Steve Abbott
Stephen (Steve) Abbott, actor, comedian, author, poet, screen writer and radio presenter, is still fondly known by many of his fans as the Sandman, the character he created in 1993. Abbott appeared as the Sandman on Australian national radio as a breakfast host until 2000.
Born in Broken Hill in 1956, even from a young age Steve Abbott had a knack for making people laugh. He became the ‘class clown’, using humour to make friends and to lighten tense situations. The character of the Sandman was inspired by Abbott’s childhood in Broken Hill: by visits to his grandparents and by his affection for the town and its residents. His references to and jokes about Broken Hill in stand-up comedy routines are irreverent, but underpinned by respect and love for the community and the fact that it takes a certain kind of person to survive and thrive in a remote outback town.
A favourite joke goes something like this: "In Broken Hill, we didn't have a library. We had a bookshelf in the corner store with a sign that said : Quiet Please.”
After finishing school, Steve worked odd jobs and, pursuing his talent and passion for comedy, started performing at open mic nights, developing and refining the techniques that would lead to a dynamic career as a comedian, performer and writer. With his sharp wit, impromptu antics and signature ability to find humour in ordinary situations, he soon landed his first major gig at the Melbourne Comedy Festival.
In the era of the Sandman, Abbott spent a decade or so broadcasting on Triple J Radio and making programs on SBS television, including a trip to Russia with his mother that became the travel documentary Sandman in Siberia. The trip was also a return to an ancestral town to be reacquainted with Russian family. He was a founding member of The Castanet Club, a ten piece comedy troupe that had their debut at the Adelaide Festival in 1984, winning the coveted Best of the Fringe.
More recently, Steve Abbott has been in a scriptwriting partnership with Warren Coleman who co-wrote the film Happy Feet. He has also taken up bird-watching, which he says began with “an epiphanous moment with a wandering albatross down in Clovelly in Sydney”.
Over the years, Steve Abbott has become one of Australia's most beloved comedians, with a career spanning decades. He's performed at the Sydney Opera House, made countless television appearances, including Good News Week and Rove Live, and has headlined at comedy festivals around the world. He's a prolific writer across mediums, from books to screenplays. And it all started in Broken Hill.
Audio transcript available.