Tom Skelton first noticed an issue with his vision almost a decade ago while at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Fellow performers on stage became blurry for the comedian and he had trouble reading information on show tickets, weeks later he was diagnosed with Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy.
The genetic condition, which runs in Tom’s family, worsened and he now has just five per cent vision.
Tom had been planning to move to Berlin following that fateful Fringe Festival, but never did. Now he finally gets there - in his imagination.
Now at the Melbourne Fringe, he tells the story of day-to-day life as someone with vision loss. He imagines an improbable adventure in his future, with his German heritage and love of mystery at its core.
This is Tom’s fifth solo show after Foolball, the history of the greatest football club that never existed, 2016’s dystopian Orwellian satire 2061, Tom Skelton’s Macbeth, his one man take on ‘The Scottish Play’ and Blind Man’s Bluff.
Blind Eye Spy first appeared at the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe, playing to packed houses in the renowned Underbelly venue.
Originally from the UK, Tom has been writing and performing comedy for over a decade, honing his sketch and narrative skills in the acclaimed The Life and Times of Sigmund Freud and The Story Pirates, as well as writing, directing and starring in the five-star comedy Freshwoman.
He ran London’s popular monthly comedy night Cheeky Blinders with guests such as Ahir Shah and Lazy Susan, and has worked on videos and workshops with the Bafta-winning History Bombs.
His improv skills developed early as he helmed the prolific Oxford Imps at university and went on to star with London hit Shoot From the Hip and Fringe smash Adventures of the Improvised Sherlock Holmes.
Tom is a founding member of Edinburgh, Perth and Adelaide sell-out successes Racing Minds. They were twice nominated for the Perth Fringe World Comedy Award. Tom now regularly stars with Melbourne Improv giants, The Big Hoo Haa.
For more information on Tom Skelton, please contact Tom on 0435 522 777 or [email protected]
