Jerry Seinfeld is to tour Australia in August 2017, the first time in close to 20 years he will perform standup in the country.
Seinfeld, who was listed by Forbes as the highest-paid comedian of 2015, sparked a minor controversy the last time he performed in Australia in 1998, telling a joke about geography that involved a description of Melbourne as the anus of the world.
While visiting Sydney on a promotional tour for the Bee Movie in 2007, he was a little more diplomatic: “I never said that. That was so mean of someone to put those words in my mouth. I love Melbourne.’’
The eponymous sitcom Seinfeld, co-created with Larry David, is still regarded as the most successful comedy in television history.
In the time since the series ended in 1998, Seinfeld has been working on various films, books, a Broadway show, and most recently the acclaimed web series Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee.
In February he held a monthly residency at the Beacon Theatre in Manhattan, winning a five-star review in The Guardian: “A glance at Seinfeld’s set list – infomercials, smartphones, marriage – could make his show seem generic,” wrote Elise Czajkowski, “but his ability to turn the banalities of life into comedy is truly unmatched.”
“Australia may be far in miles, but I feel very close to the people because of our mutual comedy connection,” Seinfeld said in a statement. “I couldn’t be more excited about seeing everyone there again.”
The tour wraps in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney, with tickets on sale on 14 November.
