Tim Minchin is an Australian comedian, actor, writer, musician, composer, lyricist, and director. He is best known for his musical comedy, including funny songs and long-form musicals. Minchin has a large global fanbase who are keen to watch his comedy shows, musicals, and other video content. There are several ways to watch Tim Minchin’s work, depending on what you want to see, where you are located, and your budget.
Tim Minchin’s Background
Tim Minchin was born in 1975 in Northampton, England. His family moved to Perth, Australia when he was a child. He started playing piano at a young age and went on to study music and theater at the University of Western Australia. After graduating, he started performing as a comedian and musician on the Perth comedy circuit in the late 1990s.
Minchin’s comedy shows combine music, satire, and storytelling. He is known for his funny and often controversial songs, and his witty banter with the audience. Some of his most popular comedy songs include “Prejudice”, “The Pope Song”, and “If I Didn’t Have You”.
As well as stand-up comedy, Minchin has also written and starred in musicals. His best known musicals are Matilda the Musical, for which he wrote the music and lyrics, and Groundhog Day. Both shows have been critically acclaimed and award-winning.
Minchin has appeared on various television shows in Australia and the UK. He wrote and starred in the sitcom No Activity on the streaming service Stan. He has also made appearances on QI, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, and The Project.
Watch Tim Minchin’s Comedy Shows
See Him Live
The best way to experience Tim Minchin’s comedy is to see him perform live. He regularly tours with his stand-up show playing concert halls and theaters around the world. His live shows feature a mix of his popular songs, new material, improvisation, and chatting with the audience.
Minchin is currently touring a new live show called ‘Back’ in 2022 and 2023. He is playing shows across the UK, US, Canada, Europe, and Australia. To find out if he is coming to a venue near you, check his official website for tour dates.
When Minchin announces a new tour, tickets often sell out very quickly due to high demand. So it is recommended to sign up for pre-sale tickets or get in early when general tickets go on sale.
Watch Recordings of Live Shows
If you can’t make it to one of his live shows, the next best thing is to watch a recording from a previous tour.
There are several DVDs and albums featuring recordings of Tim Minchin’s live comedy show available to purchase:
- So Live (DVD) – recorded at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne in 2007.
- Ready for This? (DVD and CD) – recorded at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London in 2008.
- Tim Minchin and the Heritage Orchestra (DVD and CD) – recorded with orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall in 2011.
- So F**king Rock Live (DVD) – recorded at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney in 2014.
- Back (album) – Live recording from his 2022 tour.
These all capture the humor, musicality, and electric atmosphere of his live shows. The DVDs in particular allow you to experience the full visual comedy and spectacle.
Watch Tim Minchin’s Musicals and Theater
In addition to stand-up comedy, Minchin has created hit musicals for the stage. His clever, witty songwriting translates so well to this art form.
Matilda the Musical
Matilda the Musical is an award-winning stage adaptation of the Roald Dahl novel. Tim Minchin wrote the music and lyrics for the show.
Originally staged in London in 2010, Matilda continues to run in the West End and opened on Broadway in 2013. Touring productions regularly play across the UK, US, Australia, and more.
The best way to experience this magical, funny musical is to buy tickets to a local production near you. Check the Matilda the Musical website for current and upcoming productions worldwide.
There are also a few ways to watch recordings of Matilda the Musical:
– The 2012 London cast performance was recorded live and broadcast to cinemas. It is sometimes screened at independent cinemas.
– A DVD of the original Stratford-upon-Avon production is available. However, this early version featured a different cast before the show transferred to the West End.
Groundhog Day The Musical
Groundhog Day is another stage musical with songs written by Minchin. Based on the beloved Bill Murray film, the show first premiered in London in 2016. After a Broadway run in 2017, it has toured the US.
Like Matilda, the best way to watch Groundhog Day is to buy tickets to a live production. Check the Groundhog Day Musical website for information on upcoming performances.
Unfortunately, there are currently no official recordings of the show available. But there are some clips of Minchin performing Groundhog Day songs online that give a taste of his brilliant words and music.
Watch Tim Minchin Comedy Specials and Videos
Ready for This? TV Special
In 2009, Tim Minchin recorded a one hour comedy special titled Ready For This? at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London.
This provides the full Tim Minchin comedy experience in an edited TV show format. The special showcases his legendary piano rocking, funny songs, and energetic performance style.
Ready For This? is available to stream on demand on Amazon Prime Video in certain regions. Unfortunately, it is not currently available on any streaming services to subscribers in the US, Canada or Australia.
