Bryan Dawe

Who is Bryan Dawe?

Bryan John Dawe is best known as an Australian writer, comedian and political satirist, but is also known for his work as a songwriter, photographer and social activist.

He has been a regular collaborator of fellow satirist John Clarke in the form of mock interviews, first for A Current Affair, and then for The 7.30 Report. Dawe would take on the role of interviewer, with Clarke playing the role of a prominent figure or politician. This generally involves Dawe trying to press for an answer and Clarke trying to evade the question. They began writing and presenting these in 1989, and switched to The 7.30 Report not long after leaving A Current Affair in 1997. As of 2013, the pair continue to present their interview segment at the end of the Thursday edition of The 7.30 Report. The interviews have also been compiled into several books and CD releases, two of which "Great Interviews of the 20th Century" and "The Annual Report" won the pair the ARIA Award for 'Best Australian Comedy Record'. "Secret Men's Business" was nominated for the same award in 1997.

Dawe has a number of other roles outside of his interview collaborations with Clarke. He is a songwriter, winning the Australian Song Festival and then representing Australia in Tokyo at the World Song Festival. Prior to this, in the early 1970s, he worked as an A&R manager for Astor Records and played a significant role in making the Neil Diamond LP Hot August Night a major hit in Australia. He is also a talented painter and photographer, and has featured in several gallery exhibitions which combine these two interests.