Ben Darsow is one of Australia’s most refreshing nationally touring headline comedians.

He is currently creating a new solo standup show to be presented throughout the festivals of Australia and the UK in 2013, and is soon to create a new interactive Facebook Fans page and film his first professionally-produced DVD .

Entertainment website WhatsOnSydney.com recently quoted “claims of “next big thing” can be tiresome, but in Ben’s case are genuine…if you don’t know who Ben is now, you will” , while Sydney’s EverGuide.com.au also penned “Ben Darsow is one of Adelaide’s finest young comedians. Hell he’s probably one of Australia’s best at the moment.”

Ben recently had a selection of his material published in Penguin’s new iconic book of Australian standup, Funny Buggers, alongside several of the country’s best comedians including Tom Gleeson, Justin Hamilton and Greg Fleet.

He also recently presented a well attended and warmly received debut solo show in Perth’s 2011 Wild West Comedy Festival, and his gala spot was glowingly reviewed by comedy authority Chortle as follows – “Ben Darsow is the real deal, one of those few fellows that genuinely just have funny bones, a larrikin who is clever and relatable with solid observational premises. A star, mark my words.”

Genuinely in love with the art form of standup comedy, Ben displays genuine enthusiasm each opportunity he gets to perform.

Over the last 2 years alone, Ben has…lapped the comedy club scenes of Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth multiple times…toured shows throughout central Australia and regional southern NSW…entertained an audience of over 300 miners at Prominent Hill in the South Australian outback…featured at numerous football, cricket and sporting club nights…performed at celebrity sportswriter Geoff Roach’s 70th birthday party…professionally delivered the laughs at corporate functions for Combined Solar, Schneider Electrical, Academy Cleaning Services, the Stock Agents Association and The SA Quarries Association…entertained an all-female audience of 150 women of various ages in Perth’s ‘Girlz Night Out’ comedy show…shone in the Opening Gala of Perth’s Wild West Comedy Festival in front of 1000 at the Regal Theatre…delivered 20 minutes of laughs at 7am as a feature speaker at North Adelaide’s Zone High Breakfast…headlined the recent Christmas show at Kalgoorlie’s first ever comedy club…and even done a privately booked show for a family from behind their kitchen bench!

Ben takes an authentic interest in each of his audiences and his pre-scripted material often blends smoothly with sharp on the spot ad-libbing, summed up by Rip It Up magazine as “great audience interaction…confident without being cocky”.

Ben’s favourite comedians are Ricky Gervais (UK), Dave Chappelle (USA), Louis CK (USA), Dane Cook (USA) and Tom Gleeson (Australia), and he uses these comedians amongst others as inspiration to find more of his own voice, become more relevant, and ultimately generate as much on stage love as he can.

Ben has presented 4 solo shows in his hometown Adelaide Fringe and has been outstandingly reviewed on several occasions by various publications.

The Messenger described his very first Fringe appearance in 2006 as ‘unique and hilarious…an original and entertaining ride to remember’ and awarded his show 4 stars; The Advertiser described Ben as ‘a genuinely funny bugger’ and his comedy as a ‘brand of clever humour…hilarious scenarios which make you cringe, grin or a bit of both’; The Independent Weekly simply said ‘go see his solo show before he gets too famous’.

He has also notably presented a feature solo show in the 2009 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, in which The Pun labelled him as ‘a hit…a hidden gem’ and his material as ‘hilarious and self deprecating comedy gold’.

Ben has a growing list of media appearances including radio interviews in Perth and Adelaide, feature articles in Adelaide’s Advertiser and Messenger papers, and nationally televised standup sets on the Comedy Channel’s Standup Australia and also the FHM dvd.

He has also begun to explore his versatlity in other areas of entertainment and presenting, including ground announcing an Adelaide United soccer game at Hindmarsh Stadium in the 2011/12 A-League season, an acting appearance on a TV commercial campaign for PhoneInsure.com, and a less-formal-than-normal welcoming address to 1600 first year students at Adelaide University.

Ben received valuable early encouragement to take on a professional career in the industry with success in several searches for emerging talent - In 2007 he won the SA final of Rove’s Search for Australia’s Funniest Undiscovered Comedian; in 2005 he was a national finalist in FHM’s Search for Australia’s Funniest Man; in 2004 he won SA Triple J Raw Comedy and was a national finalist also.

If you’re still reading and you want to know more, offstage Ben has played elite level basketball in the South Australian ABA competition for the Woodville Warriors, for whom he consistently sustained injuries and warmed the bench; is back playing regular twice-a-week golf at Kooyonga off a handicap that fluctuates between 1 and 2, depending on how closely his playing partners mark his scorecard; and has developed a new 4-sessions-a-week fascination with Bikram Yoga - 90 minute stretching classes in 35 degree heat that help him periodically switch his mind off ‘notice stuff mode’; he also loves his family and the many amazing male and female friends he has in his life, and values so highly every bit of interaction he gets to share with what is such a varied, talented, interesting and genuine collection of people.

If you want more than this, you’re either going to have to check Ben out live or on YouTube, book him or buy him a coffee.