Rob Carlton
Virgin in a Knife Fight
Rob Carlton – Logie-winning actor, writer and storyteller – returns with his brand-new show, Virgin in a Knife Fight, a fast, funny hour of four true stories from a life proudly underprepared.
It begins on the backstreets of Salzburg, where Rob finds himself in a three-person knife fight – despite never having used his travel knife on anything tougher than cheese. Eighteen years old, a virgin in a knife fight, it's fair to say he was underprepared! The story pauses there, setting up an hour of laughter, chaos and reflection as Rob dives into three more real-life adventures: a night of student bravado that spirals into moral panic, an absurd courtroom showdown on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and a moving story of fatherhood and friendship that hits straight in the heart, before returning full circle to the kid in a knife fight!
With warmth, wit and flawless comic timing, Rob turns personal disaster into shared delight, finding the humour in chaos and the grace in hindsight. Virgin in a Knife Fight is about the moments we’re both hero and idiot at once – and finding joy in our blunders!
Rob’s last show, Willing Participant, sold out across the country and swept multiple festivals, winning Best Theatre at Perth FRINGE WORLD 2025, a Weekly Award at Adelaide Fringe and Best Theatre at Newcastle Fringe, getting loads of five-star reviews and making the best of Melbourne International Comedy Festival lists for ArtsHub and Beat Magazine. Audiences and critics alike praised his blend of storytelling and theatre:
'I’ve never seen anything like it, this thing of simple storytelling beauty and humour nudging so regularly on the profound.' Trent Dalton (Boy Swallows Universe)
'Simply brilliant.' Michala Banas
'Sublime! Heartwarming, funny and poetic.' Wil Anderson
Beyond the stage, Rob has starred in White Lotus (HBO), Boy Swallows Universe (Netflix), North Shore (Netflix / Paramount), Black Snow (Stan) and Dangerous Animals. And given Tropfest is coming back, it's worth noting Rob won Tropfest in 2006 with Carmichael and Shane, the moving short film about a single father of twins that chooses a favourite!
Virgin in a Knife Fight is directed by Darren Gilshenan (Colin From Accounts, A Moody Christmas) and cements Rob Carlton as one of Australia’s most engaging storytellers – hilarious, heartfelt and utterly unafraid to turn life’s disasters into something unforgettable.
Suitable for audiences 15+
Language – occasional coarse language
Rob Carlton – Logie-winning actor, writer and storyteller – returns with his brand-new show, Virgin in a Knife Fight, a fast, funny hour of four true stories from a life proudly underprepared.
It begins on the backstreets of Salzburg, where Rob finds himself in a three-person knife fight – despite never having used his travel knife on anything tougher than cheese. Eighteen years old, a virgin in a knife fight, it's fair to say he was underprepared! The story pauses there, setting up an hour of laughter, chaos and reflection as Rob dives into three more real-life adventures: a night of student bravado that spirals into moral panic, an absurd courtroom showdown on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and a moving story of fatherhood and friendship that hits straight in the heart, before returning full circle to the kid in a knife fight!
With warmth, wit and flawless comic timing, Rob turns personal disaster into shared delight, finding the humour in chaos and the grace in hindsight. Virgin in a Knife Fight is about the moments we’re both hero and idiot at once – and finding joy in our blunders!
Rob’s last show, Willing Participant, sold out across the country and swept multiple festivals, winning Best Theatre at Perth FRINGE WORLD 2025, a Weekly Award at Adelaide Fringe and Best Theatre at Newcastle Fringe, getting loads of five-star reviews and making the best of Melbourne International Comedy Festival lists for ArtsHub and Beat Magazine. Audiences and critics alike praised his blend of storytelling and theatre:
'I’ve never seen anything like it, this thing of simple storytelling beauty and humour nudging so regularly on the profound.' Trent Dalton (Boy Swallows Universe)
'Simply brilliant.' Michala Banas
'Sublime! Heartwarming, funny and poetic.' Wil Anderson
Beyond the stage, Rob has starred in White Lotus (HBO), Boy Swallows Universe (Netflix), North Shore (Netflix / Paramount), Black Snow (Stan) and Dangerous Animals. And given Tropfest is coming back, it's worth noting Rob won Tropfest in 2006 with Carmichael and Shane, the moving short film about a single father of twins that chooses a favourite!
Virgin in a Knife Fight is directed by Darren Gilshenan (Colin From Accounts, A Moody Christmas) and cements Rob Carlton as one of Australia’s most engaging storytellers – hilarious, heartfelt and utterly unafraid to turn life’s disasters into something unforgettable.
Suitable for audiences 15+
Language – occasional coarse language