The only way to access it in these countries is to purchase the DVD version. But the DVD has been out of print for some time, so second hand copies tend to sell for inflated prices online.
Occasional Language Warning YouTube Clips
As Ready For This? is hard to find online, the next best option is to watch clips of Tim Minchin’s comedy routines on YouTube.
While there is no full special available, there are various clips of live performances, songs, and comedy segments:
- “Prejudice” – One of Minchin’s most famous songs, skewering discrimination and prejudice in society.
- “The Pope Song” – Controversial song criticizing the Catholic Church, from his Ready For This? show.
- “Woody Allen Jesus” – Musical comedy routine lampooning Woody Allen and religion.
- Tim Minchin “Dark Side” Official Lyric Video – Animated video of his beautiful dark ballad.
- “Come Home (Cardinal Pell)” – Song calling out former Archbishop of Melbourne for church sex abuse cover-ups.
Do note that his material contains strong language, covering adult themes and topics. So viewer discretion is advised.
Television Comedy Appearances
Over the years, Tim Minchin has made many hilarious appearances on talk shows, comedy panel shows, and sketch comedies. For example:
- The Project (Australia)
- QI (UK)
- The Graham Norton Show (UK)
- Never Mind the Buzzcocks (UK)
- Californication
- Drunk History (US)
Full episodes and clips from his television guest spots can be found online. These demonstrate his quick wit and ability to improvise and banter with the hosts.
Listen to Tim Minchin’s Comedy Songs and Albums
You can enjoy Tim Minchin’s comedy songs and music by listening to his albums on CD or streaming platforms:
Album | Year | Songs |
---|---|---|
Sit | 2001 | “Inflatable You”, “Don’t Shoot The Messenger” |
Darkside | 2005 | “Darkside”, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Nerd”, “Ten Foot Cock And A Few Hundred Virgins” |
So Live | 2007 | “Canvas Bags”, “Prejudice”, “Peace Anthem For Palestine”, “Contain yourself” |
Ready for This? | 2008 | “You Grew On Me”, “Angry (Feet)”, “Not Perfect” |
Tim Minchin and the Heritage Orchestra | 2011 | Orchestral versions of songs like “White Wine in the Sun” |
So F**king Rock Live | 2014 | “When I Grow Up”, “The Fence”, “Rock N Roll Nerd”, “Cheese” |
Apart Together | 2020 | “Airport Piano”, “I’ll Take Lonely Tonight” |
Back | 2022 | Live comedy tour album |
Listening to the albums gives you a sample of his sharp songwriting across different themes and styles – fromtender ballads to satirical storytelling to foot-tapping energetic rock.
They are available to purchase as CDs or digital downloads from retailers like Amazon. Alternatively, you can stream the albums through Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music and more.
Tim Minchin’s YouTube Channel
Tim Minchin’s official YouTube channel is also a great place to listen to his songs.
It features funny animated music videos for some of his most popular comedy songs, so you can follow along with the lyrics. These include animated videos for “Prejudice”, “The Pope Song”, “If I Didn’t Have You”, amongst others.
The channel also includes live session recordings of songs, lyric videos, short comedy clips, and interviews.
Watch Tim Minchin in Musical Theater Roles
In addition to writing stage musicals, Tim Minchin has also appeared as an actor in musical theatre productions.
Jesus Christ Superstar (Arena Tour)
In 2012, he played the role of Judas in an arena tour production of the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. The UK and Australia arena tour also starred Melanie C as Mary Magdalene and Ben Forster as Jesus.
It featured Minchin’s huge vocals and energetic performance style in the iconic role of Judas Iscariot.
A DVD and CD album was released of a recorded performance from London’s O2 Arena. So you can experience his portrayal of Judas via the home release.
Once (West End)
Minchin played the lead role of Guy in the London West End production of Once in 2014. This stage adaptation of the hit indie film featured him acting and singing opposite Zrinka Cvitešić as Girl.
No official recording exists. But there are some short rehearsal clips and behind the scenes footage with Minchin on the Once Musical YouTube channel.
Conclusion
Tim Minchin’s unique comedic songs, satire and storytelling make him a must-watch for comedy fans. While there is no single platform to stream all his work, he has an extensive back catalogue of live shows, musicals, albums, TV clips, and videos to access. Catching a local production of Matilda or Groundhog Day is the best way to experience his talents live on stage. Otherwise, assemble your own Tim Minchin viewing by mixing and matching DVDs, YouTube, recordings, and reruns of his TV appearances. Within his catalog, you’ll surely find something entertaining, thought-provoking and side-splitting.