Standup comedian Rob Newman discusses starting his comedy career at 60, turning multiple near-death hospital experiences into the foundation for his debut solo Adelaide Fringe show “Don’t Die Wondering”, while Steve shares his musical reflection on the changing Adelaide Fringe through his song “Centre Stage”.
After 25+ years of reviewing Adelaide Fringe shows, Steve takes a sabbatical this year. But there’s one show he can’t help spotlighting: Rob Newman’s debut solo performance “Don’t Die Wondering”. Newman’s story offers something rare, a comedian willing to be deeply reflective about the journey that brought him to the stage at 60, shaped by a decade of hospitals and life-or-death moments.
This episode contains no SA Drink of the Week segment.
The Musical Pilgrimage features Steve’s own song about the Adelaide Fringe. Through “Centre Stage”, performed by Steve Davis and The Virtuosos, he offers a bittersweet love letter to a festival he’s watched change over decades. The segment includes his conversation with FiveAA’s Richard Pascoe about reviewing standards, five-star review inflation, and why the Fringe remains a jewel in South Australia’s crown.
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Running Sheet: This Adelaide Fringe Don’t Die Wondering
00:00:00 Intro
Introduction
00:00:00 SA Drink Of The Week
There is no SA Drink Of The Week this week.
00:03:17 Rob Newman
Rob Newman appears on screen in full purple surgical scrubs against a hospital backdrop. It’s not a gimmick. Over the past decade, he’s spent considerable time in hospitals and operating theatres, told more than once to gather his family and say goodbye. These experiences form the bedrock of Don’t Die Wondering.
The path to standup wasn’t part of Newman’s original plan. He traces it back to a coffee conversation with Steve 10 to 12 years ago. “Your suggestion at the time was, come and try standup,” Newman recalls. “It’s a great way to get the confidence to do public speaking.” What began as preparation for property market speaking tours became something much deeper.
Steve shares his own early standup experience, driving across Adelaide to work with Glynn Nicholas, heart palpitating so strongly he could feel his pulse under his eyebrows. Newman agrees about the terror, offering perhaps the most vivid description of pre-show nerves: “It’s the best cure for constipation you’ll ever get in your life.”
But the terror serves a purpose. Newman describes managing the fear of judgment. “Not so much to lose it, but control it in the sense of embracing the fear of it,” he explains. That fear never entirely disappears. What changes is the ability to handle surprises, to relax into improvisation, to step away from verbatim scripts.
The conversation explores performing as yourself versus hiding behind characters. Steve admits he gravitated toward characters partly because “anything negative feedback that might happen is water off a duck’s back. In some ways it’s the cheat’s way out.” Newman has stuck with vulnerability. “Be yourself,” he says. “Basically unzip yourself and be vulnerable.”
Steve’s immediate response: “What’s your show rated?” Newman confirms it’s R-rated, though the rating speaks more to emotional honesty than shock value.
Newman’s been running around Adelaide dressed as a surgeon, offering free medical checks as promotion for the show. It’s playful promotion, but also a way of inhabiting the hospital world that shaped his perspective.
Newman’s journey through the comedy ranks has been patient and methodical. Starting in his early fifties, he’s spent years developing his craft before attempting a solo Fringe show at 60. The title “Don’t Die Wondering” carries weight when spoken by someone who’s genuinely faced that possibility.
Rob Newman was a grant recipient through the Adelaide Fringe Foundation.
00:38:30 Musical Pilgrimage
In the Musical Pilgrimage, we feature Centre Stage (The Adelaide Fringe Song) by Steve Davis & The Virtualosos.
After 25+ years of reviewing Adelaide Fringe shows, often two to three per night, Steve presents his own song about the festival. “Centre Stage” is what he describes as “still a love song to the Fringe and just a cheeky fringe type, steampunk, gothic reflection on the state of play.” The lyrics trace the festival’s shift from experimental counterculture to celebrity-driven programming: “You were fringe to me / You did not need celebrities / But now a household name comes and cash in on fame / And crowds out smaller shows that have more soul.” His reviewing experience infuses the verses, cataloguing years spent in theatres, on blankets in parks, and sweltering in church halls without air vents, always writing reviews “to help all thinking people choose emerging art in our town.”
The conversation with FiveAA’s Richard Pascoe addresses reviewing standards and the proliferation of five-star reviews. “There are some reviewers who are promised critics, et cetera, but there’s a lot of light dusting out there,” Steve observes. “They have become cheapened, like the money in Argentina during their inflation.” Steve’s reviewing philosophy was always accountability: “I had to write them knowing that you would go and buy a ticket and you need to be able to look me in the eye and say, yep, that was accurate.” Despite his criticisms of how the Fringe has changed, Steve’s message remains clear: attend the Fringe, take chances on weird and experimental shows, support artists attempting something genuinely different. “Enjoy the Fringe. We should, no matter how we do it. It’s an absolute jewel in our crown.”
Here’s this week’s preview video
There is no video this week.
SFX: Throughout the podcast we use free SFX from freesfx.co.uk for the harp, the visa stamp, the silent movie music, the stylus, the radio signal SFX, the wine pouring and cork pulling SFX, and the swooshes around Siri.
An AI generated transcript – there will be errors. Check quotes against the actual audio (if you would like to volunteer as an editor, let Steve know)
427-The Adelaide Show
===
Steve Davis: [00:00:00] Hello, Steve Davis here. Welcome to episode 427 of the Adelaide Show Podcast. It’s. You know, the eve of Mad March here in South Australia, and that typically starts with the Adelaide Fringe, and I’m not really doing much for the Fringe this year. Having a sabbatical from the Fringe. In my heyday, I was out, been reviewing for 25 plus years, often two to three shows a night, every single night of the fringe.
And as well as doing my own shows, and I’ve, I just need a break, so I’m taking a break from it. But there’s one gentleman whose, uh, career I’ve watched who’s come up through the standup comedian ranks, and standup is one of the store war elements of the Adelaide Fringe. His name’s Rob Newman. We’ll have a chat with him in two secs about his show.
