THE YEAR IN TATTERS

Ensemble Theatre: 84 CHARING CROSS ROAD, DIAL M FOR MURDER, EMERALD CITY, THE LOVER AND THE DUMB WATIER, MCGUFFIN PARK, UNCLE VANYA, THE GREAT DIVIDE, MIDNIGHT MURDER AT HAMLINGTON HALL, BENEFACTORS, RHINESTONE REX AND MISS MONICA, BOXING DAY BBQ, A DOLL’S HOUSE, THE WOMAN IN BLACK, OUTDATED, KENNY, CRUNCH TIME, THE ODD COUPLE, THE LAST WIFE, MURDER ON THE WIRELESS, THE BIG TIME, THE NORMAN CONQUESTS, SHIRLEY VALENTINE, TAKING STEPS, NEVILLE’S ISLAND, TWO, ODD MAN OUT, RELATIVELY SPEAKING, BAREFOOT IN THE PARK, BETRAYAL, GOOD PEOPLE, MY ZINC BED, EDUCATING RITA, ABSENT FRIENDS, OTHER DESERT CITIES, THE ANZAC PROJECT, RICHARD III, THE GLASS MENAGERIE, FRANKENSTEIN, MANAGING CARMEN, RED, THE SPEAR CARRIER and HAMLET. THE ODD COUPLE; The Comedy Theatre, Melbourne & Theatre Royal, Sydney for Crossroads Live Australia. Film: Co-writer and co-director of BEING GAVIN. Literature Illustration: CAPTAIN COURAGEOUS.

Andrew Hansen is best known as a member of the hugely popular Australian comedy group THE CHASER, whose hit TV shows include THE CHASER’S WAR ON EVERYTHING, THE CHASER’S ELECTION DESK, MEDIA CIRCUS, THE HAMSTER WHEEL, YES WE CANBERRA!, THE CHASER DECIDES and CNNNN. Andrew co-wrote, co-produced and starred in all those shows, as well as composing the songs. In 2023, Andrew’s documentary/comedy series Australian Epic premiered on ABC TV. Six very serious true stories – retold as musicals! Andrew was executive producer, co-writer, composer and lead actor. On the big screen, Andrew played ‘Dex’ in SANCTUM (Universal 2011). On Netflix he’s the voice of ‘Mr Mudwasp’ and ‘Alex the Stinkbug’ in BEAT BUGS (2017-18). On stage, Andrew composed and starred in the musical DEAD CAESAR (Sydney Theatre Company 2007), did two national tours with THE CHASER, and two national tours with Chris Taylor. In 2017, he starred in the play NEVILLE’S ISLAND (Ensemble Theatre Sydney). From 2020 to 2023, he toured three solo comedy shows of songs and sketches nationally. He also performs regularly at comedy venues around Australia. Andrew’s radio work includes composing and starring in the musical comedy series and ARIA Award winning album THE BLOW PARADE (triple j 2010). He presented RADIO CHASER daily on Triple M (2018-19). He has hosted many programs as a guest presenter on ABC Radio Melbourne, including summer, autumn and spring seasons of BREAKFAST (2019-present). Andrew narrated BAB SHARKEY AND THE ANIMAL MUMMIES, a series of four audio books that he co-wrote (W.F. Howes 2022-23). He plays various characters in the scripted podcast UNTRUE PRESENTS: THE UNDERDOGS (LiSTNR). He has also voiced many radio and TV commercials since 2002 for companies including Toyota, Commercial Radio Australia, and his sentimental favourite, Four’n Twenty Pies. In print, Andrew and his wife Jessica Roberts are the authors of the four volume junior fiction series BAB SHARKEY AND THE ANIMAL MUMMIES (Walker Books 2018-20). Andrew wrote for the humorous fortnightly newspaper THE CHASER (1999-2005), eleven Chaser Annuals (Text Publishing 2000-10), and occasionally the magazine Chaser Quarterly (2015present). He contributed short stories to BEST AUSTRALIAN COMEDY WRITING (Affirm Press 2016) and JOURNEY THROUGH HUMOUR (Oxford 2003). Andrew has presented guest lectures at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS) and the University of Melbourne. He has presented many readings of his junior fiction books at primary schools and school holiday events. In the corporate world, Andrew has been an MC for dozens of companies and organisations around the country.

Chris Taylor is a writer, performer and broadcaster who’s best known as a member of The Chaser team, responsible for ABC comedy shows such as CNNNN and THE CHASER’S WAR ON EVERYTHING, as well as numerous tv election specials. He co-hosted the drive show TODAY TODAY on Triple J, and also won a Best Comedy ARIA for THE BLOW PARADE, a radio mockumentary series he made with regular collaborator Andrew Hansen.  The pair also wrote the hit musical comedy DEAD CAESAR for the Sydney Theatre Company. For the Ensemble Theatre, Chris has appeared in the David Williamson play JACK OF HEARTS (2016) and NEVILLE’S ISLAND (2017). In 2019, Chris was the creator, co-writer and producer of the AACTA Award-winning television drama UPRIGHT for Foxtel and Sky Atlantic. In 2023, he and Hansen teamed up again to write and produce the musical comedy series AUSTRALIAN EPIC for ABC. Chris is a regular broadcaster on ABC local radio, and is currently developing a musical for the Bell Shakespeare Company.