Why Ben Elton plans to roast Scott Morrison in stand-up comedy tour

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will cop a roasting when comedian Ben Elton takes to the stage for his latest stand-up tour.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will cop a roasting when comedian Ben Elton takes to the stage for his latest stand-up tour.

But the acclaimed Perth-based, British author and comedian said Mr Morrison was still welcome in the audience at one of his shows.

“In terms of my take on the current Canberra situation, I would not change it and he is very welcome to come (to the show),” Elton told Confidential.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison during a recent press conference at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

“I don’t believe in a kind of f*** off type of culture. That is what exists on the internet, we can be better than that. He (Morrison) would be very welcome in the audience, but he might have an uncomfortable five minutes, maybe 10 minutes, somewhere in the middle of it. I think he would find it very funny, the rest of it.”

Elton said he will focus on Mr Morrison’s reaction to the recent allegations of sexual assault and misconduct that have rocked the federal parliament.

“I don’t like being rude to anyone. I don’t insult him in a blunt manner, my point is about his apparent late realisation that there is an issue that he needs to address,” Elton explained.

“I do find the way Morrison handled the original allegations was to me shockingly tone deaf. How could anyone go through the last two or three years of realisation of patriarchal privilege, of me too as an issue, and still feel the need to justify his reactions via his own daughter. I found it so stunning that I can’t help but have a view on it.”

Comedian Ben Elton. Picture: Daniel Smith

That said, Elton is not afraid to make fun of himself as a “pale, stale and male” man.

“I deal with that at length,” he said. “Not only is it (the show) written by a white, heterosexual middle aged cis gender man, it is performed by a white middle aged cis gender man.”

Elton is mid way through his national Live 2021 tour – his first stand up shows in Australia since 2006. He will play Brisbane tonight and tomorrow before headline Sydney’s City Recital Hall Thursday, Friday and Saturday. He then heads to Melbourne, Canberra, Bendigo and Perth.

“I don’t believe there is any shut down of comedy,” he said of the politically correct movement. “Comedy is sharper than ever. All that we are missing hopefully is boring brutal comics massaging brutal prejudice and getting easy laughs at the expense of a laugh at minority groups in the audience.”

Outside of his stand-up tour, Elton is working with director Kenneth Branagh on a Hollywood biopic about Bee Gees brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb.

The Bee Gees in November 1977.

Sir Kenneth Branagh. Pic: James Croucher

“The Bee Gees have had to suffer a lot of criticism, famously the death of disco, they took the brunt of that,” Elton said.

“What is so beautiful about the Bee Gees is the songwriting genius. The brothers Gibb are second only to Paul McCartney as the most successful songwriters ever. The nature of their sibling relationship is fascinating, and sibling rivalry. I was very touched and thrilled that Barry particularly wanted me to do it. He wanted comedy in it because they had so much fun together. There will be light and shade but there will certainly be laughs and I think that is a really important element.”

Originally published as Why Ben Elton plans to roast Scott Morrison in stand-up comedy tour