Uh, and then I’ve got a song which I’ve written about the Adelaide Fringe that reflects on the state of play at the moment, which will be basically replaying [00:01:00] the interview on this topic. I had on five AA with Richard Pascoe recently, so you’ll get the back and forth of that plus the song in the musical pilgrimage.
And also, um, just to be clear, I have known Rob for a long time. I personally invited him to have this chat. He’s taking a bold move with his first solo show. He’s got a fascinating story. This is not going to be, you know, a comedian performing comedy. Uh, I’m about to take him through some reflective questions because in the world of standup, there are some very rare beasts who are, are quite reflective, and I think rob’s one of them and world worth supporting.
I hope you enjoy the chat. And I hope you enjoy the fringe, but let’s strap in. Talk to Rob about starting a standup career at age 60 and doing an Adelaide Fringe show, which I think you should buy tickets to sea because you don’t want to die [00:02:00] wondering.
Theme: I, Lydia.
Refugees.
I Lydia. Lady Who? Lydia.
Lady. Lady. Lady.
Caitlin Davis: In the spirit of reconciliation, the Adelaide Show Podcast acknowledges. The traditional custodians of country throughout South Australia and their connections to land, sea, and community. We pay our respects to their elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.[00:03:00]
Steve Davis: Right. The fringe is basically upon us, depending on when you listen to this. My guest for this episode is standup comedian Rob Newman. Rob, welcome to AD HA.
Rob Newman: Thank you for having me on, Steve. It’s a pleasure.
Steve Davis: Now, your fringe show was called Don’t Die Wondering and I don’t want to Leave. Our dear listener dying, wondering about what it’s about, and we are going to get to that.
But just before we do, uh, at the time of recording, you are dressed in purple surgical gowns. You’ve got a purple hospital background behind you. Is that linked to the theme of the show?
Rob Newman: [00:04:00] Yes, it is actually. It’s, it’s probably the foundation of the show in the sense that. Life can change for us in an instant and we can all of a sudden go from thinking about what we’re doing on a, uh, on a daily basis to end ending up being clinging onto life.
And so over the last 10, 12 years, I’ve actually spent a fair bit of time in not only hospitals, but also in theaters, uh, and been told on more than one occasion to get my family in and say goodbye. So there’s an underlying message here of saying get on with it.
Steve Davis: Ironically, in my time reviewing the fringe, I’ve spent a lot of time in theaters, and only once or twice have they advised me to get my family in to say goodbye.
Rob Newman: I, I, I, I could probably see myself at one of my shows. Get the family. No, I won’t go there. I won’t go there.
Steve Davis: Um, so we’re [00:05:00] gonna unpack some of that as we go through this, but before we do, if we take you right back to your beginning, early memories of life. First question, did you ever foresee yourself doing standup comedy?
Was that ever. On Rob Newman’s wishlist?
Rob Newman: No, actually it wasn’t, um, it was something that you may recall started after a cup of coffee we were having some 10, 12 years ago.
Steve Davis: Oh, wow. I actually can’t. Well, okay. Explain. I’ve just outed myself.
Rob Newman: So, um, I, I suppose it had been. Something I’d always enjoyed, but never thought I could see myself doing it or never had a, like a massive desire to do it.
And then, um, you and I were having a, uh, a coffee about various things and we got to talking about [00:06:00] doing, um, speaking tours for the property market and your suggestion at the time was, come and try standup. It’s a great way to get the confidence to do public speaking. And it all went from there.
Steve Davis: Okay, so that means if someone goes to see the show, based on this conversation, I’m responsible in more ways than one.
Rob Newman: Oh yeah. I hold you very responsible.
Steve Davis: Look, and it’s actually, you know what, it’s a true point. I, I can’t remember that, that actual. Conversation itself, but the theme of it, I can, because I stand by, that there’s something in the art of standup, the discipline of standup comedy that holds you in good stead for just about anything in life, because there are a few things more terrifying.
I know when I was going for my first ever lessons working with, uh, Glynn Nicholas to learn the art of, [00:07:00] um, standup, I remember driving across town and. My heart was palpitating so strongly, I could feel my pulse under my eyebrows, which I’d never felt a pulse under before because it was, you were stepping in with all sorts of judgment.
You were putting yourself on the line. Do you think that’s the crux of what makes it so, uh, fear inspiring for people? Or are there other things that I’m missing?
Rob Newman: I think that’s certainly an element of it. Um, soon after starting, people would ask me how do I feel? And I, my answer was, it’s, um, the best cure for constipation you’ll ever get in your life.
Because usually driving in your absolutely terrified of not only being judged, um, which is a big, a big part of it. And it, I don’t think we ever, in fact, I was chatting only yesterday with some colleagues about. [00:08:00] How to try and lose that, that fear of being judged. Um, well, not so much to lose it, but, but control it in the sense of, um, embracing the fear of it.
Um, so certainly, uh, that doesn’t ever really go away. I suppose the more you do it and the more confident you feel, the better you can handle situations and the, and the surprises that come in. And the more relaxed you are, the more. Improvisation that you can bring into what you’re doing and sidestep a little and, and not necessarily start on a ver verbatim script, which, um, I think we all do when we start.
And then as we get a bit loosened up, we can turn left and right. And. Step back and forward.
Steve Davis: Yes. ’cause you perform as yourself. Uh, when I started my standup, I was doing the same. Then I gravitated towards characters. And I think part of it was I just love the idea of [00:09:00] exploring some characters. But the other part was when you are in character mode, you are fully that character.
And so anything negative feedback that might happen. Is water off a duck’s back. In some ways it’s the cheat’s way out. So kudos to you. Have you contemplated doing characters or you’re just ready to toughen up sunshine and, and stick with it?
Rob Newman: I think if I found the right character that I, that I enjoyed.
If I, if I found someone in public life, you know, a politician or something like that, that I could genuinely enjoy. I mean, one of the things I’ve learned and, and, uh, I was told this very early in the piece was. Um, be yourself.
