Doug Anthony Allstars’ Tim Ferguson talks about growing up in Parramatta and his new material

ON THE eve of his Parramatta homecoming with the Doug Anthony Allstars, funnyman Tim Ferguson opens up about the group and living with multiple sclerosis.

BURNOUTS at 4am, busking in the street and being the handsome bloke who helped his mates “get laid” were all part of the fun of growing up in Parramatta for Tim Ferguson.

The comedian will return to his hometown when the Doug Anthony Allstars perform at Riverside Theatres next month.

Ferguson will take to the stage with fellow original Paul McDermott and new addition Paul Livingston (aka Flacco), who serves as the All Star’s third leg in place of Richard Fidler.

Tim Ferguson (left), Paul McDermott and Richard Fidler in the group’s heyday in 1994.

After forming in the mid-1980s as a busking experiment, the Doug Anthony Allstars hit the big time on the comedy circuit in Britain and Australia before scoring their own ABC TV show, DAAS Kapital.

“We were hanging around Parramatta Oval busking and we’d get a pretty good crowd,” Ferguson said.

“Then we moved to Canberra and it was like Parramatta but not as much fun. Cars in Parramatta liked going around in circles and doing burnouts at 4am.”

Without warning the much-loved comedy group split in 1994. It later emerged Ferguson was experiencing symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS, and he was diagnosed with the incurable disease in 1996.

Ferguson says he likes to have a laugh about his condition.

“MS is my main topic on the show,” he said. “The thing about MS is no one knows what it is or what it does. I find MS funny and it’s something I have to laugh at as it’s better laughing then sitting down and crying.

Comedian Tim Ferguson is returning to Parramatta to perform as part of the Doug Anthony Allstars.

Politics is no longer at the core of the group’s material, evolving to wrote songs about lies, disability and agony.

“We’re not into politics any more,” he said. “Barnaby Joyce calling for capital punishment for two dogs? How do you beat that?”

But Ferguson promised they’ll also throw in a few old songs.

“We’ve got 100 years of live experience, so we would like to think we’re getting funny by now,” he said. “We hope the cops don’t turn up to move us away.”

COMEDY ROYALTY

WHAT: Doug Anthony Allstars

WHEN: Friday, June 5, at 8pm

WHERE; Riverside Theatres, Parramatta

COST: $60

DETAILS: riversideparramata.com.au