George McEncroe
Stand up Comedian, Writer and Broadcaster
Stand up comedian and radio host George McEncroe has had an interesting journey. This year she was nominated for Best Newcomer for her highly successful debut Melbourne International Comedy Festival show The Georgina Monologues, which certainly sealed her place amongst the best female comics in Australia. This year see's George making her Melbourne Fringe Festival debut in, "The Care Factor."
As well as being part of the breakfast teams on stations Triple M in Brisbane and Mix FM in Melbourne, she has also made guest appearances on both radio and television, including ABC TV's Spicks and Specks, SBS Insight, TEN's 9am with David and Kim, Mick Molloy's The Nation, The Today Show and The Catch Up on Ch 9, Tony Martin's Get This on Triple M, ABC 774 and Radio National.
George is a mother of four kids. Enough said! After juggling kids, work and play, she has plenty of real life experiences to share with her audiences. Her direct manner, quick humour, warmth and approachability have made her an audience favourite.
George boasts one of the fullest trophy cabinets in town after winning Austereo Rising Star award, Brisbane’s Iron Comic award for stand up comedy and a Goldie award for Best On-Air Performance while co-hosting Triple M’s breakfast show The Cage in Brisbane. She was also a finalist in the 2004 Search for a Funny Bone Comedy Knockout and a Victorian finalist for Raw Comedy 2005.
George has written for The Age, The Australian, The Big Issue and sketch comedy shows, The Big Bite and Life Support. She has edited a collection of stories Listening to The Silences: Women and War, and also wrote a chapter about slow trips and excursions with kids in the book The Slow Guide to Melbourne.
George took a long time to find her 'true calling' of writing, public speaking and performance. She is able to deal with serious issues sensitively and has always been able to find humour in the darkest of circumstances.
Many of her previous jobs would be described as anything but funny. She has been an investigator for The War Crimes Tribunal, a bio-ethicist master’s student and researcher at The Mercy Hospital, an English Teacher in Melbourne and Istanbul, a Welfare Coordinator for teenage students and a carer for teenage boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
Despite being very active she remains ‘big-boned’. She doesn’t iron, grow herbs or work out. But she’ll have a crack at just about anything else.
Friends have described George as ‘Geraldine Doogue meets Roseanne Barr’!
George is a versatile performer and is available as an MC, facilitator and for stand up performances.
George McEncroe was brilliant, she was funny and calm. She binded the whole night together, even when there were hiccups. There was so much laughter! I am extremely happy I chose George to entertain our evening. Marc Curtis,Vicdeaf Auslan and Interpreting Service.
‘George was a highly entertaining speaker... a witty take on education and the importance of teachers.."James Brown. Head of Senior School Carey Baptist Grammar School.
Upcoming Stand Up Gigs:
"The Care Factor" for the Melbourne Fringe Festival September 29th - 2nd October at 7pm. Trades Hall. Cnr of Lygon and Victoria St, Carlton.