Lawrence Leung

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Lawrence Leung

is a Melbourne/Naarm screenwriter, actor, director and award-winning stand-up comedian.

Spanning film, theatre and TV, his creative projects specialise in areas where curiosity and comedy intersect.


He Makes TV

Lawrence was the creator the ABC TV comedies Lawrence Leung’s Unbelievable and the AFI-nominated Choose Your Own Adventure. He co-wrote and played the lead in Matchbox/ABC2’s comedy series Maximum Choppage.

He hosted the ABC neuroscience doco Our Brain and the Sleep Special for ABC’s flagship science program Catalyst. He’s also a writer/presenter creating fascinating and hilarious science and culture segments for WTFAQ on ABC and The Feed (SBS).


He Writes Things

Lawrence is a recipient of the 2024/25 Creative Fellowship at the State Library of Victoria. He was also shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Literary Award for the screenplay adaption of his one man show Sucker.

Sought after in TV writers’ rooms, Lawrence’s screenwriting focusses on comedy and character. His work spans a wide range of genres and formats, including political satire (The Chaser’s War On Everything), comedy narrative (The Family Law), documentary (Unbelievable), panel shows (The Project), kids animation (Kangaroo Beach, 100%Wolf), radio (ABC National Fictions) and even game shows (Hard Quiz). He has been nominated for AWGIES for both his feature film Sucker (with director Ben Chessell) and the comedy series Maximum Choppage.

As “Simon Chan” in Maximum Choppage (ABC2)


Pretends to be Other People
As an actor, Lawrence recently played the first Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huang (in a cameo opposite Lisa Kudrow) in Taika Waititi’s Time Bandits TV remake (AppleTV). He was also the series regular Dr Elvis Kwan on the Australian drama Offspring (TEN). He also appeared in Jane Campion’s Top Of the Lake: China Girl (BBC) and comedies Aunty Donna’s Coffee Cafe (ABC) and Netflix/ABC’s Why Are You Like This?

Time Bandits (Apple TV)

Pretends to be Himself

Lawrence is a multi award-winning comedian. He has written and performed one-man shows that have toured internationally, including at the Edinburgh Fringe, London’s Soho Theatre and the Sydney Opera House. He has received the Age Critics Award at Melbourne Comedy Festival, Best Solo Show at Melbourne Fringe and Best Australian Act at the Sydney Comedy Festival, Directors Choice Award at the Melbourne Magic Festival, and shared the Sydney Comedy Festival’s Jury Award with collaborator Andrew McClelland.  

Designs Immersive Experiences and Illusions

Lawrence co-created LOCUS, the sell-out immersive reality-bending experience at a secret location, described as one of the top 5 unmissable Fringe events in The Age.

In 2023 co-designed the immersive art installation Mystery Box for the Dark Matters Exhibition, curated by Science Gallery Melbourne and Arts at CERN (Switzerland). 

During the pandemic, Lawrence created and presented an acclaimed online Zoom event CONNECTED that had participants interacting simultaneously from four countries.

Lawrence has designed illusions for stage and screen for including Unbelievable (ABC), Our Brain (ABC), Goodbye Charlie Mudd (Malthouse Theatre), Very Strange Things (Melbourne Magic Festival), Adam McKenzie’s Hacked (Melb Fringe) and The Von Donk Family Old-Timey Vaudeville Revue (Comedy Festival).

Panels and Speaking
Lawrence has been a keynote speaker and panel guest at a wide range of events such as PAX Australia, Melbourne Writers Festival, OzAsia Festival and National Science Week. He has hosted events for the Melbourne Film Festival, The Wheeler Centre and MC-ed the national Q&A tours for notable science figures such as James Randi and Bill Nigh the Science Guy.

For appearances, screenwriting, performances and other enquiries contact: geoff@comedymanagement.com.au

LOCUS

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LOCUS is a reality-bending immersive event that was co-created and designed by Lawrence Leung, Vyom Sharma and Dom Chambers.

What is LOCUS? It’s a live interactive experience/adventure for YOU and 30 people in a secret location. Uncanny mind-bending things will happen based upon the visitors’ decisions.

Enter and challenge your perceptions of fate, identity, loss, luck and reality.

LOCUS was a complete sell out at Melbourne Fringe 2024 and was an audience and critics’ favourite.

The Age
My Melbourne

Lawrence is an investigator for new ABC show “WTFAQ”

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Lawrence is dusting off his detective skills for ABC’s all-new 8-part fact-finding, myth-busting, truth-seeking show WTFAQ (pronounced What The FAQ).