Steve Davis: Yeah.
Rob Newman: Basically unzip yourself and be vulnerable.
Steve Davis: Hello? What’s, what’s your show rated?
Rob Newman: Uh, definitely 18, whatever it is, R rated. Um,
Steve Davis: so be
Rob Newman: yourself.
Steve Davis: Be yourself.
Rob Newman: Yeah. So very much be yourself because, um, [00:10:00] trying to be someone else, um, yeah, it, it just doesn’t work. But if I found the right character, I think if I found someone like so many. People have, um, I won’t go into mentioning all sorts of, uh, famous names, but, but a lot of them have found a character and they’ve been able to associate that and they’ve done an excellent job and they’ve been able to produce an alter ego.
So, um, I certainly haven’t rule it out, but just haven’t found someone that I feel that I could relate to yet.
Steve Davis: You haven’t found someone that you can pull off just yet? Correct. So, um. Interestingly, I can see on the social media channels that you are running around town dressed up as a surgeon or a doctor in full purple scrubs, giving free medical checks out there, there inklings of a character at play there.
Theme: Um,[00:11:00]
Rob Newman: no. You you mean what I would, I, I I like to play a surgeon.
Steve Davis & The Virtualosos: Hmm.
Rob Newman: Possibly, I suppose the, the one that actually comes to mind that I’ve thought of a few time is, uh, a newsman. I’d love to do that desk anchor and turning the news of the day into the ridiculous. Okay. That’s, that’s probably, that’s one I’ve had in the back of my mind to create, um, an anchorman type of situation and then be up on what’s happened that day, that week or whatever.
Um. And turn that around into the funny side. But, um, a surgeon, it’s funny. Surgeons are very serious people. Anesthetists tend to be the funniest people in a, um, in a theater. They’re, they’re quite good to joke with. They’ll normally engage and have a bit of a laugh. Um, a lot of decisions, not all of ’em.
Some of ’em will have a bit of a joke with you just before you, um, get put to sleep. [00:12:00] But, but the anis are always up for a joke. Most of the surgeons, although I, you’ve just given me an idea, then you could do the, the reverse of serious surgeon. So, but yeah, I might put him on the list. Might put him on the list.
Steve Davis: Well, um, I, I remember hearing you talk about anesthetists being funny because you’ve met a few, I mean, coming to that in, in a moment where as they’re taking you out and you count down from 10, 9, 8, they start telling you a joke, but they withhold the punchline.
Rob Newman: There was one situation, one in particular where, um, I walked in for a colonoscopy and
Steve Davis: what a great start to a joke.
Yes, God.
Rob Newman: And the, the, the nurse who was controlling the room. Um, because normally you’re wielding and you all you have on is your gown and, um. This particular day I walked in and she said, have you [00:13:00] got your underpants on? To which I replied, yes. And she very, um, forcefully, uh, I thought Jovially said, well get ’em off.
And I, you know, the thing that just flew outta my mouth was, well, where have you been all my life? To, to which the Anita just fell on the ground laughing. And as he started sticking cannulas and, and everything, he was so much enjoying the little joke that had just happened that he started telling me a joke.
And of course, if you’ve had a, any anesthetic, you start floating down and if you can, if you can get to seven, if you can count backwards from 10, you’re doing pretty well. Quite often you’d go on by about three or four, just so he’d set this joke up. I remember screaming at myself in my head going, don’t, don’t fall.
Don’t fall. You’re gonna miss the, and of course I missed the punchline. [00:14:00]
Steve Davis: Did you ever get it?
Rob Newman: Yes. He came to see me in recovery and I said, give me the punchline.
Steve Davis: And did it turn? Was it worth it?
Rob Newman: Yes, it was. Actually it was.
Steve Davis: Now, before we look at your history, which we’re literally going to do with the next question, do you have favorite.
Comedians and is there something about them that they’re drawing from their own life experience or are there more absurdist, eccentric, um, seemingly unhinged and random characters that attract you?
Rob Newman: A little bit of a mix, but I’d probably say the people or the successful, the comedians that are showing themselves are the ones.
That inspire me. Mm-hmm. Um, yes, there’s a few that, that are leaning towards an alter ego or playing someone, but the ones that [00:15:00] are talking about their life and their perspective on life, um, are the ones that probably attract me the most. And that’s one of the things that’s probably said, well, you know, you don’t need to try and be someone else.
You just need to be yourself. And then the people that think you’re funny. Follow you if you try. And if I try and be Steve Davis, um, no matter how much I take your humor on and tell your jokes, um, what works for you is everything. Your voice, your stature, your looks, steady
Steve Davis: on, steady on.
Rob Newman: Um, I was only talking about this to a mutual friend yesterday afternoon, and that how being yourself is.
So, so the, the comedians, especially in Australia, uh, Lawrence Mooney comes to mind.
Theme: Yeah.
Rob Newman: Um, I very much like his style. He talks about his life and his family and his wife, um, and his kids and all that sort of stuff. And that’s very much my style. Um, same sort of thing. So [00:16:00] that, that’d be one. Um, Billy Cony I like for his storytelling.
Uh, I very much like the storytelling type of, type of a comedy. Um. I mean, I think we’d all aspire to be Robin Williams, but goodness, how would ever get the energy to do it? Um.
Steve Davis: Well, not so much at the moment. No,
Rob Newman: no. Yes,
Steve Davis: I hear what you saying. Fi. Fiona o Locklin. I met early in my reviewing years and she had a lot of stuff focused on her family.
Yes, probably verging on the edge of cruelty and parts. In fact, I saw her daughter perform many years later in most of her show. Yes. Was sarcastically getting back at her dad? Does that worry you? Do you think your, your kids who get exposed in some of your material, um, bare grudges?
Rob Newman: No, not at all. I am, um, I do have a bit of a line where you have your private life.
