Global hit show returns home alongside local comedian
Marcus Ryan will perform his award-winning one-man play 'Eat, Pray, Walk' at three Gippsland venues from May 29-31.
Wonthaggi-born comedian Marcus Ryan is returning home this month, and he’s bringing with him a show that has travelled through 10 different countries and has been performed more than 80 times.
Mr Ryan will showcase his one-man play ‘Eat, Pray, Walk’ at three different local halls, Mt Eccles Hall, Kongwak Hall and Nerrena Hall from Friday, May 29 to Sunday, May 31.
The three performances are being hosted by South Gippsland Shire Council in partnership with Regional Arts Victoria.
The show follows Mr Ryan’s 1000-kilometre journey on the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage route through France and Spain.
He admitted that the show had grown far beyond what he had first expected when he originally wrote it after finishing the trek.
“When I walked the Camino many years ago, I didn’t put much thought into it, or why I was doing it,” he said.
“Soon after, I wrote a show about my experience, and it has taken on a life of its own and grown far beyond what I could have imagined.”
He has now toured the show in 10 countries over 80 times, with it winning multiple industry awards in both the United States and Australia.
But Mr Ryan said those awards don’t compare to the community opportunities it creates.
“By far the best thing has been the community aspect that comes from it,” he said.
Audience members often speak with Mr Ryan after the show, speaking about their own experiences.
“People come up and tell me how much it meant to them, they share their stories and it resonates with many,” said Mr Ryan.
“That really makes it all worth it.”
With a family farm at Ryanston, the three local performances will carry additional meaning for Mr Ryan.
“Our family farm is in Ryanston, just a few clicks down the road from the first show in Kongwak, so that’s special to be kicking off my tour so close to home with that local connection,” he said.
Mr Ryan emphasised that the show is not your traditional stand-up comedy.
“For those who have seen my stand-up comedy in the past, this is not that, there’s no crowd work, heckling or swearing,” he said.
“It’s more theatre style storytelling, a bit educational and I use a slideshow and tell tales of the characters I met along my walk across France and Spain.”
“But don’t worry, there’s plenty of laughs and a few bad accents.”
Mr Ryan has performed comedy in six different continents and in more than 60 countries, with some of his previous shows including Love Me Tinder, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Comedy, and Hablas Inglés?
After starting his career in breakfast radio in Inverloch for the station now known as South Coast FM, Mr Ryan’s ‘Eat, Pray, Walk’ has received the Regional Arts Victoria Market Ready Tour Award at Melbourne Fringe in 2024 and had a sellout season at the 2025 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
The shows will be held at Kongwak Hall on Friday, May 29 at 7pm, Mt Eccles Hall on Saturday, May 30 at 7pm and Nerrena Hall on Sunday, May 31 at 2pm.
You can book tickets online at https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1566654.
