Jon Bennett: AmeriCAN’T
After nomadically touring the world for the last 10 years, Renowned Australian comedic storyteller, Jon Bennett finally has a home: The US of A.
Or does he?
Jon has spent most of his adult life touring country to country performing in festivals all over the globe with his hilarious brand of heart felt storytelling. In March of 2020 Jon appeared in his last international festival: Rogue Fest in Fresno, CA. His 124th festival.
COVID then forced him back home to his childhood home in the outback of Australia with his conservative, religious family for the next year and a half. His father who finds knock jokes offensive to the houseless and calls farts ‘blow offs’, his mother who gives ‘the finger' to small children, and his 3 now grown up siblings (and their children).
After jumping through every hoop imaginable to get back to his lifestyle touring the world, Jon was finally able to leave Australia and catch an almost empty flight to the USA. Only to be arrested and detained at the airport upon landing. This is THAT story.
“Bennett is the patron saint of storytelling. ★★★★★” – Broadway Baby (UK)
"Stories as funny as they are heart-warmingly honest. You will laugh, but you will also tear up at the honesty he brings to the stage. ★★★★★" - National Post
“Hilarious. ★★★★★" – Edmonton Sun (CAN)
“ A tour de force who will make you laugh–to tears. ★★★★★” - Otakuno Culture
"Bennett is an elite comedian with a masterful delivery, sense of timing, and superlative writing skills. ★★★★★" – Theatre In London
ABOUT JON
7 X JUST FOR LAUGHS AWARD nominee (Montreal Fringe, 2011/12/13/14/15/16/17)
10 X SELECTION - THE MOTH MAIN STAGE (NYC/London/Boston/LA/Austin)
SELECTED OFF BROADWAY SOHO THEATRE (New York, 2019)
SELECTED NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER LIST (The Moth Occasional Magic, 2019)
NATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR WINNER (St. Louis Fringe, 2022)
5 X BEST COMEDY AWARD nominee (Perth Fringe, 2012/13/14/15/18)
2 X SELECTION JUST FOR LAUGHS ZOOFEST (Montreal, 2013/2014)
OUTSTANDING STORYTELLING AWARD WINNER (London Fringe, 2018)
2 X THE MOTH STORY SLAM WINNER (New York, 2014/LA, 2019)
FUNNIEST SHOW AWARD WINNER (London Fringe, 2015)
INSPIRATION AWARD WINNER (Minnesota Fringe, 2022)
SELECTED CRUISE SHIP GUEST ENTERTAINER (Pacific Eden, 2018 - Golden Princess, 2019)
BEST PERFORMER & BEST SCRIPT AWARD WINNER (Nelson Fringe, 2018)
BEST COMEDY AWARD WINNER (Victoria Fringe, 2017)
BEST COMEDY AWARD WINNER (San Diego Fringe, 2018)
BEST STORYTELLER AWARD WINNER (Victoria Fringe, 2019)
PRODUCERS PICK AWARD WINNER (London Fringe, 2017)
GOLDEN GIBBO AWARD FOR BEST INDEPENDENT COMEDY nominee (Melbourne International Comedy Festival, 2015)
2 X BEST INTERNATIONAL COMEDIAN nominee (New Zealand Comedy Awards, 2017/18)
PICK OF THE FRINGE AWARD WINNER (Winnipeg Fringe, 2011)
CRITICS PICK OF THE FRINGE AWARD WINNER (San Diego Fringe, 2014)
PICK OF THE FRINGE AWARD WINNER (Calgary Fringe, 2015)
PICK OF THE FRINGE AWARD WINNER (Boulder Fringe, 2015)
BEST PERFORMANCE WINNER (Victoria Fringe, 2016)
CRITICS CHOICE AWARD WINNER (Orlando Fringe, 2015)
“Armed only with self-deprecating wit and memories, Bennett reminds us that ordinary people lead extraordinary lives. ★★★★★” – The Sunday Mail (AUS)
“Bennett is a joy to watch. This is bold, honest, engaging and different to a lot of standard comedy on offer. ★★★★★” – Fringe Guru (UK)
“Energetic, engaging, heartfelt, hilarious. ★★★★★” - Winning at Failing (AUS)
“Incinerates your expectations of the solo confessional, this flammable Australian is in a league of his own. ★★★★½" – Edmonton Journal (CAN)
“Wonderfully funny with a hefty layer of emotion under the laughs.” - Los Angeles Times
“Bennett is scorchingly funny.” - New York Daily News
Jon Bennett is a world renowned comedic storyteller and 7 X JUST FOR LAUGHS AWARD nominee.
Jon’s comedy career began in his homeland Australia, and after 18 years in the business he is now known as one of the most prolific storyteller-comedians touring the world.
With a total of 8 one-hour-long individual comedy shows (Pretending Things are a Cock, Fire in the Meth Lab, My Dad's Deaths, How I Learned to Hug, IT'S RABBIT NIGHT!!!, Playing With Men, Jon Bennett VS Jason Donovan, Jon Bennett: Jonbenet) and appearing in over 125 festivals, Jon is constantly performing across the globe making people laugh through exceptional comedic storytelling.
He has received countless 5 star reviews in reputable publications worldwide and won awards such as Funniest Show Award in the London Fringe, Critics Choice Award for Best Solo Show at the Orlando Fringe and a Golden Gibbo Award nomination at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
He has performed at a number of prestigious festivals such as the Edinburgh Fringe, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Just For Laughs and multiple times for the illustrious Moth Main Stage Storytelling in the USA, as well as having his work published in print and distributed world-wide, including being listed twice on The New York Times Best Seller list in 2019 for Occasional Magic and again in 2022 for How to Tell a Story.
Consistently noted as one of the hardest working comedians around, Jon lives by the do every gig motto and while he has performed at such prestigious venues such as Paramount Theatre in Austin, The Palace Theatre in LA, Thebarton Theatre in Adelaide, The Great Hall at Cooper Union in New York and made his Off Broadway debut at Soho Theatre in 2020. Stages that have housed hugely famous bands and comedians to Presidents Lincoln and Obama. He has also entertained audiences in comedy clubs, on cruise ships, in jails, bars, swimming pools, rehab centres, parks, churches, schools and nursing homes.
After touring the world for the past 10 years, Jon now calls Portland, Oregon home.