Um, and so I don’t [00:17:00] cross that. Um, uh, I, I, I must say I get probably most of my inspiration from my wife. Um, and just the, the day to day stuff, you know, the things about getting old and it’s starting to need hearing aids and glasses and just the funny things and where did I put that and I forgot this. And, and then you weave that into something else.
And so there’s a lot of, I I, I do like observational, everyday relatable things that people can come to the show and go. We did that this morning. This, this guy did this, you know that, that kind of stuff.
Steve Davis: So you’re basically holding up a, uh, a side show mirror to people’s lives. Uh,
Rob Newman: I think part of it is, yeah.
Steve Davis: Mm-hmm.
Rob Newman: Yeah.
Steve Davis: Now, from my recollections of having known you, there’s four major themes that seem to weave themselves into your, or sources of inspiration that weave themselves into [00:18:00] your comedy growing up on a farm, your love of racing, uh, family as you’ve just touched on, and then the medical episodes that you’ve had just a little drive by from, for these things, farm does.
Just growing up on a farm, do you have to look far to get comedy?
Rob Newman: Oh, no. It’s, uh, it’s everywhere. It’s, it’s, um, and it’s, it’s very funny because it’s helped me relive a lot of those younger years and the, the, not only hilarious, but stupid things I did. Um, and I remember at the, at some points in my youth.
My cousins lived in town and I thought, how much am I missing out on? But I now look back and go, well, how much did I get? How much did I receive? How lucky was I, um, to have that freedom to just be able to get on dad’s motorbike and ride for a whole weekend and, and, um, [00:19:00] you know, we’d, uh, on a, a Saturday morning, get on your push bike, meet your mates head off wherever.
You just as, as the, the sun came down, you, you knew it was home. Time to head home for tea and TD be on the table and mum would say, did you have a nice day? And you’d go, oh yeah, we had a nice day. But they had no idea where you were. No mobile phones, no, no nothing. And we were, you know, gallivanting all over the place.
They were all sorts of things.
Steve Davis: Is there anything in particular growing up that you miss from that farm life that, uh. Maybe you wouldn’t do again, but was, was formative.
Rob Newman: Um, well certainly, and I do touch on this briefly in the show, that how life’s changed in the sense that back then no one locked their houses, no one took the keys outta the cars.
Uh, there were firearms easily accessible in the house. Not because you were planning on murdering someone, but um, [00:20:00] you know, snakes were a reality or sometimes dad had to put an animal out of its misery, that sort of thing. So there was, life was very trusting. Um, yeah. You were, even though you were given an immense amount of freedom, somehow you had a inbuilt responsibility.
Go with that freedom. Which sometimes got you into a bit of trouble if you, if your imagination ran away with you and you decided to, you know, if you watch a TV show like a, a Casey Jones for example, and decided that, wow, building a steam engine wouldn’t be a bad idea
Steve Davis: and you had raw materials for such things.
Rob Newman: Oh, of course, yes. We had, uh, dad’s wood pile and an endless supply of. Various levels of volatile fuel at the ready and, and um, so yeah, the trying those things out was a, a breeze.
Steve Davis: I imagine parents weren’t, uh, [00:21:00] overly happy when they discovered an inferno, so you would’ve had to have made off at the, uh, speed of light.
Do you reckon that’s fed into your love of actual car racing? You were involved in car racing heavily, weren’t you?
Rob Newman: For many years, yes. As, uh, in all manner of. Of, um, uh, rolls. Uh, I went to work for a, a, a dear lifelong friend of mine, straight Outta school who, um, um, amongst other things, uh, won the Australian Grand Prix in 1979.
And he, he was a big influence in my life. Um, and he’s passed away now and I missed him dearly. So, uh, being surrounded in that was something, um. Uh, I really found myself as a young boy. I just loved driving, driving tractors, riding motorbikes, driving trucks. I just, when school finished, I just, whatever I could get my hands on, I’d spend the weekend driving.
And, um, so I sort of tripped over meeting him and that was a [00:22:00] big influence. And I helped and worked on his cars for years and then I started driving myself and that took me overseas. And then eventually when, uh, my son was very young at about four, uh, he had his first race and drove pretty seriously for about 10 years.
Steve Davis: How old was he? He
Rob Newman: was actually, don’t tell anyone this ’cause it’s, he was, but yeah, he had his first drive when he was four.
Steve Davis: You can take the boy out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the boy.
Rob Newman: Correct. I think he, he, he had his first race when he was five. I think that was how you had to be to, to actually um, to drive to race. Yeah.
Steve Davis: Reach the pedals.
Rob Newman: Yeah. Well, you, you’d do things like strap blocks of wood on the pedals so that
Steve Davis: Oh God,
Rob Newman: your feet could reach them.
Steve Davis: Okay.
Um, and then so. Yeah. These are very practical things. [00:23:00] Just before the world collapsed with some medical emergencies, you are in real estate,
Rob Newman: correct?
Steve Davis: That’s the most poncy paper pushing analytical aspect of life. How did, why did you pivot that way?
Rob Newman: Um, we came back from England in. My wife and I, uh, to get married actually in, must have been 19 9 90 or thereabouts, and working in Motorsport in Adelaide was pretty much dead.
Uh, England. It was alive on, on all levels. You could do all manner of things working for all manner of teams or circuits or media or whatever, and there was nothing here. And, um, anyway, person I knew at the time said, why don’t you try doing this? Then of course we got mortgages and kids and all of a sudden that just became life for many, many, many years.
Um, but I never [00:24:00] really enjoyed being a standard real estate agent, so I don’t put myself in that same pot of that person. I was more interested in, um, development work in construction, um, sourcing sites, um, that sort of thing. So I was more interested in the nuts and bolts of. Being outta the limelight a bit, but, but yeah, rather than just rocking up with the boss suit and the Rolex watch and the slick spiel, that, that didn’t really interest me at all.
Steve Davis: So do you think actually there was more countryness involved in slowing down to build rapport with your customers?
