Edith Vale
’ No longer welcome in this establishment'- The Kings Arms Tavern, Gympie
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Edith Vale was born on a farm just outside of Boolarra. She was the daughter of a beef farmer who won the Victoria cross in WWI for single handedly fighting off 14 German paratroopers who had landed in the back paddock thinking it was Canberra, armed with nothing but a tractor and a smile. Her father was an accountant.
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Edith was sent to an Agricultural Boarding School for young ladies run by Sr. Fanny Patter of the Order of The Sisters Of The Bleeding Heart Liberals, where she first met Maureen McGillicuddy. The two became inseparable, and began performing together in school reviews.
Their big break came during WWII when, in the absence of available young men, the two staged a two-woman production of Waiting For Godot in the local town hall in which Edith played the role of Estrogen. Neither cast member had learned the entire script and began improvising, assuming the other one knew their lines. The show ran for six hours. After the opening night, the town rallied together and raised money to send Edith and Maureen to Europe.
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It was in Europe that Edith first saw a woman pulling her balls out in front of an audience and she knew it was her calling. Since then she and Maureen have been travelling Australia together, bringing the family fun game of bingo to every corner of this beautiful big brown country.
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Maureen McGilicuddy
’ Unwilling or unable to follow the most simple of instructions'- Weight Watchers Mordialloc
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Maureen was born in Ararat, back when it was a paddock with a pub and a postoffice. It was just her, her dad, her three sisters and her mum (when she wasn't at the pub). She always dreamed of moving to the big smoke and having her name up plastered across the papers. Sadly that came true in the late 1960's when she was suspected of being the Zodiac Killer for a short period of time.
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After a sojourn around Europe in her early 20's, Maureen and her best friend Edith moved to Collingwood which at the time she described as being full of dirty, scruffy, plonko drunks (as opposed to now, which she describes it as being full of dirty, fashionable, plonko drunks).
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Maureen has become something of a queer icon, much to her disgust, after going viral during Australia's Marriage Equality debate for baking a cake in the shape of the word 'NO'. The queer community saw it as a hilariously ironic take on the situation, whereas Maureen just felt that political messages are always best presented on baked goods. When asked how she felt about the LGBTQIA+ people, she was quoted as saying 'I thought that was a liver complaint'.
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Caroline Springs
Caroline ████ Springs is █ ████ ██ ███████. ██, ███ ████ █ ████ █ ████ and ██ ██ war crimes. ██ ███ ██ ████ ████ Kerri-Anne Kennerley. ███ ████ █ ████ █, █ █ ██████ ████ █ █ ██ ████ however, ████ █ ███ ██ ███ █. ███ ███ ████ Ansett Australia █████ ██ ██ ███ █ █ ████ ██████ ████ ███████ █ ████ ██ ██ █ ██████ Prince Philip █ ██ ██ █████ on occasion ██ █ ███ ██ ████ █████████ ██████ - ██ ████ ███ ██████ █ ███ █ ███████ ███████ Baccus Marsh ███████████ █ ██████ ██ ███████ ███ ████ ██ ████ ██ ███ █ █ ███ ████ ██ and ███.
***THIS INFORMATION HAS BEEN REDACTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE ARGENTINIAN GOVERNMENT***
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Thomas Jaspers
(Edith's Grandson)
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‘A national treasure’ – The Herald Sun
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Thomas Jaspers first pranced onto the comedy scene fifteen years ago and quickly made a name for himself, just as his father always warned he would. Jaspers has become something of a fixture at festivals all over Australia having performed at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Melbourne’s Midsumma Festival, Sydney Mardi Gras, Adelaide Feast Festival, Brisbane Melt, Melbourne Fringe, Perth Fringe, Sydney Fringe, Adelaide Fringe and the Melbourne Writers Festival. He also had the pleasure of opening for Joel Creasy at the New York Comedy
Festival.
