Paul Calleja
Writer/Performer/Stand up
Paul Calleja makes the difficult business of being funny look easy with his affable, laid back style and his razor sharp wit. He was awarded‘Best New Melbourne Stand Up Comedian' in his first year as a stand up.
After one year on the circuit, Paul was already writing for the Jimeoin show on the Seven Network. In this same year he became a regular at The Last Laugh and The Comedy Club in Melbourne and featured on ABC TV's Something Hot Before Bed.
Paul soon teamed up with Dave O'Neil and Fred Rowan to create Smells Like Bin Night. The sketch comedy show that took the mickey out of pop culture. It began its life at the Adelaide Fringe Festival and moved to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. The Melbourne season sold out and put on extra shows. The show was so successful The Last Laugh picked it up for a six-week season.
Paul has since done stints on the Triple Ms, Summer Breakfast show and has written for and appeared on various shows on the Austereo Network, including his popular history segment on top rating drive show The Shebang.
Paul has performed stand up on numerous television shows including Rove, Headliners and Hey Hey it's Saturday, where he went on to become a regular on the ‘Hey, Hey' segment ‘Joking Off' and appeared on the revived Hey Hey in 2010.
Paul has written for and appeared on The Russell Gilbert Show, on the Nine Network, as well as a playing a role on The Secret Life of Us.
Paul is in strong demand as a writer on television comedy projects, and is still one of the creative minds behind Network Ten's hit football show Before the Game, as well as contributing to other exciting and innovative shows including SBS' history panel show ADBC and Channel 7's TV Burp.
In 2003/4 was Head Writer on Network Ten's Skithouse, was one of the key writers and performers on Mick Molloy's news-based comedy The Nation in 2007.
Paul is passionate about all sport, particularly AFL and in 2007 co-wrote the hilarious book about footy star Strauchanie- Bryan Strauchan- My Story, with Peter Helliar and in 2008 co-wrote Billy's book for Blokes with Billy Brownless.
Paul is still a regular on the stand up circuit, performing in some of the biggest venues around the country, including the Comedy Club in Melbourne, where his material follows a reasonable logic to bizarre conclusions. Hilariously deadpan.
Paul has been described as follows:
- "A stand-out stand-up comedian" Fiona Scott-Norman
THE AGE - "Worked the crowd like a dream" Barbara Biggs
HERALD SUN - "His insights on life are both witty and clever" Angela Crocombe
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