The premise is delightfully simple. ABC viewers and the public have answered our call-out for Questions. Any Question. About Anything. Then, our team of investigative comedians leave no stone unturned to find you the answer.

WTFAQ’s crack team of presenters – Chas Licciardello, Alex Lee, Lawrence Leung, Lou Wall, Cameron James and Kirsten Drysdale – hit the sweet spot where comedy meets inquisition to answer the questions that have sparked curiosity in the minds of our audience for far too long.

They perform scientific experiments and demonstrations, talk to experts, put their bodies on the line and even answer the odd question with a full-blown musical sequence. They’ll go to whatever lengths it takes to find the answers to questions including:

  • Is it really dangerous to use my phone on the plane?
  • Do dogs really love their owners?
  • Is Centrelink’s hold music deliberately annoying?
  • Are gas stoves bad for your health?
  • Who comes up with the names for paint colours and why are they so weird?
  • Why is yawning contagious?
  • What would a truly representative Federal parliament look like?
  • Are there any names you legally cannot call your children?



I know you have a question. “When is the show on”?

Answer: Wednesdays on ABC, from August 30th, 9pm.

We Built a “Mystery Box” for the Dark Matters Exhibition

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Creative collaborators Lawrence Leung, Dom Chambers and Dr Vyom Sharma have designed a brand new interactive art installation for the DARK MATTERS Exhibition at Science Gallery Melbourne. It’s now on show and bending peoples’ minds.


The installation is a collision of Art, Science, Philosophy and Illusion that explores the theme of the Unknown, the Unseen and the unsettling (yet exhilarating) state of not-knowing.

A glass cube of creepy black liquid sits in the middle of a dark pool of water. Visitors to the exhibit are invited to stare into the black aquarium and asked: “What do you see in the Darkness?”

Visitors write down their single “thought” on a small sheet of paper and place these among the collection of thoughts on the back wall.

Then during scheduled times (various Saturday lunchtimes and monthly Friday Night Parties events) the Mystery Box will be “activated” in a mind-bending and awesome live performance… where the secret of the Box will be revealed.

The Presenters performing the ‘activation’ over the special events of 2023 will be Vyom Sharma, Dom Chambers, Lawrence Leung, Liam Jumpertz, Lachlan Wilde and Caleb Street.

The Creators Lawrence, Dom and Vyom combined their shared backgrounds in magic, illusion design, science communication and storytelling to create this enigmatic immersive experience.

Mystery Box can be experienced at the DARK MATTERS EXHIBITION with free entry until December:

700 Swanston St

Enter via Grattan

St Parkville, Melbourne, Australia.

ANNOUNCED DATES FOR THE SPECIAL PERFORMANCES – “ACTIVATION” OF THE BOX
Sat 19 August 2023: 12:15pm
Sat 26 August 2023: 12:15pm
Friday Night Social Event 1st Sept 2023: 7:30pm
Sat 9 Sept 2023: 12:15pm
More dates to be announced. Check the Science Gallery website for updates for the Special Performances when the Box is activated.

TV Writing: Current and Upcoming.

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Lawrence is an experienced TV writer for comedy, narrative, docos, quiz shows and kids animation. He can be found in writers’ rooms across Australia throwing ideas, solving problems and stealing all the snacks.

He’s written for three seasons of Australia’s top rating comedy quiz show HARD QUIZ (ABC1). He fell down deep rabbit-holes to uncover the nerdiest questions and head-scratchers for the contestants’ specialist topics. In addition to writing questions, jokes and sharp barbs, Lawrence was also Tom Gleeson’s hand-double for a pre-recorded video about making a coin vanish.

He’s also written for 100% WOLF (ABC ME), The Deep, WildLifers (ABC ME), The Family Law (SBS), The Feed (SBS) and Maximum Choppage (ABC2). He created, wrote and presented his own series – Lawrence’s Leung’s Unbelieveable (ABC1) and Choose Your Own Adventure (ABC1).

Currently in-development are a handful of projects and an animated feature.

Coming soon: Lawrence will write and present for ABC’s upcoming fact-finding, myth-busting, truth-seeking comedy 8-parter WTFAQ.

Lawrence hosts ABC TV doco series OUR BRAIN

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Lawrence is the presenter of OUR BRAIN, a 4-part ABC TV science documentary series about the most impressive organ you have… not that one.

Breakthroughs in brain imaging and genetics has made it possible to understand how the interplay of genes and environment affect the mind, and ultimately, tell us how to live better.

