Jonathan Biggins

Jonathan Martin Biggins is an Australian actor, singer, writer, director, and comedian. He has appeared on film, stage and television as well as in satirical sketch comedy television programmes.

Early life and education Jonathan Martin Biggins was born in Newcastle, New South Wales, and attended Newcastle Boys' High School in the mid-1970s. He said that it was "a fairly intimidating place to be if you weren't great at sports or maths. However once joined the debating team, and went on to win the state finals, things started looking up."

Career Film Biggins' film appearances include Thank God He Met Lizzie, Gettin' Square and A Few Best Men.

Television His television appearances include The Dingo Principle and Three Men and a Baby Grand, satirical sketch television comedy programmes (for which he was a writer/performer with Phillip Scott and Drew Forsythe).

Jonathan has been seen on TV as a recurring guest panellist on Spicks and Specks.

Hosting Biggins has hosted the afternoon radio shift for Sydney's 702.

He presented the art panel programme Critical Mass. He hosted the New Year's Eve Gala Concert in 2010 at the Sydney Opera House, and An Audience with Stephen Sondheim (nominated for a 2008 Helpmann Award for Best Special event).

He has hosted the AFI Awards, APRA Awards, Helpmann Awards, Parramatta Riverside's 20th Anniversary Gala, national and international conferences for AMP. He has also made appearances for KPMG, ICI, Commonwealth Bank, ABN-AMRO and the Art Gallery of NSW. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Orpheus in the Underworld. He starred as Peter Sellers in Ying Tong, a play about Spike Milligan and The Goons, which was an Australian-wide hit. He has appeared on stage consistently over the years with the Wharf Revue.

He also performed in the Gilbert and Sullivan operas Ruddigore and The Mikado.

Writing/directing Biggins has directed the Wharf Revue since 2000. In 2004 Jonathan co-wrote and directed The Republic of Myopia for Sydney Theatre Company. He directed the Australian production of Avenue Q (2009–10). He also co-wrote, with Phillip Scott, some of the dialogue for The Man from Snowy River: Arena Spectacular, a stage musical based on the poem "The Man from Snowy River".

