IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PERFORM THIS SHOW, THE LICENSING RIGHTS FOR THIS SHOW ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT AUSTRALIANPLAYS.ORG
Written and Performed by Shane Adamczak
“It’s a long road to mediocrity, but every journey begins with a single step…”
Directed by Laura Motherway (Original 2005 Productions) and Damon Lockwood (2012 Productions)
JUST FOR LAUGHS AWARD – Montreal Fringe 2012 – Nominee
BEST LOCAL COMEDY – Fringe World 2012 – Nominee
SOLD OUT TORONTO FRINGE 2012/ PICK OF FRINGE – Nominee
SOLD OUT WINNIPEG FRINGE 2012/
JENNY AWARD WINNER (“Life – A Biographical Award”)
SOLD OUT EDMONTON FRINGE 2012
✮✮✮✮ – VUE WEEKLY (FULL REVIEW HERE)
✮✮✮✮ – THE EDMONTON JOURNAL (FULL REVIEW HERE)
✮✮✮✮ – Charlebois Post (FULL REVIEW HERE)
✮✮✮✮- The Link Newspaper (FULL REVIEW HERE)
“The show is personal, inventive, silly and energetic and now – having seen him at last – I understand why he is a Fringe favourite.” – THE CHARLEBOIS POST
“Filled with hubris and vulnerability, comedy and a lot of heart, this is Fringe performing at its best.” – VUE WEEKLY
“Adams is a great entertainer who delivers a polished show charged with personality and levity. See this show for Zack’s wacky offbeat humour, great songs a la “Flight of the Conchords” and sweet dance moves. “ – THE LINK
After charming the pants of audiences in Australian and Canada in 2011 with LOVE SONGS FOR FUTURE GIRL, Perth’s own Zack Adams returns to where it all began in A COMPLETE HISTORY OF ZACK ADAMS.
Ever since he first appeared in the year two Nativity play, Zack knew he was destined for greater things. A coming-of-age story about the quest for superstardom and Zack’s slow rise to the middle of mediocrity as he slowly learns that being a super-famous actor is actually going to be really hard work
“A few songs, a few bees, and a whole lot of charm and energy power this gem of a show with ease, and will have you smiling even if you never have before. Worth admission for ‘the song of outrageous lies’ all by itself.“-The Visitorium (FULL REVIEW HERE)
“He’s funny, he’s charming, he sings, he plays guitar…Shane/Zack commanded the tiny Solo Room stage better than any performer in my first bout of Fringe ’12” -My Entertainment World
” It’s amazing to see another human being pour his heart out to a bunch of strangers. He was fearless, sometimes singy, sometimes dancy (no doubt showing off the training from that fancy Australian performing arts school) – but also very honest and simultaneously very theatrical. See it. Learn about this great performer’s interpretation of the hand he’s been dealt. “– Clown College Confessions
TRAILER
“a great entertainer who delivers a polished show charged with personality and levity” -The Link Newspaper
REVIEWS
THE GAZETTE BLOG – Montreal Fringe 2012
MY ENTERTAINMENT WORLD – Toronto Fringe 2012
MOONEY ON THEATRE – Toronto Fringe 2012
Clown College Confessions – Toronto Fringe 2012
Images by Cindy Lopez 2012
THE [AU] REVIEW – Fringe World 2012
“The strength of his humour lies in his ability to poke fun at the image he has created for himself, and by doing so he also is poking fun at the notion of the cult of celebrity and the lengths people will go, to attain fame. It’s also a somewhat inspirational tale, a show that has you leaving uplifted and ready to tackle what the world has to throw at you.” -The[AU]Review
THE[AU]REVIEW – Interview – Fringe World 2012
Zack Adams ‘A Complete History’
FAD Bar
Sat 4 March 2006
Steve Jones – dB Magazine
Zack Adams is the cleverly conceived alter-ego of Perth actor/comedian Shane Adamczak, and he would very much like to be famous one day. After gaining lasting notoriety during a Grade 2 nativity play, Adams finally regains face and resurfaces five years later and becomes the unexpected bad boy hero of the Thursday lunchtime talent quests – a title he relishing in until he graduates up to high school.
Throughout the telling of his story, Adams both bemoans and is resigned to the fact that he’s always going to be the little fish in the much bigger ponds as he attends the Western Australian Performing Arts Centre – without actually enrolling; moves to Sydney and then, finally to London and reality television in pursuit of his dream. What makes this one person tale of aberration and despair so wonderfully endearing is not so much that the character of Zack may always prove to be a loser, but his creator’s ability to keep his charge perfectly in check and not allow the opportunity for cheap laughs to override or interfere with the constant innocent delivery of sacrificial, self deprecating humour.
Despite this being a comedy, and laugh you will, there’s a definite balance of sadness and empathy to be shared just by knowing that he, and many others just like him are out there. Drama students beware: this may be you.
Zack Adams: A Complete History of Zack Adams
27 APRIL 2006
A Complete History of Zack Adams must be seen by anyone who’s ever had a dream or just wants to know which word rhymes with ‘leotard’. This performer’s pathos-littered climb to superstardom starts at a year two assembly and crosses continence and continents, then ends a short but sweet hour later, leaving you wanting more.
According to his publicity, Adams is ‘a self-proclaimed visionary…possibly a genius’. He’s actually the creation of Western Australian actor Shane Adamczak, who lends his wide range, comic timing and suitably goofy physicality to Zack for the evening. For less than the price of a movie ticket you get a maudlin tutorial in stand-up, featuring music and partial nudity and touching on reality TV and interpretive dance for good measure. Bar Open’s cosy upstairs lounge allows a readily accessible performance for a receptive audience.
Throughout the show I found myself giggling along with everyone else. The only problem was that Zack is so endearingly clueless that laughing during this emotional rollercoaster occasionally felt like kicking a puppy (or clubbing a baby seal), especially when you know so many other ‘Zacks’ are out there. Schadenfreude aside, this character’s appeal shines through Adamczak’s earnest yet well-controlled performance.
If you’ve ever felt out of your depth (Who hasn’t?), you’ll find this show and its resolution uplifting. Here’s hoping Zack’s next show provides a couple more guilt-free laughs??although with the promise of ‘both ninjas and robots’, who could resist?
SHOW HISTORY
2005
The Blue Room Theatre/Rechabites’ Hall (Part of The BBQ Pack Double Bill)
2006
Adelaide Fringe Festival
Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Brisbane – Under The Radar Festival
2012
FRINGE WORLD FESTIVAL – Perth
MONTREAL FRINGE FESTIVAL – Canada
TORONTO FRINGE FESTIVAL – Canada
WINNIPEG FRINGE FESTIVAL – Canada
EDMONTON FRINGE FESTIVAL – Canada
MAINLINE THEATRE – Montreal, Canada
2014
Mainline Theatre, Montreal (As part of the ZACK IS BACK triple bill)
ZACKADAMS.ORG 
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