Lawrence Leung
Encyclopedia
Lawrence Leung is an Australia
n comedian, writer and director from Melbourne
, Victoria
. He is best known for his television series Lawrence Leung's Choose Your Own Adventure
based on his one man shows that tell stories around his obsessions such as breakdancing, ghosts, the Rubik's Cube
and his family. The son of Leo and Doris Leung, he grew up in Box Hill
, Melbourne.
, at the Edinburgh Fringe
festival, as well as having toured Australia extensively. In 2001, his show Sucker won Best Solo Show at the Melbourne Fringe Festival
, while in 2007, his show 'Lawrence Leung Learns to Breakdance' won the Age Critic's Award for best Australian show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival
and the Best Local (Australian) Show at the 2008 Sydney Comedy Festival. His other shows included Skeptic, The Marvellous Misadventures of Puzzle Boy and Lawrence Leung Wants A Jetpack. He has also written pranks for the satirical comedy TV show The Chaser's War on Everything
.
Lawrence often performs with Andrew McClelland; the pair have been friends since school and started in comedy together in an improvised comedy group called the Improbables, which also featured other young Melbourne comedians including Nick Caddaye (from sketch troupe Anarchist Guild Social Committee), Adam McKenzie (from comedy trio The Hounds) and UK-based comic Yianni Agislaou. Their most recent collaboration was The Paradoxical Adventures of Lawrence Leung and Andrew McClelland: Time Ninjas, which both parodied their usual comedy styles and explores their youth together. Time Ninjas won the Jury Award at the 2009 Sydney Comedy Festival.
, which aired on ABC1
and ABC2
in 2009. The show revolves around Leung attempting to re-live childhood ambitions and is described as "an imaginative documentary/comedy/adventure series where the innocence of childhood ambition clashes with the realities of adulthood, resulting in unexpected consequences that are hair-raising, heart-warming and hilarious." In April, he released a soundtrack EP
from the show called Choose Your Own Adventure: Music from the ABC TV Series, consisting of six tracks, mostly from the 'Be a Rock Star' and 'Find Love' episodes. The 2-disc complete series DVD of Lawrence Leung's Choose Your Own Adventure was released on 7 May 2009. Extras include deleted scenes, music videos and a 57min tutorial taught by Lawrence Leung entitled "How To Solve The Rubik's Cube".
The series was nominated for a 2009 AFI Award (Australian Film Institute
) in the category of Best Television Comedy.
Lawrence returns to ABC1 in 2011 with a new series titled Lawrence Leung's Unbelievable
.
(3MMM) and Loose Ends (BBC).
He also co-hosted the Sunday morning breakfast show on Melbourne’s FOX Fm in 2005 and 2006 with Courteney Hocking and Andrew McClelland.
Lawrence wrote and presented regular off-beat mini-documentaries for Steve “The Sandman” Abbott’s variety show In Siberia Tonight
(SBS TV, 2004).
He was a writer of pranks for two seasons of ABC TV’s The Chaser's War On Everything
and has appeared on a variety of television shows including The Today Show (Nine Network), Stand Up Australia (The Comedy Channel), The Edinburgh Show (BBC2), Open House (RTÉ).
On 4 April 2009, Leung was guest programmer on ABC1
's popular and long running overnight music video show Rage
.
On 26 May 2009, Leung appeared as a guest on Australian Game Show Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation
.
. The trophy Shaun Micallef
awarded him was Micaleff's own Silver Logie.
Leung has appeared in an uncredited role on The Chaser's War on Everything inside a purple Teletubby costume. Video clip
Lawrence Leung has a Star Wars character named after him ( Lar Le'ung, a Jedi Knight) in the latest Star Wars comic book series Star Wars: Invasion
(2009), written by Tom Taylor
and illustrated by Colin Wilson
.
He also won GQ (Australia) Magazine's Man of the Year 2009, in the category of Comedic Talent of the Year.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n comedian, writer and director from Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. He is best known for his television series Lawrence Leung's Choose Your Own Adventure
Lawrence Leung's Choose Your Own Adventure
Lawrence Leung's Choose Your Own Adventure is a six-part Australian television comedy series, starring and primarily written by Melbourne comedian Lawrence Leung and produced by Chaser Broadcasting...
based on his one man shows that tell stories around his obsessions such as breakdancing, ghosts, the Rubik's Cube
Rubik's Cube
Rubik's Cube is a 3-D mechanical puzzle invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik.Originally called the "Magic Cube", the puzzle was licensed by Rubik to be sold by Ideal Toy Corp. in 1980 and won the German Game of the Year special award for Best Puzzle that...
and his family. The son of Leo and Doris Leung, he grew up in Box Hill
Box Hill, Victoria
Box Hill is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 14 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Whitehorse. At the 2006 Census, Box Hill had a population of 8,616....
