Randy Feltface

Randy Feltface, mostly referred to merely as Randy, or, on occasion, Randy the Purple Puppet, is an Australian puppet comedian. Randy is a fixture on the international stand-up circuit, and makes regular guest appearances on Australian television. He also performs as one half of the musical comedy duo "Sammy J and Randy", who made their television sitcom debut in 2015 with '' Sammy J & Randy in Ricketts Lane'' on ABC in Australia, for which Randy is credited as co-writer and lead actor. In 2019, Randy competed in the American reality television comedy competition series ''Bring the Funny'', making it to the second round (the "Comedy Clash").

Fictography

Randy notes that he has an unusually elaborate life story for a puppet comedian, though McIvor has stated that it has changed over time and that Randy sometimes makes new claims about his life in an improvisational manner.

Early stand-up career

Randy's first acting gig was in a presentation on workplace bullying. Having gained a taste for showbiz, he soon began to make occasional appearances on the stand-up circuit in around 2005. Randy and Sammy J first met when they shared a bill; shortly after they began performing together at the Butterfly Club in South Melbourne as Sammy J & Randy.
Randy's first full length solo show was ''Randy's Postcards from Purgatory'', which debuted at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2009 to critical acclaim.

Personal life

In his first full length show, ''Randy's Postcards from Purgatory'', Randy revealed he was 38 years old, working children's parties on the weekend, going broke, and facing an impending divorce. He was also a heavy drinker and smoker. By the time of ''Randy is Sober'' it appears that Randy has quit drinking and smoking, and is now a vegan. He has also written an unpublished novel entitled "Walking to Skye", a recurring topic of interest in his 2015/2016 solo show ''Randy Writes a Novel''.

During the events depicted in the second show, ''Ricketts Lane'', Randy is sent to jail for tax fraud, thanks to his house-mate, Sammy J, a young lawyer desperate to make a case. However, McIvor noted that both Randy and Sammy J are actors on that show.

In his show ''Purple Privilege'', Randy says he was born on the "day Lindy Chamberlain's baby was eaten by a dingo" (17 August, 1980).

Creation

Randy Feltface is operated by Heath McIvor, who began his career in puppetry at age 13 in 1993, when he performed with the Melbourne children's theatre company Polyglot Theatre. He provided puppetry work for ''The Hobbit'', ''The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'' and ''Walking With Dinosaurs, the Live Experience''. He has also worked in television on ''Pig's Breakfast'', '' Li'l Horrors'', and as 'Fiend' in ''Me and My Monsters''.

McIvor and his friend Philip Millar were working on a puppet musical called ''Tyrannosaurus Sex'' with a mutual friend Derek Rowe; Rowe, who worked as a workplace consultant for companies, was eventually contracted to create a show about workplace bullying by an insurance company. The show, entitled ''What's A Bully To You?'', originally featured two puppets, but the team realized they needed a third, unisex puppet that could perform a male and a female role depending on the costume: the puppet, called "Beverly" and "Randy" depending on the role, was built by Millar, made from tools in his shed, his arm rods being hacked together from barbecue forks. The show was not received well by the company, and McIvor decided to use the character and puppet for an upcoming puppet comedy show organized by Millar called ''Pure Puppet Palaver'', rebranding it as a stand-up comedy act.

Style

When performing with Sammy J, Randy performs the funny-man to Sammy J's straight-man in the double act, and much of their material is musical comedy. In his solo performances, Randy tends towards observational comedy; in both ''Randy is Sober'' and ''Randy Writes a Novel'', he contemplates his own progression as a person and his existential crisis as an artist. He often breaks the fourth wall, pointing out that he is a puppet and cannot actually see the audience, or noting that his movement on stage is usually limited to the desk he is behind.

Works

Live shows

*2009 ''Randy's Postcards From Purgatory''
*2010 ''Ricketts Lane'' (with Sammy J)
*2011 ''Bin Night'' (with Sammy J)
*2011–2013 ''Randy is Sober''
*2012 ''The Inheritance'' (with Sammy J)
*2013 ''Sammy J & Randy: The Arena Spectacular'' (with Sammy J)
*2013–2014 ''The Last Temptation of Randy''
*2015 ''An Evening with Sammy J & Randy'' (with Sammy J)
*2015 ''Randy Writes a Novel''
*2016 ''Sammy J and Randy Land'' (with Sammy J)
*2018 ''The Book of Randicus''
*2020 ''Modus Operandy''
*2021 ''Purple Privilege''
*2022 ''Inhale, Exile''

Television

*2006 ''The Upper Hand'' – Short Film (Actor)
*2011 '' The Project'' – Network 10 (Guest)
*2011 ''Cracker Night'' – The Comedy Channel (Performer)
*2011 '' Good News World'' – Network 10 (Cast Member)
*2012 ''Warehouse Comedy'' – ABC TV (Performer – ''Sober'')
*2013 '' Live on Bowen'' – Channel 31 (Guest)
*2013 ''No Laughing Matter'' – The Comedy Channel (Performer)
*2014 ''Community Kitchen'' – Channel 31 (Guest)
*2014 '' Spicks and Specks'' – ABC TV (Guest Contestant)
*2015 ''Comedy Up Late'' – ABC TV (Performer)
*2015 '' Sammy J and Randy in Ricketts Lane'' – ABC TV (Writer, Actor)
*2015 '' The Chaser's Media Circus'' – ABC TV (Guest Contestant)
*2016 '' The Yearly with Charlie Pickering'' – ABC TV ("ABC Business Correspondent")
*2019 ''Bring the Funny'' - NBC
*2020 ''Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun'' – Netflix

Recordings

*2012 ''Randy is Sober'' (DVD)
*2012 ''Sammy J and Randy in Bin Night'' (DVD)
*2013 ''The Last Temptation of Randy'' (released as VOD in 2020)
*2013 ''Sammy J & Randy's Difficult First Album'' (Audio)
*2015 ''Sammy J and Randy LIVE'' (DVD)
*2018 ''Randy Writes a Novel'' (DVD, YouTube)
*2021 ''The Book Of Randicus'' (DVD, VOD)
*2021 ''Purple Privilege'' (YouTube)
*2022 ''Smug Druggles'' (YouTube)

Awards and nominations

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are a set of annual ceremonies presented by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), which recognise excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of the music of Australia. They commenced in 1987.

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*Winner: Best Comedy, Perth Fringeworld 2014
*Winner: Barry Award, Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2010 (with Sammy J)
*Winner: Groggy Squirrel Readers Award, Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2010 (with Sammy J)
*Nominee: Best Comedy, Adelaide Fringe 2012 (With Sammy J)
*Nominee: Golden Gibbo Award: Melbourne Comedy Festival 2009

References

External links

Official Site

YouTube Channel

{{DEFAULTSORT:Feltface, Randy
Australian comedy musicians
Bring the Funny contestants
Comedy theatre characters
Comedy television characters
Male characters in television
Male characters in theatre
Theatre characters introduced in 2005
Television characters introduced in 2005
Puppets