It was 2002 when Tim Minchin moved to Melbourne, a city where he spent four of the most formative years of his life. “It was such a big thing for a fifth-generation Perth boy to move to Melbourne,” Minchin says. “Trying to get gigs and then quite quickly ending up in a position where I could play the Palais or Hamer Hall... it’s symbolic of something I suppose.”
During those years in Melbourne, Minchin did a lot of figuring things out—spreading his cabaret wings at The Butterfly Club, honing his musical comedy skills at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and spending late nights northside of the city chasing the catharsis of making music.
Returning to Melbourne almost two decades on for the Australian exclusive season of Groundhog Day The Musical at the Princess Theatre, Minchin is characteristically reflective about his time living in the city and the extraordinary success he's found since. “I love Melbourne. I’m constantly shocked by what’s happened in the years since I left. It’s been a big 17 years," Minchin says.
"I played at the Palais Theatre first in 2009. Places can go from something you dream of to something you’re nostalgic about so quickly. They’re an aspiration and now they’re part of my history—and that’s really f****** weird.”
From late nights feasting at Market Lane’s Cantonese institution Flower Drum to dinners at Mario’s Cafe, jazz gigs at Bar Open and drinks at Henry Sugar, it’s Melbourne’s unpretentious, good-times diners and dive bars that are part of Minchin's Melbourne history. And he always returns to them when he comes back.
“Restaurant-wise, I always go to Mario’s.”
Fitzroy’s Mario’s Cafe is top of Minchin’s Melbourne dining hit list. Having been around for over 35 years, this Brunswick Street staple by migrant mates Mario Maccarone and Mario De Pasqual is all about family service. "Mario’s is right by where my manager had his offices. It just brings everything back," Minchin shares.
“Jazz is improvising in the corner of Bar Open—that’s my idea of heaven.”
Right down the road from Mario's Cafe is northside staple Bar Open. “I have such a history with places like Bar Open,” Minchin shares. “I sent them CDs and I couldn’t get a gig there… then, everything changed and I kind of skipped it. That place brings everything back for me. So often you’ll just walk into Bar Open and there’ll be a kick-ass jazz trio stuffed in the corner playing not even through a PA. For me, that’s the ultimate way to listen to music," he adds.
“Every time I’m in Melbourne, I’ll do a Princes Park run, a Merri Creek run, or a run around the tan. That’s what home is.”
Wherever he is in the world, Minchin will always go for a run. During his time living in Melbourne, it was a way to blow off steam. “I really like running. When I lived in North Melbourne, I used to run a 10K and I used to run it really hard because I was so frustrated in those early days—just not quite knowing what to do with my skills and playing cover bands and stuff," Minchin shares. "It was my way of giving myself a goal that I could achieve."
Minchin's achieved many goals since—most notably for his role composing and writing lyrics for the Tony Award-winning and Grammy Award-nominated Matilda the Musical. His most recent theatrical endeavour, Groundhog Day the Musical, arrives in Melbourne fresh from a record-breaking run in London and kicked off a limited season at the Princess Theatre just a few weeks ago.
“Groundhog Day is a big philosophical musical, but it’s fun and it makes you laugh and cry.”
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Like any piece of art Tim Minchin puts out into the world, Groundhog Day The Musical grapples with big, philosophical themes, beautifully balancing light and dark in each poetic and witty piece of musical storytelling. But “it’s not a wankfest,” Minchin assures us. “Every piece [of music] is part of a philosophical puzzle... and it’s fun for the whole family. It’s really joyous and really silly. I think Australian audiences are going to f****** love it," he adds. We're pretty sure they will, too.
Catch Groundhog Day the Musical at the Princess Theatre until 20 April. Find out more and where to book your tickets here.
Editor’s note: this article was produced in partnership with Visit Melbourne Thank you for supporting the partners who make Urban List possible. To read our editorial policy, click here.