Friday, April 23, 2010

Day 4(Steady Eddy-Celebral Palsy)



Steady Eddy is the stage name of Christopher Widdows, an Aystrian comedian and actor with Celebral palsy. Initially, Widdows used his disability as the basis for his comedy. Having since made a name for himself, he has branched out beyond humour based solely around his disability.



1992 - his career began, with appearances on Australia TV\s Nine Network The Midday Show and days later, Seven Network's Tonight Live with Steve Vizard.

1993 - saw him touring with his show, "Ready Steady Go!"
1994 - brought the International Melbourne Comedy Festival where has was rewarded with a Young Austrian Achivers Award.
1999 - Steady Eddy was master of ceremonies for the national tour by supergroup Midnight Oil.
2004 - Eddy co-starred as Trevor in the Austrian made comedy.


This had not been the kind of rock 'n' roll gig Steady Eddy prefers. A comic who suffers from celebral palsy and whose condition is an integral part of his act, can't always count on the sympathy factor when it comes to playing for laughs. He was working as a Navy storeman when he saw his sister perform at Sydney's Comedy Store and thought he'd try open-mike spot himself. He got more comfident as his material became more outrageous. Aged 25, he is currently in possession of Australia's awards for Best New Wave Comic, Best Stand-up Performer and Best Comedy Album.

He may be at pains to be seen as a taboo-breaker, but he is just as intensely aware of his marketability. Ask him why his material concentrates almost exclusively on his disability and you receive two replies. First, The comedy's got to come from your own personal experiences; if it doesn't, it's not you, it's manufactured.

He recalls his childhood: 'My teachers told me I had to be inconspicuous to fit into the mainstream of society...yet every every morning a bus would pick me up with 'Spastic Center' written down the side.' Instead of berating him, perhaps we should just recognize that this is one brave disabled man's attempt to stand up and be counted.




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