Michelle Brasier (born 1987 or 1988) is a Melbourne-based comedian, writer and actor. She is known for her work with the comedy group Aunty Donna, her live shows, performing in comedy duo Double Denim with Laura Frew, and for performing with her partner Tim Lancaster.
Michelle Brasier | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1987 or 1988 (age 35–36) |
| Alma mater | Victorian College of the Arts (2001) Arts Academy, Federation University (2007–2009) |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2007–present |
| Website | michellebrasier |
Early life and education
editBrasier was born in 1987 or 1988[1] and grew up in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales.[2] She was the youngest child, and her family was very sporty.[1]
In 2007, she moved to Melbourne to study musical theatre at the Victorian College of the Arts. After one year there she enrolled in a three-year degree of Music Theatre at the Arts Academy, Federation University in Ballarat, graduating in 2010.[2][3]
Career
editIn 2014, Brasier appeared on stage with Frew as part of comedy troupe Backwards Anorak in a Game of Thrones spoof named Winter Is Coming, performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.[4]
Brasier's first solo comedy show, Space Tortoise, came to stage in 2016.[5]
She first performed in the comedy duo Double Denim with Frew in a self-titled show in 2017. The show was nominated for a Golden Gibbo at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF).[4][6] The two continued in 2018 in the Double Denim Adventure Show, about a failed cruise ship voyage,[4] which won Best Newcomers at the Sydney Comedy Festival and Director's Choice at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.[2] She appeared on Aunty Donna's comedy album The Album, and joined the group on their Australian tour.[7]
Double Denim's third show, A Very Fancy Dinner Party, premiered at the Adelaide Fringe in March 2019.[4]
In 2020, Brasier appeared in Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun as a sports doctor.[8] As part of Double Denim, she won the 2020 MICF Moosehead Award.[2]
In 2021, Brasier debuted Average Bear, a personal show on the impact of cancer on her family,[2] which she performs with her partner Tim Lancaster.[9] The show won Sydney Comedy Festival's Director's Choice award,[10] was performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2022,[11] was nominated for the MICF award for Most Outstanding Show,[2] and aired as a special on Paramount+ as part of the Malthouse Stand Up Specials.[12]
Her show Reform debuted in 2022 to critical acclaim, about her experience with an online scam,[13][14][15] in which she befriended the scammer and got most of her money back.[1]
In 2023, she appeared in Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe.[14] Her next solo show, Legacy, began the same year and ran for the duration of the MICF.[14]
Brasier has also worked on and starred in Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell, Utopia, Get Krack!n, Drunk History Australia, and How to Stay Married.[14]
In August 2024 her story was presented on the ABC Television show Australian Story.[9][16]
Her memoir, My Brother's Ashes are in a Sandwich Bag, was published in September 2024.[17][18]
Personal life
editBrasier met later comedic partner Laura Frew in 2013 at a murder mystery party.[4]
She deals with a high risk of developing bowel, stomach, pancreatic, or ovarian cancer due to an hereditary illness, to which she lost both her father and brother in 2006.[19][20]
Her partner Tim Lancaster is a musician who performs in some of Brasier's shows,[15] including Average Bear.[16] They met when both performing in a production of the stage show, Legally Blonde, when she was just beginning to look into her genetic history.[9]
In August 2023 Brasier made news after her luggage was lost on a KLM flight despite her locating the luggage using an AirTag.[21][22]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Backyard Ashes | 2013 | Barmaid | Minor role |
| The Aunty Donna Live Spooktacular | 2017 | Self | TV Movie |
| Extra Time | 2018 | Gretchen | Minor role |
| Aunty Donna: The Album Tour | 2019 | Self | TV Special |
| Fraud Festival | 2021 | Michelle Visage | TV Movie |
Television / web series
edit| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh Blood: Aunty Donna | 2014 | Mounrner | Episode: Best Funeral Ever |
| Aunty Donna: 1999 | 2016 | Susan | 4 Episodes |
| About Tonight | Self | Episode: Brasier & Friends. Host | |
| Aunty Donna Podcast | 12 episodes between 2016-2022 | ||
| Aunty Donna's Ripper Aussie Summer | 2017 | Various | Regular |
| Utopia | Lauren | Episode: Snouts in the Trough | |
| Aunty Donna: Best Content Ever!!1! | Various | 2 Episodes | |
| Aunty Donna: The Album | 2018 | Self | 3 Episodes |
| Get Krack!n | 2019 | Saskia | Episode: S2.E2 |
| Aunty Donna: Glennridge Secondary College | Various | Regular | |
| Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell (Season 10) | 2019 | 9 Episodes. 13 credited. Regular. | |
| Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell (Season 11) | 2020 | 11 episodes, 12 credited. Regular | |
| YOLO: Crystal Fantasy | Writer / Voice / Creative Consultant | 3 Episodes | |
| The Divorce | Janine | Short film | |
| Stamptown Comedy Night | Bimpson Tribute Artist | ||
| Stepmom Blues | Michelle | Episode: Finale | |