, Melbourne.
Comedian/Writer
Leung has performed in shows in London's West EndWest End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
, at the Edinburgh Fringe
Edinburgh Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the world’s largest arts festival. Established in 1947 as an alternative to the Edinburgh International Festival, it takes place annually in Scotland's capital, in the month of August...
festival, as well as having toured Australia extensively. In 2001, his show Sucker won Best Solo Show at the Melbourne Fringe Festival
Melbourne Fringe Festival
The Melbourne Fringe Festival is an annual independent arts festival held in Melbourne, Australia. The Festival runs for three weeks from late September to early October, usually overlapping with the beginning of the Melbourne International Arts Festival...
, while in 2007, his show 'Lawrence Leung Learns to Breakdance' won the Age Critic's Award for best Australian show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Melbourne International Comedy Festival
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is the third-largest international comedy festival in the world and the largest cultural event in Australia. Established in 1987, it takes place annually in Melbourne over four weeks in April typically opening on or around April Fool's Day...
and the Best Local (Australian) Show at the 2008 Sydney Comedy Festival. His other shows included Skeptic, The Marvellous Misadventures of Puzzle Boy and Lawrence Leung Wants A Jetpack. He has also written pranks for the satirical comedy TV show The Chaser's War on Everything
The Chaser's War on Everything
The Chaser's War on Everything is an Australian television satirical comedy series broadcast on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation television station ABC1. It has won an AFI Award. The cast perform sketches mocking social and political issues, and often feature comedic publicity stunts...
.
Lawrence often performs with Andrew McClelland; the pair have been friends since school and started in comedy together in an improvised comedy group called the Improbables, which also featured other young Melbourne comedians including Nick Caddaye (from sketch troupe Anarchist Guild Social Committee), Adam McKenzie (from comedy trio The Hounds) and UK-based comic Yianni Agislaou. Their most recent collaboration was The Paradoxical Adventures of Lawrence Leung and Andrew McClelland: Time Ninjas, which both parodied their usual comedy styles and explores their youth together. Time Ninjas won the Jury Award at the 2009 Sydney Comedy Festival.
TV series
Lawrence Leung was the writer and star of Lawrence Leung's Choose Your Own AdventureLawrence Leung's Choose Your Own Adventure
Lawrence Leung's Choose Your Own Adventure is a six-part Australian television comedy series, starring and primarily written by Melbourne comedian Lawrence Leung and produced by Chaser Broadcasting...
, which aired on ABC1
ABC1
ABC1 was a United Kingdom based television channel from Disney using the branding of the Disney owned American network, ABC.The channel initially launched exclusively on the British digital terrestrial television platform Freeview on 27 September 2004. On 10 December 2004 it was launched on...
and ABC2
ABC2
ABC2 is a national public television channel in Australia. Launched on 7 March 2005, it is the responsibility of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's television division, and is available nationally to digital television viewers in Australia...
in 2009. The show revolves around Leung attempting to re-live childhood ambitions and is described as "an imaginative documentary/comedy/adventure series where the innocence of childhood ambition clashes with the realities of adulthood, resulting in unexpected consequences that are hair-raising, heart-warming and hilarious." In April, he released a soundtrack EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
from the show called Choose Your Own Adventure: Music from the ABC TV Series, consisting of six tracks, mostly from the 'Be a Rock Star' and 'Find Love' episodes. The 2-disc complete series DVD of Lawrence Leung's Choose Your Own Adventure was released on 7 May 2009. Extras include deleted scenes, music videos and a 57min tutorial taught by Lawrence Leung entitled "How To Solve The Rubik's Cube".
The series was nominated for a 2009 AFI Award (Australian Film Institute
Australian Film Institute
The Australian Film Institute was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Australian film industry...
) in the category of Best Television Comedy.
