Geraldine Quinn

Geraldine Quinn
Geraldine Quinn on stage, holding a microphone and looking off to the side.
Quinn in 2007 performing at Trades Hall, Melbourne
Born
Geraldine Mary Quinn

Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia
EducationSt John's Regional College, National Theatre Drama School
Occupations
  • Songwriter
  • guitarist
  • singer
  • comedian
  • actor

Geraldine Mary Quinn is an Australian songwriter, guitarist, singer, comedian, and actor based in Melbourne. She has performed solo shows at many arts and comedy festivals, including Hex And The City in Adelaide, Melbourne, and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (2009), and Queen Bitch at the 2018 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Early life and education

Geraldine Mary Quinn[1] was born in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales and moved to Melbourne with her family at a young age.[1][2]

She attended St John's Regional College between 1987 and 1992. She trained as an actor at National Theatre Drama School.[citation needed]

Career

Live performance

In 2007 Quinn performed at The Famous Spiegeltent with Paul Kelly in a celebration of his songs by leading cabaret artists including Eddie Perfect, Camille O'Sullivan, Paul Capsis, and Debra Byrne.[citation needed]

In 2007, 2008, and 2015, Quinn toured with the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) Roadshow.[citation needed]

In 2009, she performed her show Hex And The City at Adelaide Fringe and in Melbourne, where it sold out, and then at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.[3]

In April 2014, Quinn hosted the Upfront Gala at MICF.[4]

In July 2015, Quinn was asked to perform at the opening of the David Bowie Is exhibition in Melbourne.[5]

In 2018, Quinn performed her show Queen Bitch at the Malthouse Theatre for MICF. Daniel Ziffer of the Herald Sun gave it 3.5 stars out of 5, describing it as a "funfair ride of laughs and thrills" and "sharp and controlled".[6]

In 2023, Quinn performed her original show BROAD at MICF. The show was highly successful, receiving positive reviews in Australian Stage Online,[7]

Over the course of her career, Quinn has also performed and toured solo shows at the Sydney Big Laugh Comedy Festival, Bangalow Arts Festival, Brisbane Cabaret Festival, Melbourne Cabaret Festival, New Zealand International Comedy Festival, Fringe World in Perth, and the Adelaide Cabaret Festival.[citation needed]

Television and radio

Quinn has appeared on Australian TV shows Spicks and Specks, RocKwiz, Adam Hills Tonight, The Comedy Channel and Upper Middle Bogan.[citation needed]

She is a regular guest on ABC Radio's The Conversation Hour.[citation needed]

Music

Quinn has released several albums.[citation needed]

In 2020, Quinn performed Casey Bennetto's song I AM as an entry in "SBS's Eurovision 2020 - Australia Decides", the competition to decide Australia's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2020.[8]

Awards and nominations

Quinn won the Best Emerging Cabaret Artiste award at the 2006 Green Room Awards in Melbourne, and was nominated for Original Songs.[9]

In the 2010 MICF, Quinn was nominated for the Golden Gibbo Award (Best Independent Local Production) for her solo production Shut Up and Sing.[10][11] Shut Up and Sing went on to be nominated in the 2010 Victorian Green Room Awards for Best Cabaret Production, Best Cabaret Artiste and Original Songs.[12]

Quinn is a two-time recipient of the Moosehead Award for the development of her 2011 show You're the Voice: Songs for the Ordinary by an Anthemaniac (directed by Casey Bennetto, writer of Keating!) and her 2014 show MDMA: Modern Day Maiden Aunt (directed by Justin Hamilton). You're the Voice went on to win the 2011 Melbourne International Comedy Festival's Golden Gibbo Award for Best Independent Local Production.[13] It was the second year running Quinn had been nominated for the award. You're the Voice and the follow-up The Last Gig in Melbourne were nominated for Best Cabaret Artiste, Best Cabaret Production and won for Original Songs in the 2011 Green Room Awards.[14]

At the 2014 New Zealand Fringe Festival, Stranger, an original show by Quinn inspired by the music of David Bowie, was nominated for Stand Out Performer and Best Music.[15]

In 2014, Quinn was nominated for her third Green Room Award for Best Cabaret Artiste for Sunglasses at Night: The 80s Apocalypse Sing Along Cabaret.[16] Also in 2014, MDMA: Modern Day Maiden Aunt dominated the Green Room Awards with four nominations for Best Cabaret, Best Artiste, Original Songs and Best Writing, as well as a nomination for her collaborative cabaret with Perth musician Michael de Grussa All Out of Pride: An Evening of Songs You're Ashamed to Love (Best Cabaret).[17] Quinn took away the award for Best Cabaret Artiste (2014). MDMA was also nominated for Best Cabaret, Best Stand Up, Best Comedy and Outstanding Performer in the 2015 New Zealand Fringe Festival, winning Best Cabaret.[18]

Discography

  • A Quick One (2006)
  • Scream 'Jarvis Cocker' When You're Losing (2009)
  • You're the Voice: Songs for the Ordinary by an Anthemaniac (2013)
  • MDMA: Modern Day Maiden Aunt (2015)

References

  1. ^ a b Who's Who in Australia 2017, ConnectWeb, 2017.
  2. ^ "Six burning questions for Geraldine Quinn". The Sydney Morning Herald. 29 October 2011. Archived from the original on 22 February 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Geraldine Quinn: Hex And The City : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". Chortle. 15 September 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  4. ^ Bennett, Sally. Top Lineup of Funny Women at Upfront Gala(MICF 2014) Herald Sun, 16 April 2014
  5. ^ http://www.theaureview.com/arts/photos/david-bowie-is-exhibition-acmi-melbourne-15-07-15?page=2 [dead link‍]
  6. ^ Ziffer, Daniel (12 April 2018). "Comedy Festival 2018: Geraldine Quinn pulls off top-shelf cabaret in Queen Bitch". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 5 December 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  7. ^ "Broad | Geraldine Quinn". www.australianstage.com.au. 17 April 2023. Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  8. ^ "Midsumma Festival - 'I Am' - Geraldine Quinn (written by Casey Bennetto)". Midsumma Festival. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  9. ^ "Green Room Award Nominations Announced". Archived from the original on 4 May 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  10. ^ "Golden Gibbo & Barry Awards Nominations Announced - Australian Comedy Review". Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  11. ^ Bailey, John (11 April 2010). "Home ground has comic advantage". The Age. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  12. ^ "Green Room Awards » 2010". Archived from the original on 9 April 2013. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  13. ^ "Floppy follies crown festival as able Kane wins Barry for best in show". 23 April 2011. Archived from the original on 31 July 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
  14. ^ "Green Room Awards » 2011". Archived from the original on 9 April 2013. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  15. ^ "New Zealand Fringe Festival Awards 2014". 3 March 2014. Archived from the original on 5 May 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  16. ^ "GREEN ROOM AWARDS » 2013 Green Room Award Nominations!". Archived from the original on 6 June 2014.
  17. ^ "Damien Ryan and Bell Shakespeare sweep nominations for Green Room Awards". 17 February 2015. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  18. ^ "NZ Fringe Festival Awards 2015". 16 March 2015. Archived from the original on 25 July 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2015.