Bill Bailey stand-up comedian, actor, musician, sportsman(at least in his schooldays), wildlife documentary maker and all round renaissance man returns to Tasmania with his new show ‘Limboland’ next month.
I had the pleasure of chatting to Bill, whose real name is Mark, a couple of weeks ago. He was given the name Bill by his music teacher, Ian Phipps because he did an excellent guitar rendition of ‘won’t you come home Bill Bailey’ during the long bus trips home from Rugby matches.
Bill, who grew up in the rural western England countryside was always keen on learning about the natural world, something his parents encouraged and that has become a lifelong passion, he most recently made a documentary about baboons and has a vast knowledge and appreciation of wildlife.
Speaking of a place that has its share of wildlife .Bill cites an ‘affinity with the place’ (Tasmania), its outdoor lifestyle and particularly mentions the beautiful Melaleuca Lagoon, Hobart docks, Salamanca and the cafes as places he enjoys. Bill finds the people of Tassie another asset in their very welcoming nature. With an open schedule this tour he hopes to see more of our state including reacquainting himself with a little critter whose plight he has been concerned with, the Tassie devil.
Bill says his work in stand-up is his great love but provides a vehicle for all his other interests including his music.
As to the interesting names of previous shows such as ‘Dandelion mind’,’Qualmpeddler’, and the new ‘Limboland’. Bill says he likes to give them these interesting names as a little ‘watershed’ or ‘milestone’ that fixes where he is at a particular time. For instance ‘Dandelion mind’ equated to a time when his head, like a dandelion was full of spores or seeds of ideas. Bill likes to take something unexplained or unexpected and be a bit unpredictable in his show titles.
Not only is he friends with fauna Bill also has a friendship with flora and has a ‘pitcher plant’ named after him. He says he wouldn’t mind if in addition he might give his name to a fruit bearing,sustenance giving shrub.
Just like that fruit bearing shrub that may be named after him it seems Bill will continue to be fruitful with ideas both comedic and those of a more serious nature dealing with solutions to conserving wildlife.
You can see Bill at Hobart’s Wrest Point Entertainment Centre on Wednesday November 12 and at Launceston’s Princess Theatre Friday November 14.
Paula Xiberras