Rob Newman: Uh, very much so. I think, um, getting a bit deep and meaningful here, but yeah, my mother was a very. Very, uh, um, she had a lot of influence on me in the sense that, you know, she really drove it in that [00:25:00] relationships were probably the most important, valuable thing in the world.
And what someone was thinking of you was extremely important and that you only ever get, get one chance, uh, to make a thirst impression, that sort of thing. So yeah, there was probably a bit of, bit of influence from. Country back then, and, and that honesty that comes with it too, that you know that responsibility of being, telling the truth because you want the person you’re talking to, to have respect for you at all points through the transaction.
If you meet them in the street 12 months after they, you the one come say, Hey, thanks so much for helping me out with that. We couldn’t have done that without you. That that meant more than any, any payday.
Steve Davis: So as we get to comedy, there were some medical things. One of them was a aortic dissection, I believe it’s called.
Correct. Which I didn’t know existed until I met you. Uh, the aorta, that big pipe. Yep. That [00:26:00] blood pumps through, uh, splits open and is not necessarily something you want to have happen. And then there was a stroke as well,
Rob Newman: and not the kind that you’d like.
Steve Davis: Thanks for clarifying that. Family Show, Rob Family show
Rob Newman: I, I told you it was 18 plus rated, whatever it was.
Steve Davis: Very few of us get the privilege of realizing everything’s about to end as a false alarm. Talk us through your experience of that, because I think that is the contrast to stepping on stage and doing comedy.
Rob Newman: The, um, the reality of that happening, um, versus a, a near miss in a motor vehicle or I tripped and could have fallen off the cliff, or I fell off [00:27:00] whatever, and go, oh, I could have been killed there to actually be in a position where soon after this happened, um, one of the main issues was.
When you’re aorta tears, it’s, it’s also stopping blood supply to your lungs. So no amount of willpower to breathe is going to fix something that’s physically not working. And what I couldn’t do was breathe apart from the pain and everything else, um, I could not take the next breath. And, uh, luckily it happened at home.
My wife and family were here and they were trying to get me in a comfortable position. My wife called the ambulance immediately. And every breath I managed to take with willpower was sort of half of the last one and half of the last one and half of the last one. So I actually got to a point where this whirlwind that was going around me screaming, what’s happened?
What, what’s going on? Why, why, why, why, why, um, [00:28:00] to a moment of like being in the middle of a tornado of silence, that when you’re about to take your last breath. So it was like being in a, a, a sunken submarine that was filling with water. The room you were in was full when you had no choice but to just take a mouthful of water, knowing what the consequences would be, that this, this was it.
Once you’d taken that, that, that gulf of water, there was no, no return, no way out. Um, and. That’s why I, I got to, there was this whirlwind of noise in my head going around, what’s happening? What’s happening, what’s happening? And then a moment of silence. And the little voice was saying, this is it. You’re about to take your last breath.
You, you, your lungs just aren’t working. Um, and then this, this, like, all I can describe is like a sergeant may just screaming at you in a, [00:29:00] in, in an army barracks. That don’t you, don’t, you dare not take that breath, don’t you dare screaming and you take it, I don’t care how much of it, what you have to do.
You take it and you do it. And, um, I kept taking what I get, what I can only describe as gulps. I wouldn’t call them breaths, just like gulps of air. And soon after that I heard the sirens and I remember thinking, thank goodness they’ll be able to breathe for me. They’ll do something. And um, unfortunately the two paramedics walked in and sort of went.
We don’t know what’s wrong with him.
Steve Davis: Oh
Rob Newman: God. And, and gave me the green whistle, which I don’t remember having much effect. Um, but then, um, from then on, it’s just a lot of snapshots. Up until then, it was like a video on my mind, and then of course I got the oxygen mark. So, but from then it was just snapshots.
I remember a couple of snapshots being put in the ambulance, being in the ambulance, arriving in, uh, emergency. Having this [00:30:00] Scottish doctor standing at the end of my bed, um, who said, you know, I’d been through a scanner by the stage. And he said, well, you’ve had an aortic dissection. Um, we can fuck a lot of things up.
Um, we’re just gonna sedate you and see if you’re here in the morning.
Steve Davis: Beautiful bedside manner.
Rob Newman: And as it turns out that he, he was actually very clever ’cause it was the be at the time, it was the best thing to do. So it was about five days in critical care where you were really sedated. I wasn’t a coma, but I only have a few snapshots of a couple of people in there, my wife and my sister, and then tight cast of who framed Roger Rabbit at the door.
So there must have been some pretty good drugs. But yeah, so we got through that
Steve Davis: and And is that, because, I mean, there’s a million different medical stories, but your show isn’t. Just about that. It touches it, it orbits it, it comes through it. [00:31:00] Where is the source of comedy when you are dealing with stuff like that?
What? What are the moments that translate to standup?
Rob Newman: There’s comedy in everything. Tragedy plus time equals comedy. So things that aren’t funny today, they could be terrible. Things that have happened to you. Personally, physically, mentally, whatever, um, have been quite crippling at the time. Um, and I think this is what gets us through life.
I think this is what helps us deal with major trauma in our life is that it’s, it’s may not be funny at the time and it may not be funny for some time afterwards, but uh, at a point when you can process it and cope with it, you can look back on the. On the little things that happen and see the funny sides of it,
Steve Davis: and lots of people, uh, and characters that you met [00:32:00] in that journey too.
I imagine,
Rob Newman: uh, stacks, stacks and stacks are the most beautiful people. Yeah. When I was a boy, I thought my heroes all wore, wore helmets and racing cars. But the real heroes in life were surgeons, outfits, and nurses outfits, and, and very humbly. Go about saving the likes of you and I to allow us to go and live a normal life.
So they’re just, 99.9% of ’em are the most beautiful people in the world you’ll ever meet.
Steve Davis: 99%,
Rob Newman: 99.9. There is one or two that unfortunately cross your puppet. They are very rare. Very, very rare.
Steve Davis: Okay, that’s fine. So what do you think people expect? And want when they go to see standup comedy during the Adelaide Fringe?
