Event and Ticketing Details
Dates & Times
Friday 01 June
6:15 PM - 7:15 PM
We all know Jonathan Franzen is a twitcher. But did you know Tom Hanks likes to collect 1940s typewriters? Or that Johnny Depp likes to play with dolls?
Sadly, Tom and the two Johnnies couldn’t join us, but Sam Pang has persuaded some almost as familiar faces to reveal their unlikely obsessions.
So far this series, Kate Langbroek has revealed her obsession with op shops, Adam Zwar has purred about his predilection for cats, musician David Bridie hit us for six, talking about his love for suburban cricket – and former Better Homes and Gardens host Noni Hazlehurst shared her (let’s face it) entirely expected adoration of gardening.
Always diverse, occasionally devilish, the one thing you can always expect from Unexpected Passions is an evening of laid-back laughs, with wizard of wit Sam Pang at helm. Who’s next?
This instalment of the series will see Barry Dickins discussing his love of tennis and Tony Wilson revealing his love of romantic comedies of the 1977–1989 vintage. Why those years? You’ll just have to come along and find out.
Featuring
Sam Pang
Sam Pang is a writer, presenter and broadcaster. His television credits include the hugely popular Santo, Sam and Ed’s Cup Fever and SBS’s coverage of The Eurovision Song Contest.
2012 sees Sam co-hosting Santo, Sam and Ed’s Sports Fever on Channel 7 and will also be seen in Agony Uncles on ABC1.
Previously, he hosted the history based comedy quiz show, ADbc, and for the past 3 years he has been the co-host of SBS’s coverage of The Eurovision Song Contest. In 2011 he was a creative consultant and writer for the The Marngrook Footy Show on ABC2.
Sam’s work in radio has seen him work for a variety of stations including Triple R, 3AW, ABC and Radio National.
In 2010 he was named in The Age Magazine as one of Melbourne’s Top 100 most influential, inspirational and creative people for the year.
Tony Wilson
Tony Wilson is an author of more than 20 books for all ages and several genres. His picture books Hickory Dickory Dash and The Cow Tripped Over the Moon were bestseller and both were selected as National Simultaneous Storytime titles. His most recent book for adults is 1989: The Great Grand Final (Hardie Grant, 2020)
Tony was a long-time member of the Breakfasters team on Triple R and has a regular segment on ABC Mornings with Sammy J. He co-directed and produced the sports documentary feature The Galahs: A Footy Journey, A Sporting Odyssey (Sepia Tones Productions) which premiered at MIFF in 2016.
He also hosts a website and podcast called Speakola, which is dedicated to great speeches, famous and otherwise. Guests on the podcast have included Stan Grant, Kate Mulvany, Nelly Thomas and Andrew Denton.
Barry Dickins
Barry Dickins is an award-winning Australian author, playwright and artist. From his beginnings drawing cartoons for the Age to his most recent books for Hardie Grant – Unparalleled Sorrow and Barry and the Fairies Of Miller Street – Barry has always shown an intense curiosity about people and what makes them tick.
Barry writes with inimitable wit, humour and lyricism – and has the ability to find the ridiculous and jubilant amid pain.