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MATTHEW HARDY - Comedian / Writer

Matthew Hardy is a comedian/writer who arrived in the UK in 1992 and became the first Australian to cement themselves on the thriving stand-up scene.

Quickly becoming a regular headliner throughout the 18 venues on the world's largest chain of comedy clubs, titled 'Jongleurs', Hardy became an in-demand act at almost every comedy club across England, Ireland, Scotland & Wales.

"In heaven, everyone will be as funny as Matthew Hardy" - Time Out London

Hardy began writing for The Independent broadsheet and best-selling FHM magazine whilst based in London and was in a years-long relationship with Jean Paul Gaultier model Gin Clarke.

Hardy went on to write for C5's The Jim Tavare Show, ITV's first BAFTA winning series 'The Sketch Show' (with Ricky Gervais), and then Kelsey Grammar's US version of The Sketch Show, on FOX.

Other credits include co-creating/c-writing 'Shappi Talk' with Shappi Khorsandi for BBC Radio 4, writing for Channel Four's 'Stand Up For The Week'. among various other London-based productions.

In 2000, Hardy's childhood memoir - Saturday Afternoon Fever - was published by Harper Collins and made the Best Seller list in The Age (Melbourne) in it's first week. Later the book was acquired by Random House and then Penguin, totalling 5 sold-out print runs.

Hardy has since performed 3 sold out seasons of the Saturday Afternoon Fever book as a one-man show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Subsequent Melbourne International Comedy Festival shows include:

Sex & The Suburbs - a dissection of the four girlfriends Matthew has had and their similarities to the four main characters in the US TV Series 'Sex & The City'. Mainly describes his many failings, for laughs.

Willy Wonka Explained: Searching For Veruca Salt - (co-starring Julie Dawn Cole) - As if sat in respective psychiatrist's chairs, Matthew speaks of his obsession with the first Wily Wonka film and his childhood love for it's character 'Veruca Salt'. The real-life actress who played the role as a child, Julie Dawn Cole, speaks of the obsessive fans she'd had to endure since the film was first released. Their combined frustrations create tension, laughs and possibly love?

One Man Breaking Bad - Hardy wrote a comedic exploration of the smash-hit meth-lab TV drama, and cast US actor Miles Allen to play every character from Breaking Bad, solo. The show went on to sell-out two seasons in a row at the Edinburgh Festival, before touring the US, the UK and Europe.

Effie: The Virgin Bride - Much-loved Australian comedy actor Mary Coustas created the character Effie the suburban Australian Greek Goddess in the 80's, and Effie has been a comedic cultural icon ever since. After a decade long break from showbiz due to personal reasons, Matthew and Mary instigated ands co-created a 'comeback' tour, titled 'Effie: The Virgin Bride' which toured the nation twice over.

Chick Flick - A comedy-musical. Two women miss the last flight to their best friend's funeral, so they share a hotel room and drown their sorrows with a whole lot of gin instead. Secrets and lies are revealed, pain and punchlines ensue.

In recent covid years, Hardy has re-invented himself as a literary agent, creating ideas and doing deals for numerous original books, including two by the sports satirist Titus O'Reily, the debut book by popular podcasters 'Too Peas In A Podcast', and the true crime themed 'CSI Told You Lies' by Meshel Laurie (internationally acclaimed creator of the 'Australian True Crime' podcast)

Matthew Hardy has two daughters and lives in Melbourne, Australia.