season 2 |
| 2013 | Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell | Writer | TV series |
Theatre
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | I Said I Said | Phineas Witt | Melbourne International Comedy Festival |
| 2007 | Monty Python's Spamalot | Lancelot, The French Taunter, Tim The Enchanter & The Head Knight of "Ni" | Ozalot Pty Ltd |
| 2011-12 | Bond-A-Rama! Every James Bond Film Live On Stage | Sean Connery, Roger Moore & Pierce Brosnan | |
| 2013/14 | Raiders of the Temple of Doom's Last Crusade; One Man Performs Three Indiana Jones Movies in One Hour | Performer | Melbourne Fringe Festival / Melbourne International Comedy Festival (also writer & producer |
| 2016-17 | Fawlty Towers Live | Basil Fawlty | Roslyn Packer Theatre & Australian tour, 157 performances |
| 2017 | Brigadoon | Archie Beaton | The Production Company |
Books
edit| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | How To Win Game Shows | eBook |
| 2019-20 | Symphony Under Siege | Paperback & eBook |
| 2022 | 50 Things To Be Seriously Grateful For Today* *and 50 not-so-serious things to illustrate them |
Radio
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989-93 | The Marta Thripp Druidic Building Society Show TSP (in colour) | Core cast member | 3RRR |
| 1999 | Breakfasters | Guest | 3RRR |
| 2005 | The Loading Zone | Guest panellist | ABC Radio |
| 2006 | Home with the Howards | John Howard | ABC Radio |
| 2015 | Night Terrace | Francisco de Cuellar & Sir Francis Drake | Digital; Season 2, episode: "The Retirement of Horatio Gray" (later broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra |
References
edit- ^ "Taping the source - TV & Radio - Entertainment". theage.com.au. 27 May 2007. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
- ^ "Warren: Departmental Under-Secretary" in "Who's Who" at The Hollowmen Official Website. ABC1. ABC TV, 2008. Web. 29 January 2009.
- ^ David Knox, "NEWStopia Back to Bite". TV.com. CBS Interactive, 30 September 2008. Web. 29 January 2009.
- ^ "Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation (2009– ) Full Cast & Crew". IMDb.com. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
- ^ "Shaun Micallef's Mad As Hell". ABC Television. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
- ^ "Stephen Hall, man of many talents". Shaun Micallef Online!. 15 March 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
- ^ "Casting Announced for Australian Production of Spamalot". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
- ^ "Review - Bond-A-Rama Chapel off Chapel". Heralsdun.com.au. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
- ^ Wray, Tyson. "Bond-A-Rama Returns To Chapel Off Chapel". Beat. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
- ^ [1] Archived 5 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ [2] Archived 1 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "John Cleese to debut Fawlty Towers Live in Australia because Brits don't like him". 22 March 2016.
- ^ "Theatre Review: Fawlty Towers Live delivers a nostalgic and hilarious production to Sydney for its world premiere – Arts on the AU". Arts on the AU review. 20 August 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
- ^ Parris, Simon (23 September 2016). "Fawlty Towers Live review". Simon Parris: Man in Chair. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
- ^ "'Adelaide Now' review".
- ^ Thompson, Kylie. "Fawlty Towers Live @ QPAC Review". scenestr.com.au. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
- ^ "BBC Radio 4 Extra - Night Terrace, Series 2, The Retirement of Horatio Gray". BBC Radio 4 Extra. 6 October 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
- ^ "Channel nine - Temptation". Archived from the original on 28 February 2006. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
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- ^ "Showcast".