Lawrence returns to ABC1 in 2011 with a new series titled Lawrence Leung's Unbelievable
Lawrence Leung's Unbelievable
Lawrence Leung's Unbelievable is a six-part Australian television comedy series, starring and primarily written by Melbourne comedian Lawrence Leung and produced by Unbelievable Productions....
.
Radio & TV appearances
Lawrence has been a regular guest on breakfast radio (3RRR Breakfasters) and appeared on Tony Martin & Ed Kavalee's Get ThisGet This
Get This was an Australian radio comedy show which aired on Triple M and was hosted by Tony Martin and Ed Kavalee, with contributions from panel operator, the late Richard Marsland...
(3MMM) and Loose Ends (BBC).
He also co-hosted the Sunday morning breakfast show on Melbourne’s FOX Fm in 2005 and 2006 with Courteney Hocking and Andrew McClelland.
Lawrence wrote and presented regular off-beat mini-documentaries for Steve “The Sandman” Abbott’s variety show In Siberia Tonight
In Siberia Tonight
In Siberia Tonight was an Australian comedy talk show which aired on SBS from 2005 to 2006. The program was hosted by comedian Steve Abbott and was themed around his Russian heritage. The program commonly featured The Kransky Sisters, Indira Naidoo, Steves' mum Evelyn Abbott and Marcello Maio.-...
(SBS TV, 2004).
He was a writer of pranks for two seasons of ABC TV’s The Chaser's War On Everything
The Chaser's War on Everything
The Chaser's War on Everything is an Australian television satirical comedy series broadcast on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation television station ABC1. It has won an AFI Award. The cast perform sketches mocking social and political issues, and often feature comedic publicity stunts...
and has appeared on a variety of television shows including The Today Show (Nine Network), Stand Up Australia (The Comedy Channel), The Edinburgh Show (BBC2), Open House (RTÉ).
On 4 April 2009, Leung was guest programmer on ABC1
ABC1
ABC1 was a United Kingdom based television channel from Disney using the branding of the Disney owned American network, ABC.The channel initially launched exclusively on the British digital terrestrial television platform Freeview on 27 September 2004. On 10 December 2004 it was launched on...
's popular and long running overnight music video show Rage
Rage (TV program)
Rage is a popular all-night Australian music video program broadcast on ABC1 on Friday nights, Saturday mornings and Saturday nights. It was first screened on the weekend of Friday, 17 April 1987. With Soul Train no longer being produced, it is the oldest music television program currently still...
.
On 26 May 2009, Leung appeared as a guest on Australian Game Show Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation
Talkin' 'bout your Generation
Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation is an Australian game show produced by Granada Productions which premiered on Network Ten on 5 May 2009. It is hosted by Shaun Micallef....
.
Trivia
Leung's GenX team won episode 1.4 of Talkin' 'Bout Your GenerationTalkin' 'bout your Generation
Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation is an Australian game show produced by Granada Productions which premiered on Network Ten on 5 May 2009. It is hosted by Shaun Micallef....
. The trophy Shaun Micallef
Shaun Micallef
Shaun Patrick Micallef is an Australian actor, comedian and writer. After ten years of working in insurance law as a solicitor in Adelaide, Micallef moved to Melbourne to pursue a full-time comedy career in 1993...
awarded him was Micaleff's own Silver Logie.
Leung has appeared in an uncredited role on The Chaser's War on Everything inside a purple Teletubby costume. Video clip
Lawrence Leung has a Star Wars character named after him ( Lar Le'ung, a Jedi Knight) in the latest Star Wars comic book series Star Wars: Invasion
Star Wars: Invasion
Star Wars: Invasion is an American comic book series set in the Star Wars universe. The series, published by Dark Horse Comics, is written by Tom Taylor, and illustrated by Colin Wilson with color by Wes Dzioba...
(2009), written by Tom Taylor
Tom Taylor (writer)
Tom Taylor is a comic book writer and award-winning playwright who has also written for radio, musicals, film, magazines, satirical news and sketch comedy...
and illustrated by Colin Wilson
Colin Wilson (comics)
Colin Wilson is a comic book artist, born in Christchurch, New Zealand on 31 October 1949.He is known for his detailed artwork which he uses in 2000 AD stories like Rogue Trooper and Judge Dredd. According to Andy Diggle, the 2000 AD editor who got him back to the title in the late nineties and has...
.
He also won GQ (Australia) Magazine's Man of the Year 2009, in the category of Comedic Talent of the Year.