At 93, Liz Hicklin isn’t your conventional comedian. Her journey from slam poetry champion to stand-up comic is a testament to courage and frankly just taking the step to do what you want!
Meet Liz Hicklin
Liz Hicklin or Elizabeth Hicklin has led an incredible and inspiring life. Orginally from the U.K she grew up during World War II, went from being a nurse to a porcelain doll-maker, was the ex-girlfriend of Ted Hughes, lived in 3 continents, she is a writer and poet and now a stand-up comedian!
Her memoir Kiss & Cry was launched last year and showcases how Liz is a talented storyteller and goes into deeper detail with 9 decades worth of stories.
Her Relationship with Ted Hughes
To those unfamiliar, Ted Hughes is a poet, translator, and children’s writer and regarded by a few critics as one of the best poets of his generation.
He was the one who made ‘The Iron Man’, and no, not the marvel comic book, but a children’s book that was later adapted into the classic animation movie “The Iron Giant” released in 1999. If that doesn’t jog your memory maybe this scene from the movie will (Spoiler warning though),
Before Hughes married Sylvia Plath, he was in a relationship with Liz! They were in a relationship for years and had numerous love letters and poems sent back and forth, which are all available in the Cambridge Library Manuscripts Reading Room.
The poems also showcased the wit both poets which in hindsight was a sneak peak to her debut in stand-up comedy. She was a gifted poet and even won a slam poetry contest despite being the only poet to swear during her performance.
From Poetry to Comedy
Her first collection of poems, ‘Dedicated to Dolls’ and ‘Dedicated to Dolls – Volume Two’ in 1987 was an international success that resulted in requests for live performances and conventions. The poems were also a humourous reflection of society and was the first time her wit and comedy gained exposure.
Flash forward to 2024, where she met ABC Entertainment’s Jacinta Parsons where she shared that on her bucket list wrote two things left: To dance the foxtrot with an Englishman and to do a stand-up comedy routine.
When Parsons helped her book her first gig, all Hicklin was able to reply was,
Oh Sh**!!!!
She shared the gig at a Local Laughs Night in Melbourne’s St. Kilda East with a lot of known Australian comedians like Lehmo, Claire Hooper, and Sri Nair.
First Gig
Originally, Liz planned to play a character called ‘Betsy Trotswood’. She ultimately decided to scrap that idea saying just one night before her debut saying,
I have decided not to be Betsy Trotwood dressed in an old velvet coat, I will be me, Liz Hicklin. I can still be 93 but with a voice to be reckoned with.
As Parsons said, Liz just “came alive” when she was handed the mic. She made some mistakes here and there but expertly made up her own bits on the fly.
She tackled “uncomfortable” topics like aging and death and pushed the audience out of their comfort zones, a tactic used by many comedians.
The success of her first gig, could just be the beginning with her stating,
It was great fun. I kept going, didn’t I? It’s the beginning of a new career.
And her son, Boyd was fully supportive of this endeavour and summed everything up with,
When your 93-year-old mum is doing stand-up for the first time and she’s only just started that career, it makes you question your own choices … What am I leaving on the table?… She’s doing things that make her scared at 93 years old, which I’m fully respectful of.
Liz’s comedy beginnings is certainly a wild and inspiring one! If you’re looking to discover more great comedians then step right in to Big Belly Comedy Club, where we’ve got hilarious comedy shows lined-up for you 7 nights a week!