Rob Newman: Well, firstly, I think to forget about their own little woes of life for a bit and be entertained. And if they’re looking for a standup comedy, uh, [00:33:00] to be able to have a, a good belly laugh. Um, personally, one of my things is relatable materials. I love seeing comedians that, um, uh, can relate again to everyday life and.
Just dragged that out to the extreme of the stupidity and the, you know, yes, it could have very unlikely, but we ended up, we did just go to peg the clothes on the line and all of a sudden they landed on the trampoline and I went to get ’em and there was an aircraft going over and the sheets are now on the back wing of a 7, 4 7 that’s headed to New Zealand.
And it’s just, you know, that type of sideways type of thinking. Um. Perhaps a bit of inspiration thrown in a bit of, I can relate to that bit of, um, motivation. So I guess my show’s got a bit of all of that in it. A bit of, um, yes, if this happens to you or if you’ve been in this [00:34:00] situation or if you need a bit of a kick up the bum and you don’t need to do anything.
Anything, um, dramatic, like, you know, go and decide to jump outta an airplane or whatever it can be there. Smallest thing, but whatever’s on your bucket list, um, just get out and do it. And instead of perhaps sitting around and doing nothing, and your friends are saying, well, you know, our old band we used to see every Saturday night, they’ve reformed for a superannuation tour and they’re in town for one show only.
Go, go buy the ticket.
Steve Davis: So you would say was Don’t die wondering. Is that un That’s really the theme of the show is in the title. You want people to grab life by the neck and ju, maybe that’s probably not the best analogy to use upon reflection, you want people to put their arms around life and give it a big bear hug and a kick up the backside.
Rob Newman: Absolutely. Because no matter [00:35:00] what age you are. It can change in an instant and we all think that we we’re gonna continue on at our level. And actually, you and I have had many conversations about the physical ability to keep going at various paces. Um, but it does change. Not only do you decline in your years in terms of your energy and your ability to do things and, and your strength and all those sorts of things.
Um, and we are very, very, very lucky that we live in an age where a lot of things can be either fixed or managed or we can live with. Um, so, you know, touch wood till now I’ve been told, yep, we can, we can fix this or we can make it so that you can, you can live in a normal life or whatever. But I know one day they’re gonna walk in and go, and I’ve had, unfortunately, I’ve seen this with some friends, we are very sorry.
There’s nothing we can do for you. And that day will, we will come. And that’s the day that you don’t want to die wondering, [00:36:00] thinking, I wish I’d done this. I wish. And if it’s as simple as even telling a friend that you love them or giving someone a hug or sit when you say goodbye, giving ’em a hug as if it’s the last time you’re ever gonna see him.
It can be as simple as that. Just sucking that marrow out of life and mm-hmm. And telling people it means something to you in your life. That, that, that. You think of them.
Steve Davis: Great. So you’ve set up, uh, us for our expectations. 50 minutes of a grueling rollercoaster ride of some comedies, some bizarro, and some kick up the bum
Rob Newman: with no seat belts either
Steve Davis: with no seat belts.
Of course not. No. Heaven forbid you are doing this at the Rhino room, uh, which is where you were also just recently a state finalist again in the raw comedy. Competition, which is a national competition.
Theme: Correct.
Steve Davis: Craig Egan, there’s been pretty good to you, taking you under his wing, giving you plenty of support.
[00:37:00] So the Rhino Room, nice and handy for many people if they’re coming into the CBD on Perry Street. Uh, February 20 to 28. Tickets available at fringe sticks. What’s your last thing you’d like to say to people who might be, if they listen to this before your show?
Rob Newman: The classic line is come along and don’t die wondering.
But good question, Steve. I would say without being too, um, cheesy about it, uh, yeah. Come along and see something a little bit, uh, different. You’ll, you’ll hopefully I’ll, I’ll take you through a ride of tears of laughter and tears of sorrow, and leave you with tears of laughter. That. That’s my own. Wow.
That’s my own.
Steve Davis: That sounds like date night at this house.
Alright.
Rob Newman: I had that relationship with the mailman, but I wasn’t gonna go into that.
Steve Davis: Okay. Uh, we’ll put that in post-production. Rob Newman, don’t die [00:38:00] wondering. Adelaide Fringe 2026. Thank you for being our. Token fringe before, not token in a nasty way, but just you are representing all of the 1500 plus shows registered for the 2026 Adelaide Fringe.
Uh, I hope some people will go along and give you plenty of support. Have ’em hanging off the rafters, uh, despite any fire codes at the Rhino Room in sa. Thanks for joining me.
Rob Newman: My pleasure and thanks for having me, Steve.
Theme: And now it’s time for the musical pilgrimage.
FiveAA: The five AA player app lets you listen to all your favorite five AA shows wherever you go.
Richard Pascoe: This is Richard Pasco
at 1254 here on five aa. Um, Steve [00:39:00] Davis is coming to the studio. Good afternoon, Steve.
Steve Davis: Hello Richard.
Richard Pascoe: Hello, uh, Steve, what have you got for us today?
Steve Davis: Well, I’ve got a song I’ve written. About the Adelaide Fringe called center stage.
Richard Pascoe: Oh, it’s a wonderful time of Adelaide, isn’t it?
Steve Davis: It is. It’s great. And if I said to you, or if someone, one of your mates called you up and said, let’s go to the Fringe.
What does that mean? What, what does really, what does that mean? What do you do?
Richard Pascoe: We, we see a show.
Steve Davis: Mm-hmm.
Richard Pascoe: Um, we go and have a drink. We sit on the lawns if we can’t get a table or something and have something to eat. Um, and that’s it.
Steve Davis: Yeah.
Richard Pascoe: For me,
Steve Davis: and look, I’m glad you mentioned see a show because I’ve been involved in the Fringe since 1988.