Thomas is well known for his work as one of the warped minds behind the cult Melbourne drag comedy trio Granny Bingo in which he plays the miserable but loveable octogenarian Aussie battler Edith Vale. As well as their 10 year run of monthly sold out bingo nights at the Comedy Republic on Bourke Street in Melbourne, the grannies have starred in several of their own comedy shows including A Visit With Nan In A Caravan which won the coveted Golden Gibbo award for it’s inaugural season at Trades Hall for the 2017 Melbourne Comedy Festival before touring to Adelaide’s Garden Of Unearthly Delights and returning to Melbourne for a season at Arts Centre Melbourne. Jaspers can also be heard hosting one of Australia’s highest rating queer podcasts The Gays Are Revolting.
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Most recently, Jaspers' wrote, directed, produced and starred in the hit show Fountain Lakes In Lockdown: A Drag Parody Play, which has toured to over 20 cities to great acclaim. Later this year he will be debuting a new show with the same team at Arts Centre Melbourne called A Fountain Lakes Christmas Carol: A Drag Parody Play.
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Thomas would like to thank his Grandmother Marg who Edith is based on (but only the nice bits he promises).
Kyle Minall
(Maureen's Grandson)
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Kyle Minall is an accomplished comedian, performer, and radio/podcast personality with a rich career spanning over a decade. Based in Melbourne, he co-created and stars in the acclaimed character-comedy act Granny Bingo, in which he portrays one of two outrageously funny “nanas” who entertain audiences with sharp wit and playful irreverence. This show has become a cult hit in the Australian comedy scene – a long-running monthly event soon celebrating its tenth year – and has toured major festivals, becoming a staple at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Melbourne Fringe, Adelaide Fringe, and Sydney Mardi Gras . Granny Bingo even earned the prestigious Golden Gibbo Award for outstanding independent comedy at MICF . Minall’s foray into podcasting with the spin-off Granny Bingo Wireless further amplified his reach, delivering the grannies’ award-winning hilarity to listeners worldwide. His comedic style is often described as warm, quick-witted, and boldly engaging – endearing him to audiences and peers alike.
Beyond his on-stage alter egos, Kyle Minall has demonstrated impressive versatility across radio and television. He was a presenter on Melbourne’s JOY 94.9 community radio for several years, where he not only honed his on-air charisma but also served on the station’s board as a youth ambassador, championing LGBTQ+ youth initiatives. Minall’s talents have also been showcased on screen: he appeared alongside Australian entertainment veteran Patti Newton in an episode of the ABC comedy series What Could Go Wrong? , and he has contributed to other broadcast and online projects that highlight his improvisational flair. In addition, he frequently collaborates with fellow comedians (including co-creator Thomas Jaspers) on cabaret shows and festival events, and has even lent his hosting skills to corporate web series and live galas. Throughout these endeavors,
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Kyle maintains a confident yet approachable presence, bringing professionalism and a touch of cheeky charm to every project. This blend of experience, credibility, and warmth positions him as a highly capable performer – polished, reliable, and ready to shine in any creative setting.​
Scott Brennan
(Caroline's slightly younger brother)
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Scott Brennan has been appearing on Aussie screens and stages for years. He is well known for
his work on the early 00’s program skitHOUSE as well as his appearances on Comedy Inc, Stand Up
Australia, Upper Middle Bogan, Lowdown, Judith Lucy’s Spiritual Journey, Bogan Pride, Spicks &
Specks, Rove Live, The Secret Life Of Us, Blue Heelers, Stingers, Welcher & Welcher and for his
portrayal of local newspaper editor Josh Burns on Neighbours.
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Stage appearances include Spontaneous Broadway, Life - Get it up ya (which was also performed at the Edinburgh Fringe), Code Beige, Glen Bush; Teenage Superstar (for which he received a Moosehead grant) and Very Very Scary. He was a regular panellist on the hit podcast Talking Poofy and spent many years acting as a mentor and director for young comedians through the Comedy Festival’s “LolSquad” program.​
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He is a member of the cult comedy trio Granny Bingo, who perform sell out shows monthly, as well as touring festivals. In 2017, their Melbourne Comedy Festival show A Visit With Nan In A Caravan won the Golden Gibbo Award. Brennan is also an active voice over artist, appearing in commercials for Hungry Jacks and Coles Supermarkets.
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For the last two years Scott has been playing Kel and Brett in Fountain Lakes In Lockdown: A Drag Parody Play, which has been touring all over the country including a week at the Sydney Opera House.
He is a massive fan of David Bowie.