| At Home Alone Together | Visit Melbourne Spokesperson | Episode: Two | |
| Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun | Various | 2 Episodes | |
| Geraldine Quinn: I Live for Music Theatre! | Rival Auditionee | Short Film | |
| Drunk History: Australia | Various | Episode: Abe Saffron aka Mr Sin/The Female Bushranger Mary Ann Bugg | |
| Whovians | Self | Episode: Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror | |
| Remotely Funny | Episode: Four | ||
| Australian Lockdown Comedy Festival | Episode: Four | ||
| The MSO's Perfect End to 2020 | TV Special | ||
| Romeo, Juliet & Garry | 2021 | Juliet | Short Film |
| How to Stay Married | Trish | 3 Episodes | |
| Little Bad Thing | Self | Episode: And a Toy Xylophone | |
| Melbourne International Comedy Festival | Self | Episode: Allstars Supershow 2021: Part 1 | |
| Why Are You Like This | Sandi | Episode: I Will Not Speak for the Entire Queer Community | |
| Hot Department: Dark Web | 2022 | Susan from Neighbours | Episode: Bad Auditions |
| Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2022 | Self | Episode: Opening Night Comedy Allstars Supershow: Part 2 | |
| Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe | 2023 | Various | Regular |
| Koala Man | Various Voices | 4 Episodes | |
| We Interrupt This Broadcast | Various | Regular |
Writing credits
edit| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Why Are You Like This | 2018 | Additional Writer | Episode: I Love Gay |
| YOLO: Crystal Fantasy | 2020 | Writer, Creative Consultant | |
| Childish Deano | 2022 | Additional Writing | |
| YOLO: Silver Destiny | 2023 | Writer, Creative Consultant | |
| Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe | Staff Writer |
References
edit- ^ a b c Brasier, Michelle (7 August 2023). "I have a 97% chance of developing cancer. I'm only 35". The Times (Interview). Interviewed by Cohen, Claire. Archived from the original on 2 September 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Low, Lenny Ann (17 April 2021). "'Life is too short': The tragedies driving Michelle Brasier". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
- ^ "Edinburgh Festival Fringe comedy reviews". The Scotsman. 23 August 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Elphick, Nicole (13 April 2019). "'We don't try to be cool': How comedy duo Double Denim make the daggy delightful". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
- ^ "MICHELLE BRASIER INTERVIEW (SPACE TORTOISE MICF 2016) – Impulse Gamer". Impulse Gamer. 29 February 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
- ^ "Are comedy double acts making a comeback?". BBC News. 15 August 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
- ^ Staff Writers (August 2018). "Aunty Donna 2018 Australia Tour". scenestr - Pop Culture & Entertainment. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
- ^ "TV Review: 'Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun' Season One". The Nerd Daily. 24 December 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
- ^ a b c Scott, Leisa; Murray, Kirstin; Gorman, Vanessa (25 August 2024). "Comedian Michelle Brasier on why comedy is a good friend to grief and fear in the face of 'almost definite' genetic cancer diagnosis". ABC News. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ Wild, Stephi. "Sydney Comedy Festival Announces 2021 Award Winners". Broadway World. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
- ^ Guide, British Comedy. "Michelle Brasier: Average Bear". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
- ^ Ilic, Nikolina (1 November 2022). "Everything Coming To Paramount+ Australia This November 2022". Women's Health. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
- ^ "Three things with Michelle Brasier: 'It's clear plastic, a tight squeeze and humiliating'". the Guardian. 8 February 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
- ^ a b c d Martin, Kaya (20 March 2023). "Michelle Brasier on gig theatre, big decisions, and building a legacy". Beat Magazine. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
- ^ a b Bennett, Steve. "Michelle Brasier: Reform : Reviews 2022 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". Chortle. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
- ^ a b "VIDEO: Dead Funny: Michelle Brasier" (video (29 min.)). ABC News. Australian Story. 26 August 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ "Book review: My Brother's Ashes are in a Sandwich Bag, Michelle Brasier". www.artshub.com.au. 3 September 2024. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
- ^ Jefferson, Dee (2 September 2024). "Michelle Brasier on turning cancer into comedy – and kicking her life into overdrive". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
- ^ Brasier, Michelle (27 February 2023). "I can't put things off until an old age I probably won't have. Accepting that has brought me joy". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
- ^ Brasier, Michelle. "Michelle Brasier | 'I've always found comedy in the dark parts of life'". whynow (Interview). Retrieved 13 April 2023.
- ^ Fitzpatrick, Tara (2 August 2023). "Fringe performer without musical instruments as luggage lost on flight". STV News. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
- ^ Brown, David (4 August 2023). "Tracker shows comedian's bags are nearby but airline can't find them". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 4 August 2023.