Okay. That’s, that’s a long way Yeah. Back. Uh, and I’ve watched it changed over the years. And I think in Adelaide, what a beautiful thing to be able to do that go out to either of the gardens, have the drinks catch up. But in me, there’s that thing. I really [00:40:00] love the beginning of the fringe back in the.
Sixties when it was a reaction against the establishment festival that didn’t allow such, you know, art, uh, to be part of it. And so these,
Richard Pascoe: so over the years it’s moved into mainstream, is that what you’re telling me?
Steve Davis: Well, it has, it did that first.
Richard Pascoe: Yep.
Steve Davis: And there’s something, this is all good. I, I still love the fringe.
Don’t get me wrong with this, but there’s just an aspect of it. I don’t think. We think about much. And so it has grown, it has become more mainstream. Um, so much so that if you are a TV celebrity, either with a capital C or a lowercase C
Richard Pascoe: yep.
Steve Davis: Uh, this is your time of you to cash in.
Richard Pascoe: Get me outta here
Steve Davis: because people.
Just in this busy world, oh yeah, here’s such and such. They’re on all the time. They’ll be good. Let’s go and see them. And they’ve got the higher ticket prices, they’ve got the [00:41:00] budget that can afford the big ads, and I feel like they come in, they basically take candy from a baby. I’ve spoken to people after many of these shows and they’re, oh, okay, bit lackluster.
There’s nothing exciting because they’re just doing the same stuff. They do on tv just with a few more swear words typically. That part of
Richard Pascoe: Wow. Cynical Steve,
Steve Davis: um, and the
Richard Pascoe: other, but, but I’ve gotta say you’re true.
Steve Davis: The other thing that’s become a trend, which I liked when it first started, and that was basically acrobats in underwear doing risk, a circus,
Richard Pascoe: Hey, that’s God’s work.
Steve Davis: That just about every new big thing you see is just, oh yeah, people in underwear walking on tight ropes or juggling. Okay. So that’s the thing. And look, it’s easy to go to. And let’s be
Richard Pascoe: honest, Steve, you and I couldn’t do that sort of act up there.
Steve Davis: No, we couldn’t. And. This is not to throw shade at that, it’s just a trend that submerged.
And so I was reflecting on that ’cause I came up with two things. One Oma [00:42:00] theater, very much underground, was physically underground. Now it’s gone. Um, doing edgy stuff and we had a, our following and we made our way through, if you are a grassroots performer, ’cause I’ve been reviewing since the nineties and in the peak of my reviewing all voluntary by the way.
Um, two to three shows every single night. I would go and see you.
Richard Pascoe: Did you, you, you absolutely. It was. And when you used to come in here
Steve Davis: Yes.
Richard Pascoe: We always used to pick shows that you should never, ever go and see. Didn’t go down too well, did it.
Steve Davis: And look, and I love that. I love shining a light on the, the lesser artists to give ’em a chance.
Life’s boring if it’s the same old all the time. And look, I’ve sat in those hot tents. Uh, there are some church halls where they put shows on no air events. It’s all just stuffy hard. It doesn’t matter. Yeah, it’s all part of it. I all, all, I, I think what I’m really trying to say in this song is I wish we could all value that little part of it.
Still do all the fun stuff, but just [00:43:00] try something different. Because to me that’s the ghost, the spirit, the echo of the original fringe. That’s what it’s about. Now, of course. A lot of the time when the fringe is out there talking the fringe corporately is. How many visitors it brings to South Australia.
The, the economy of it. I mean, 1500 shows plus this time around and that’s all good.
Richard Pascoe: How many shows did we have last year?
Steve Davis: Um, don’t quote me, I think it’s 1300 plus ish. Thereabouts.
Richard Pascoe: I don’t reckon. Last year we heard there was too many, didn’t we?
Steve Davis: Yeah, well it’s it
Richard Pascoe: 15 hundred’s a lot.
Steve Davis: I know. And if you, the average sort of moderate fringe show sees three a week.
Through it. I mean, there’s 12 or so shows they might see. There are gonna be people that see more, others, see less. That’s really just skimming the surface. So in many ways, the fringe is a little bit of a victim of his own success because now it’s so big and it needs. The numbers coming through for this [00:44:00] narrative about the economic upturn, and, and this is great by the way.
This is great. I, my heart, this is all, this is my heart is with the small people trying something different because my big thing, and this is probably on a much longer chat for a different time, I. Have a nostalgia for when people would make their own entertainment. We’re going back to the 19 hundreds where people would gather around a piano at night, just sing and do stuff, and then we gradually handball that to the professionals and that’s fine because some of them are magnificent, but we’ve given up so much.
To me, seeing some of these little edge shows, you wouldn’t normally see one. Just risking one would be great. I mean, the big TV stars aren’t gonna miss one ticket. I mean, seriously. And the big test for me is there was a person, I dunno if you remember this, I had to review. Oh, I chose to review any sprinkle.
Does that name ring a bell to you? It does. Very controversial artist from the [00:45:00] mid noughties. Mid two thousands and she was in adult films and her show was post adult film where she took it to the extreme and people could, uh, volunteer to come up on audience and look at her more closely and all this sort of stuff.
But she was, she had a just, you
Richard Pascoe: would clean that one up, haven’t we?
Steve Davis: Yes. Yeah, we, um, there was something about the show itself was not amazing. But then, but then talking about it afterwards, the conversation’s fantastic. My intuition is. The fringe is not curated. Anyone can have a Guernsey, but government is involved.
’cause it needs the where it runs on the board. Yeah. The sponsors are, would she be disinvited these days? Not that they could, because it’s not curated. But would they feel uncomfortable? Would she be quietly not talked about when they’re doing their.
Richard Pascoe: I, I think she would be a, a natural to walk up and I don’t think anybody, some of the stuff that I’ve seen at the Fringe [00:46:00] would kill your hair and you know that, well,
Steve Davis: there’s the stuff, there’s fringe on the ground, but then there’s the, it’s
Richard Pascoe: mate, Bonnie Blue tame.
