Daryl Somers OAM

Daryl Somers is best known for his television work, being the co-creator, executive producer and host of Hey Hey It’s Saturday, Australia’s longest running and most successful comedy/variety show. The program started on the 9th October, 1971 and clocked up 30 years overall. There were many other shows along the way, including Family Feud, The Daryl Somers Tonight Show,New Faces, Blankety Blanks, Dancing with the Stars and countless Specials. Daryl has hosted the TV Week Logie Awards on five occasions and amassed 31 Logies over his long career, including three Gold.           

Apart from television, Daryl has always loved performing live on stage. His musical theatre credits stretch back to playing Sancho in Man of La Mancha (1988), The Billiard Marker in Mike Batt’s The Hunting of the Snark, Harry Macafee in Bye Bye Birdie, Nicely Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls and the tap-dancing Max Renfield in Hot Shoe Shuffle.

In the January 2004 Australia Day Honours List, Daryl was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the television and entertainment industries, to charitable organisations and to the community.

He is very excited to be playing Max Bialystock, having flown to New York 15 years ago specifically to see Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick in the Broadway production and literally bumping into Mel Brooks at the theatre. Daryl congratulates Dramatic Productions for donating ten percent of the season’s takings to charity and hopes you enjoy the show in this intimate setting of the Gungahlin Theatre.