He has written for the Sydney Morning Herald weekly magazine Good Weekend,

Theatre Year Title Role Company / Venue 1969 Twelfth Night Hunter Valley Theatre Co 1974 Quality Street Young Peoples' Theatre, Hamilton 1974 The Beggar's Opera Newcastle 1976 Equus Griffith Duncan Theatre for Hunter Valley Theatre Co 1979 Flexitime Newcastle for Hunter Valley Theatre Co 1980 A Toast to Melba University of Newcastle 1980 The Star Show: Tonite Heroes, Tomorrow Forgotten Civic Playhouse, Newcastle for Hunter Valley Theatre Co 1980 The Threepenny Opera Hunter Valley Theatre Co 1981 Treasure Island Fort Scratchley, Newcastle for Hunter Valley Theatre Co 1981 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Newcastle Civic Theatre for Hunter Valley Theatre Co 1981 No Names ... No Pack Drill Playhouse, Newcastle for Hunter Valley Theatre Co 1981 Hay Fever Playhouse, Newcastle for Hunter Valley Theatre Co 1981 The Playboy of the Western World Playhouse, Newcastle & Seymour Centre for Hunter Valley Theatre Co 1981 Habeas Corpus Playhouse, Newcastle for Hunter Valley Theatre Co 1981 Essington Lewis: I Am Work Civic Playhouse, Newcastle for Hunter Valley Theatre Co 1981 Hamlet on Ice Fanny's Theatre Restaurant, Newcastle for Hunter Valley Theatre Co 1982 Tom Sawyer Hunter Valley Theatre Co 1982 West Side Story Hunter Valley Theatre Co 1982 Big River Singleton & Playhouse, Newcastle for Hunter Valley Theatre Co 1982 Macbeth Hunter Valley Theatre Co 1982 Forget-Me-Not Lane Playhouse, Newcastle 1982 The Man from Mukinupin Playhouse, Newcastle for Hunter Valley Theatre Co 1982 Rookery Nook Playhouse, Newcastle for Hunter Valley Theatre Co 1982 The Venetian Twins Playhouse Theatre Co, Newcastle 1983 In the Field Where They Buried Peter Pan Playhouse Theatre Co, Newcastle 1983 Monstersplash Captain Inner City Theatre Co 1983 It's My Party! Neil Inner City Theatre Co 1984 Oz Duz NZ! - Bert and Maisy Tom Stables Theatre 1985 A Bed of Roses Stables Theatre 1985 Private Lives Victor Playhouse, Newcastle for Hunter Valley Theatre Co 1985 Tommy Various characters Newcastle Panthers for Hunter Valley Theatre Co 1985 Blithe Spirit Civic Playhouse, Newcastle 1985-86 Essington Lewis: I Am Work Various characters Stables Theatre & Playhouse, Adelaide for STCSA 1986 Pearls Before Swine Cubby Maisonette Belvoir St Theatre, Seymour Centre & Universal Theatre 1986 The Last Wake at She-Oak Creek Youmg Chookie Greene / Jack Stables Theatre for Griffin Theatre Company 1986 Tarantara Various characters Q Theatre Co 1988 Manning Clark's History of Australia: The Musical Various characters Princess Theatre (Melbourne) 1988-89 Living in the Seventies Seymour Centre & Studio Theatre, Melbourne 1989 Summer Rain Clarrie Sydney Opera House for Sydney Theatre Company 1990 The Venetian Twins Lelio Queensland Theatre Company, University of Sydney & Playhouse, Melbourne 1991 Three Men and a Baby Grand Tilbury Hotel, Playhouse Newcastle, Fairfax Studio & Edinburgh Fringe Festival (also writer) 1992 The Importance of Being Earnest John Worthing Theatre Royal, Sydney & Melbourne Theatre Company 1992 The Barber of Seville Figaro Marian Street Theatre 1993 Three Men and a Baby Grand Space Cabaret, Adelaide 1993 Three Men and a Baby Grand Too Tilbury Hotel, Woolloomooloo 1993 Comedy Festival Debate: Television is Bad for You Melbourne Athenaeum 1993 Abbie and Lou, Norman and Rose Norman Playhouse, Newcastle for Hunter Valley Theatre Co 1994 A Midsummer Night's Dream Bottom Playhouse, Newcastle for Hunter Valley Theatre Co 1995 It's My Party (and I'll Die If I Want To) Undertaker Glen Street Theatre for Malcom Cooke & Associates 1995 How the Other Half Loves William Featherstone Marian Street Theatre 1995 Ruddigore Robin Oakapple Victorian State Opera at State Theatre, Melbourne 1996 Quartermaine's Terms Derek Meadle Marian Street Theatre 1996 Tilbury Hotel 10th Anniversary Gala Tilbury Hotel 1997-98 Essington Lewis: I Am Work Various characters Newcastle Civic Theatre & Belvoir Street Theatre 1997-98 Abroad with Two Men CDP Australian tour 1998-99 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Hysterium Essgee Productions Australian tour 1999 The Mikado Koko Festival Theatre, Adelaide 2000 The Unofficial