Steve Davis: Then there’s the bits of fringe that gets served up to meet the needs of, you know, the, the newspaper, the TV to have the right picture. I don’t think Annie would be put forward. No. Um, but they look for people in sequin with, you know, scantily dressed in sequins or people who look in a stereotypical way.
Alternative because that’s what grabs the attention. Um, ’cause I remember I worked for the Aling church communications team many years ago, and the great example of this is when they do their Easter story with all the heads of churches, the nutting church people don’t wear robes. The others do. So in the minds of the mass media, that doesn’t look churchy enough.
So they would push the United Church person in the back ’cause it didn’t fit the picture they wanted. Oh
Richard Pascoe: my God.
Steve Davis: And so the friends would have the same thing when they’re trying to get press. You know, they’ve got the same tension. So this was my reflection on that from a reviewer who still loves this.
This is still [00:47:00] a love song to the fringe and just a cheeky. Fringe type, steampunk, gothic. Yep. Uh, reflection on the state of play, but enjoy the fringe. We should. We should. No matter how we do it. It’s an absolute jewel in our crown.
Richard Pascoe: Find something to go and see. Steve Davis. The song is called Center Stage from Steve Davis and the Virtual Osos here on five aa.
Steve Davis & The Virtualosos: I never thought I need to say goodbye. You’ve been a part of most years of my life. The makeup and the tears and summer nights, the holy and most unearthly delights. You’ll never fringe to me. You did not need celebrities. Thought of the. Big part of the whole, but now a household name comes and cash in on fame and crowds out [00:48:00] smaller shows that have more soul.
Because the public won’t spark vi against Bryce. They don’t want see junk deep into the night. And now what satisfies the need for is just an ordinary lady did. But. Back in the day, your thing was Ivan God, but that doesn’t too hot. It seems the only way to in this modern age is to keep the focus on San to stay.
Dollars in the dark in theaters and on blankets in the park, ipi on [00:49:00] hardwood and seats and tents and s sweltered in church halls with no Evans. But I still wrote my reviews to help all thinking people choose emerging in our town. But now you drop. The, the of.
Because the public won’t sponge. They’re looking for grass. They don’t want to see junk teeth into the night, and now satisfies just a [00:50:00] ordinary. But back in the day on God. Is too, to this modern age is to keep the focus on the.
Party, that’s when you set of gardens in the park. You became the place where everybody goes. Instead of going out to see zone shows come by score, but ask them what they’re coming. Four is not fault. It’s to just hang with friends.[00:51:00]
So now you out the huge bread and circus crowd on their money now, everything.
This song is my harsh two star review one Riding at Heartbroken You. I love you. I don’t want. Throw this shade, but I pray that Annie Sprinkle comes and rings on this parade and I prayed at my mama. Theater arises from the grave and I pray at Perform [00:52:00] five. Reward for being
most of all. Yes, most.
But sprinkle rings on this garden pub. It was the looking for spunk, small voices with something to see in the, again, to celebrate the weird, you’ll teach the audience to be the open up once more where all the. Go and we get in this modern age because,[00:53:00]
and we gotta have a healthy friend in this. Modern age
have shifted.
Richard Pascoe: Another great song, Steve, all about the fringe.
Steve Davis: Yes. And in particular this, the reviews were mentioned ’cause there are a lot of five star reviews around these days.
Richard Pascoe: Not everything is five star. Steve. No. As we, we have discussed throughout the years,
Steve Davis: no, and it’s, it feels nice to be kind, but when I wrote reviews.
I, I had to write them.
Richard Pascoe: Yep.
Steve Davis: Knowing that you would go and buy a ticket and you need to be able to look me in the eye and say, yep, that was accurate, or No, that was totally wrong, and I had to wear [00:54:00] that. And so that was what I was worried about. There’s different, I. Ways people operate today. And I just, I would take any star reviews with a pinch of salt from most people.
There are some reviewers who are actually promised critics, et cetera, but there’s a lot of, um, light dusting out there. And if you’re the performance, fantastic. But they have become cheapened like, you know, the money in Argentina during their inflation and all that sort of stuff. So that’s the bit sad.
But risk something. If you do anything, just do one. If you can go see
Richard Pascoe: something,
Steve Davis: I know there’s money, uh, but if you can find something that looks, for example, there was one guy who’s doing a show. He does the same song all the way through for his show, and I had a little look online. It’s very creative the way you think that’s gonna be.
Oh
Richard Pascoe: no. I couldn’t do that.
Steve Davis: No,
Richard Pascoe: no, no,
Steve Davis: no,
Richard Pascoe: no, no. It ain’t gonna happen on that one.
Steve Davis: You’ll be shocked.
Richard Pascoe: Yeah.
Steve Davis: I
Richard Pascoe: will be as I get up and walk out of the place. I’m there. Alright. Alright. Steve [00:55:00] davis.com au. On there you can see all the lyrics, how he goes along and creates his songs. Steve Davis and the Virtuosos here every week.
Next week, Valentine’s Day on the Saturday will you’ll be on the phone from Sydney. I will. ’cause you and your daughter are gonna Sydney for the weekend.
Steve Davis: I’ll be
Theme: sending love from 2000 kilometers away.
Richard Pascoe: There we go. Time is now 1252. Thanks Steve.
Steve Davis: And the one thing we say at the Adelaide Show, which we don’t say on five AA, is goodnight from me, Steve Davis.
Goodnight, Don.
AJ Davis: The Adelaide Show Podcast is produced by my dad, Steve Davis. If you want to start a podcast or get some help producing creative content, talk to him. Visit steve davis.com au. Thanks, aj. I’m Caitlyn Davis, and I agree with everything my sister said, but there’s one more thing to say. If you’ve enjoyed this podcast, please leave a rating [00:56:00] or a review ’cause that will make my dad really happy.
Oh, and one more thing. If you really, really liked it, please help a friend put the Adelaide Show on their phone. Thanks for listening.
Buzz Buzz.
Theme: Who? Lady?
Other lady. Other lady who?