Hobson and Lane: together again
A renowned opera star and popular comic have teamed up to tour the country with a night of songs and laughs.
“It’s always good to travel with David Hobson, because I get invited to the Qantas Captain’s Club.”
So says comedian Colin Lane, in a loud enough voice to ensure Hobson, whose phone he is using, can hear – suggesting it’s a running joke between the two.
That would certainly make sense since Lane and Hobson will be spending a lot of time together over the next few months as they tour Australia with their show, In Tails.
While their extensive tour itinerary does take them to major cities, they may have trouble finding an airport lounge at some of the towns they’ll be visiting between now and the end of the year.
What they will get, if experience is any guide, is a very warm welcome.
The 2024 tour of In Tails, which played at the Adelaide Arts Festival and in venues in Tasmania and Victoria in 2016-17, has already brought the duo to theatres in Western Australia and South Australia before a big sweep through the eastern states in May, June, and July, then finishing at Burnie, Tasmania, in early September.
The conceit is that the professional singer, Hobson, and the veteran comedian, Lane, try their hand at what the other does for a living.
Hobson describes the show as “a real collision of the worlds” of stand-up comedy and opera.
“It’s literally ‘comedian wants to be opera singer and opera singer wants to be a comedian’, and we teach each other. That’s the premise of the show.”
Hobson says his own background in opera and musical theatre hadn’t prepared him for the rigours of performing comedy in front of a live audience.
“Being a comedian is an incredibly different artform and craft on its own,” he says. “You may think you’re a comedian, but to write your own material and stand up on stage – either as an individual or part of a duo – is completely different from doing it in a set show.”
For Lane, best known for his long-time double act with Frank Woodley, it’s a matter of adapting to a new type of audience and a new musical style.
“I grew up in the Salvation Army and I think I’ve got a feeling for music and pitch,” Lane says.
“Even though Frank and I did a lot of mucking around, we also sang a lot of songs on stage.”
Lane also had to wear a new hat, as it were, when performing the comedy bits in In Tails.
“I’m taking on more of the Frank role in that I’m the naive one, being a little bit annoying – but hopefully funny – asking David lots of questions.
“I’m coming at it from more of an ‘everyman’ perspective. Maybe I’m asking questions that the audience would want to ask [about the world of opera].”
But how does it feel, coming after decades of Lano & Woodley shows, being in another double act?
“When we split up, Frank went off and did a lot of stand-up on his own,” Lane says. “But I’ve always enjoyed being on stage with other people, sharing the dressing room with somebody, and sharing the touring with somebody. It’s much more fun.
“From the audience perspective, they like the dynamic on stage. They can see that we’ve been friends for many years, and that’s not just a pretence.”
Lane also claims there’s some fresh cachet in having his name attached to Hobson’s.
And it’s not confined to gaining entry to exclusive airline lounges.
“After all these years, finally, I’m getting opening-night tickets because I know David,” Lane says. “I’ve grown up.”
Tour dates and other details are online here.
