In 2008 I was asked to make 'special appearances' in a new sketch comedy show for FremantleMedia Australia and the Seven Network called Double Take. With this show I had now worked across all the Australian commercial TV networks as a journeyman sketch performer.
Click here or on the image below to see a promo for Double Take (4MB QuickTime movie)
The cast consisted of a dynamic bunch of younger performers who had extensive experience before being cast in the show, and many had live performance experience. Amanda Bishop went on from Double Take, where she first performed as PM Julia Gillard (then deputy), to create and star in At Home With Julia for the ABC and Quail TV, for which I was lucky enough to be asked to reprise my role as Kevin Rudd.
I had been developing my Kevin Rudd impression from the time of series 5 of Comedy Inc: The Late Shift but it found its full-blown place on Double Take amongst a few other new performances, including Baz Luhrmann (Australia had not long been released) and an original character called Jorge.
Unfortunately the show was short-lived, with only 10 half-hour episodes ever screened. They were released on DVD (unlike all except the first series of Comedy Inc...) in 2009.
During Double Take I had the pleasure of playing both John Howard and the man who succeeded him as Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, in the same sketch. Top fun! Click here or on the image below to see the sketch (5MB QuickTime movie).