Visitors Guide to Australia Wharf Revue for Wharf 2 Theatre 2000 The End of the Wharf As We Know It Wharf Revue for Sydney Theatre Company 2000 Sunday in Iraq with George: A Shock 'n' Awe-full Show Wharf Revue at Wharf 2 Theatre 2001 The Best Bits of That Broad and Those Men Glen Street Theatre 2001 Free Petrol! Wharf Revue at Wharf 2 Theatre for Sydney Theatre Company 2001 Free Petrol Too! Wharf Revue at Wharf 2 Theatre for Sydney Theatre Company 2002 Soulmates Greg Australian tour 2002 Much Revue About Nothing Wharf Revue for Wharf 2 Theatre 2003 Sunday in Iraq with George Wharf Revue for Sydney Theatre Company 2003 Orpheus in the Underworld John Styx (Singer) Opera Australia at State Theatre, Melbourne & Sydney Opera House 2004 The Mikado Koko State Opera of South Australia, Opera Queensland & Sydney Opera House 2004 Fast and Loose Wharf Revue at Glen Street Theatre for Sydney Theatre Company 2005 Concert for Tax Relief Wharf Revue at Wharf 2 Theatre 2005 Die Fledermaus Frosch Opera Australia 2005 Stuff All Happens Wharf Revue Australian tour 2006 Best We Forget Wharf Revue at Wharf 2 Theatre for Sydney Theatre Company 2006 Revue Sans Frontieres Paul Keating & various characters The Wharf Revue at Lennox Theatre, Parramatta, Wharf 2 Theatre & Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2007 An Audience with Stephen Sondheim Host/MC Theatre Royal, Sydney 2007-08 Ying Tong: A Walk With the Goons Peter Sellers Sydney Theatre Company Australian tour 2008 Futures Summit Bell Shakespeare Company 2007-08 Beware of the Dogma Paul Keating The Wharf Revue Australian tour 2008 Waiting for Garnaut Wharf Revue at Wharf 1 Theatre, Casula Powerhouse for Sydney Theatre Company 2009 Travesties Henry Carr Sydney Opera House 2009 Christmas at the House Host/MC Sydney Opera House for Opera Australia 2009-10 Pennies from Kevin Paul Keating / Gough Whitlam / Pope Ratzinger The Wharf Revue Australian tour 2010 APRA Awards Host XYZ Networks 2010 Not Quite Out of the Woods Tony Jones / Bob Brown Wharf Revue Sydney Theatre Company Australian tour 2011 The White Guard Herman / Cobbler Sydney Theatre 2011 Debt Defying Acts Lord Mayor Clover Moore & various characters Wharf Revue Australian tour 2011–13, 2015-16 New Years' Eve Gala Concert Host Opera Australia 2013 Whoops! Sir Petulant Pyne Wharf Revue Australian tour 2014 The Happy Ending (Workshop) Opera Australia 2014 Helpmann Awards Co-host 2014 Open for Business Paul Keating Wharf Revue Australian tour 2015 Premier's Senior Week Gala Concert Venables Creating Entertainment 2015 Celebrating 15 Years Wharf Revue Australian tour 2016 Back to Bite You Tony Abbott (Antonius Abbottus) / Donald Trump / Mathias Cormann Wharf Revue at Wharf 1 Theatre for Sydney Theatre Company 2016-20 Great Opera Hits Host Opera Australia 2017 The Patriotic Rag Donald Trump Wharf Revue at The Playhouse, Canberra for Sydney Theatre Company 2018 The Wharf Revue 2018 Wharf Revue Australian tour 2019-20 No Cabaret for Old Men Seymour Centre for Sydney International Cabaret Festival & Riverside Theatres Parramatta 2019 Krapp’s Last Tape Krapp Old Fitzroy Theatre for Red Line Productions 2020 Celebrating 15 Years Wharf Revue Online - Australia 2020 Good Night and Good Luck Coronavirus Wharf Revue for Sydney Theatre Company 2020-21 Keating: The Gospel According to Paul Paul Keating Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre, Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide, Majestic Cinemas, NSW & Riverside Theatres Parramatta for Soft Tread Enterprises 2022 Can of Worms Donald Trump / Mark Latham Wharf Revue for Sydney Theatre Company Australian tour 2022 Looking for Albanese Jim Chalmers / The Grim Reaper / Clive Palmer / King Charles III / Paul Keating Wharf Revue at Seymour Centre 2023 Pride in Prejudice Wharf Revue at Seymour Centre 2010 Avenue Q Helpmann Award Best Direction of a Musical 2021 Jonathan Biggins Medal of the Order of Australia in the 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours Service to the performing arts through theatre Personal life He is married to Australian actress Elaine Smith, best known as Daphne Clarke in the soap opera Neighbours. He and Smith have twin daughters born in February 2000.