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Hello, Asteroid!
A high-energy comedy cabaret at the end of the world!
- Dates 01 - 05 Oct
- Time 9:00pm (60 minutes)
- Venues Club Voltaire
$27.00
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Written and Performed by: Hamish Pickering
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Stage Manager: Mikaela Innes
The year is 2094 and an asteroid is about to hit our planet. Most people would panic, cry or perhaps hold their loved ones close ... but not Charlie. In the last hour of his life, Charlie sits alone on a stage talking to his audience of houseplants and his robo-aide, Allan. He summarises his life through tales of days gone by, emotional home videos and witty musical comedy. Part comedy cabaret, part optimistic mental breakdown, 'Hello, Asteroid' promises to leave audiences asking, “What was my life after all, who knew a robot could be so sensitive, and what happens to my Flybuys points when I die?”Making its debut at Perth's FringeWorld 2022, 'Hello, Asteroid' received wide critical acclaim, with audiences praising the multi-instrumental skill of Hamish Pickering and the heart and wit shown throughout his end-of-life soirée. Returning to the stage for Melbourne Fringe 2024, the newly imagined version of the show offers the Fringe scene a fresh take on the tried-and-tested trope of armageddon-based comedy. It is the end ... and Charlie is just fine with that.“Hamish Pickering oozes talent. The type of talent that makes you question how on Earth you are afforded the privilege of watching him in an intimate studio in Subiaco, and not on the main stage of some Grand Theatre in London.” - Fringe Feed ☆☆☆☆½“Hello, Asteroid may be a nihilistic look at missed opportunities, but it is also a beautifully poignant exploration of all the little ponderings one makes throughout everyday, ordinary life.” - The Fourth Wall ☆☆☆☆“Would not be at all surprised to see this return to the stage. When it does, do yourself a favour and grab a ticket. This black musical comedy is a bitter-sweet joy to watch” - Stage Whispers
About Hamish Pickering
Hamish Pickering (he/him) is a Melbourne-based performer, writer and composer. Beginning his career in Newcastle as a music theatre performer, Hamish took a keen interest in composing and writing for Musical Theatre and Cabaret whilst studying across Australia. Hamish is a graduate of WAAPA & NIDA, having completed a Bachelor of Arts in Music Theatre at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, and a Diploma of Music Theatre at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts. A confident musician, composer and comedian, his debut cabaret, ‘Hello, Asteroid’, received wide acclaim as part of the Perth Fringe World Festival in 2022 whilst Hamish was entering his final year of study. Since graduating, Hamish has begun extensively experimenting with writing for Music Theatre, discovering his style for both lyric, book and composition. ‘Hello, Asteroid’ will be making its long-awaited venture to Australia's east coast, return to the stage for Melbourne Fringe 2024!
