The dashing and charming Bobby Fox is no stranger to Adelaide. For the past twenty years, Bobby has loved performing here — whether it is in a blockbuster musical, a corporate gig, or a cabaret show. 

Bobby is preparing to head back to Adelaide for a very special evening at The Regal Theatre. Mr. Entertainment will see Bobby delight the audience with the very best of Jersey Boys, Saturday Night Fever, Riverdance, Hot Shoe Shuffle, Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, George Michael and many more!

Bobby recently caught up with Glam Adelaide to discuss his upcoming show, but also to talk about his time playing Corny Collins in the recent touring production of Hairspray.

“It came at such an amazing time, and to be a part of the show was incredible. I am such a fan of the music, and I’ve seen a previous production of it. I was so blown away by this new production and the cast, but also by how much of a modern classic it is. The messages in the show really highlight how far we have come as a culture and as a society, but we’ve still got so far to go with equality and everything. The message is so powerful, but also the cast were just amazing. To be performing with Shane Jacobson and Todd McKenney and Rhonda and Javon King as Seaweed and even Carmel Rodrigues in her first leading role. When you’ve done around 22/23 professional shows, and to be with someone who was in their first professional show, it’s very inspiring. That’s really what I got from that. You see the mastery from the people around you knowing how to handle an audience.”

Having performed across both large scale musicals and small cabaret, Bobby discussed the benefits he sees in performing both.

“I see benefits with everything I do because it’s all really about connecting with an audience. If I’m performing at a nightclub or a restaurant, and then performing at an awards night, and then being in a multi-million dollar musical – they all serve each other because they teach me how to connect. I just love connecting with an audience. If I was to choose one that I prefer, my absolute favourite would be being in a musical. I love the structure of the week. I love knowing the material and then growing within the material. When I’m in a long running show, my week is very structured. I do a lot of working out. I do a lot of personal stuff. I like a structured week. When I have a lot on, I find I get much more done. When I don’t have anything on, that’s when I struggle to get anything done.”

Bobby is heading to Adelaide on Saturday 1 July with his new show, Mr. Entertainment.

“I really love Adelaide. I love the people there. I love how they love theatre, and I’ve been there so many times and done so many shows. The Regal Theatre kind of reminds me of performing in The Regent Theatre in Melbourne – you just get that immediacy, and it has so much charm to it as well. I performed in Adelaide around this time last year and now to be back putting together this show for everyone is great. So exciting. I love that I get the opportunity to do this.”

Mr. Entertainment will be a very special performance for Bobby, as he told Glam.

“Mr. Entertainment is kind of a tribute to my time in Australia. I’ve lived in Australia now for 20 years, which is half my life. I never sang before I came to Australia – I was only an Irish dancer and an Irish musician. So, coming to Australia opened up this new world of using my voice as an instrument for art and for storytelling. I learned how to do other kinds of dance, which led me into being a music theatre performer, a commercial dancer and all those sorts of things. So this show is kind of an ode to that. 

“It’s an ode to the young man who wanted to take a chance, and because now I’m gearing up towards going back to Ireland. I’m not leaving Australia forever; I will still maintain my residency and I still want to work here, but I want to be around my family. I want to be around my little nieces and nephews. My parents just turned 70 this year, so I want to be with them as well. I’ve had such an amazing time here, developed such an amazing reputation and conquered some incredible feats here. Even just looking back at my CV, there have just been so many highs. There have been so many lows as well, because that’s what the life of a performer is. Australia is my second home, and I love it dearly. I love the relationships that I have here. I love my relationship with the audience and my friends.”

Bobby Fox’s Mr. Entertainment is being presented by Markus Hamence and it promises to be a fantastic night of music and fun.

“There will be things from Jersey Boys to the Bee Gees, Saturday Night Fever to Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly and these wonderful icons of entertainment and their art – all of these things that have inspired me along the way. I’ve linked it all together with some beautiful stories, anecdotes of how I got here, who I am, those sort of things.”