Glynn Nicholas (born 16 October 1952, Bristol, England) is an Australian comedy performer, writer and producer. He works as a stand-up comedian, mime artist, character actor and musician.
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Glynn Nicholas began as a busker while touring Europe in 1977. His act of singing and playing up to three instruments at the same time, soon developed to focus on mime and audience participation. He brought his act home to Adelaide, Australia and became renowned locally for the large crowds he entertained in the central shopping precinct, Rundle Mall, which had recently been closed to traffic.[1] In 1982, he studied mime and circus skills at San Francisco's Hayward College and performed regularly at Pier 39. In 1986 he was crowned national champion at the Australian busking championships.
Nicholas first appeared on Australian television as a presenter on Channel 9's children's show Here's Humphrey performing songs, dances, stories and games with a large pant-less mute bear. In 1990 he was nominated for an ARIA award for best children's album.
Off air he developed a character called Patẻ Biscuit a parody of another presenter on the program Patsy Biscoe. He mimicked her distinctive bob haircut, sing-song voice and 'school-prefect' manner but added cruelty, blood and a naughty hand puppet called Bongo to the juvenile story-telling. In 1989 Patẻ Biscuit found a ready audience on the ABC's new comedy show The Big Gig, where Nicholas had a regular spot. In one episode, the real Patsy Biscoe was seen presenting the Big Gig show with Bongo, having tied Patẻ Biscuit up. The segment was a huge hit.
In 1990 he took over the role as host from Wendy Harmer for two seasons.
In 1991 Angus and Robertson published his book Bedtime Stories with Pate Biscuit, which sold 18,000 copies.
In 1996 Nicholas co-produced a ten-part comedy series with the ABC, The Glynn Nicholas Show. It was written by Nicholas and fellow Australian comedian Shaun Micallef.
Since 1992 Nicholas has focussed on live comedy, writing and performing in several live shows ranging from the solo Glynn with a why? and Crossing the Line, to ensemble pieces like Scat and all that and the often reprised Certified Male written with his regular artistic collaborator Scott Rankin.
Other writing credits include Kissing Frogs (1996) and Leaves Falling at Midnight (2001).[2]
He also turned his hand to Shakespeare for the Melbourne Theatre Company's production of Comedy Of Errors, played Major-General Stanley in opera in Essgee Entertainment's 1994 production of Pirates of Penzance, and in the variety productions The Vaudeville Extravaganza (1994) and Oh Come All Ye Stressful (2005).
In the 2000s his Glynn Nicholas Group entertainment company was producing and touring several shows internationally including Certified Male, and the musical Eurobeat: Almost Eurovision directed by Nicholas, which was the top-selling show of the 2007 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and was named the best musical production at the inaugural Music Theatre Matters awards.[3]