The OUR BRAIN series is a TV compilation of knowledge covering the mind, featuring the work of top science docomakers, leading neuroscientists, case studies and fascinating research to give you a user’s guide to the secrets behind that squishy grey matter in your skull. Lawrence might even donate himself as a guinea pig in an experiment or two…

Over 4 weeks, episodes will help us understand CONSCIOUSNESS, become SMARTER, get a better night’s SLEEP and how to be HAPPIER.

OUR BRAIN 9:30pm from Tuesdays 31 May 2022 ABC TV and stream NOW on iView.

Lawrence’s haunting new project – THE DAVENPORT SÈANCE

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Co-devised by Professor Richard Wiseman & Lawrence Leung

Presented by Lawrence Leung

Brave participants are needed for a séance. Do you believe in the afterlife? Do you dare take a seat in the secret room?

Famed UK psychologist/sceptic Richard Wiseman and TV comedian/paranormal enthusiast Lawrence Leung invite you to be part of a supernatural experiment.

“The Davenport Séance” is a unique, fully immersive 30min experience that takes place in dark Victorian-era room. A handful of (un)lucky souls will go on a haunting journey into 19th century spirit mediumship from Melbourne’s hidden past. A bell will be rung. Lamps will be switched off. The séance will begin…

Seats are limited, so book immediately. TICKETS HERE

Please note: The performance duration is approx. 30mins and there is a strict lock-out/no latecomer policy. Not for the faint-hearted.

DUE TO DEMAND NEW SESSIONS ADDED!

(*UPDATE – ENTIRE SEASON SOLD OUT)

  • Tues 29 Jun 2021 7:00pm PREVIEW SHOW (Discounted) SOLD OUT
  • Tues 29 Jun 2021 8:00pm SOLD OUT
  • Wed 30 Jun 2021 8:00pm SOLD OUT
  • Wed 30 Jun 2021 9:00pm EXTRA SHOW – SOLD OUT
  • Thur 1 Jul 2021 8:00pm SOLD OUT
  • Thur 1 Jul 2021 9:00pm EXTRA SHOW – SOLD OUT


ABOUT THE CREATORS

PROFESSOR RICHARD WISEMAN is a best selling author, psychologist and magician. His books have sold over 3 million copies worldwide, he holds Britain’s only Professorship in the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, and he is a Member of the Inner Magic Circle. Richard’s psychology-based YouTube videos have attracted over 500 million views, he is a Director of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and he had acted as a creative consultant, including work with Derren Brown, The Twilight Zone and the hit television show, Brain Games.

LAWRENCE LEUNG is an award-winning comedian, screenwriter and mentalist. His 6-part ABC TV series UNBELIEVABLE was a globe-trotting comedy/documentary that dropped Lawrence into so-called paranormal ‘hot-spots’ to examine the edge between self-deception, illusion and the unexplainable. He has spoken about paranormal investigation at science and skeptics’ conferences, lectured on the psychology of magic and made a feature film about con artists (SUCKER, 2017 NSW Premier’s Literary Award finalist). His mentalism show VERY STRANGE THINGS (Best Comedy Nominee 2018 Fringe World, Winner of MMF 2017 Director’s Choice Award) was a hit in theatres around Australia. His most recent show CONNECTED, an interactive virtual performance, was part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s digital program and also performed in association with London’s Soho Theatre.

The Davenport Séance is a special immersive event as part of the 2021 Melbourne Magic Festival.

CONNECTED at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Soho Theatre

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NEWS FLASH – DUE TO OVERWHELMING DEMAND

2nd SHOW NOW ON -SALE for UK AUDIENCES

Friday 30th April 8:30pm (UK Time)

TICKETS: https://sohotheatre.com/shows/lawrence-leung-connected-2/

We are thrilled to announce that Lawrence’s special online comedy show is part of this year’s MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL plus additional shows for UK audiences.

LAWRENCE LEUNG : CONNECTED is a live and interactive virtual performance that takes place on two sides of a screen. Lawrence’s and yours.

This unique show created during lockdown is performed live on Zoom with audience members taking part in hilarious mindgames, wicked experiments and… well, we don’t want to spoil it.

It’s only for 4 Friday nights. Limited places.

And you know what, with this virtual comedy show you don’t even have to leave the house, you can watch with your interstate mates, and there’s no queue for the bathroom. BYO drinks though 🙂

BOOK NOW:

Australia:

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/…/lawrence-leung…

UK:

9 April 8:30pm UK TIME https://sohotheatre.com/shows/lawrence-leung-connected/

NEW 2nd Show NOW ON-SALE – Friday 30th April 8:30pm (UK Time): https://sohotheatre.com/shows/lawrence-leung-connected-2/