Bio

After graduating from WAAPA in 2010 with a Bachelor of Music Theatre, Gillian wrote her debut show, Waitressing...And Other Things I Do Well, which debuted at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival and went on to tour nationally. She recorded an EP of original songs from the show with Luckiest Records, which was released on iTunes in 2011.

Television credits include Offspring, House Husbands, Fat Tony & Co., Ricketts Lane, and Get Krackin', and she was a backing vocalist for Kate Miller-Heidke’s 2012 album, Nightflight. Theatre credits include The Pirates of Penzance (The Production Company), A 3-Handed Mikado with Colin Lane (Lano and Woodley) and David Collins (The Umbilical Brothers), Loving Repeating (Vic Theatre Company), Company (Watch This), and Vivid White (Melbourne Theatre Company). Her performance in the improvised web series Written It Down (featured on Funny or Die and ABC’s Fresh Blood) saw her win Best Actress at the LA Webfest Awards 2014.

Her second solo show This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things won the Best Cabaret Award at Melbourne Fringe 2013 and a Green Room Award for Best Original Songs. In 2014 her cover of Pharrell Williams’ song, “Happy,” received over 250,000 views on YouTube with Pharrell himself taking to the internet to recommend it. Her most recent show, Gillian Cosgriff is Whelmed was nominated for Best Cabaret at FRINGE WORLD Perth 2015. 

press

"★★★★★ The performers she gets compared to - Tim Minchin, Kate Miller-Heidke, Claire Bowditch - read like a who’s who of something or other, but you get the picture. An hour with Ms Cosgriff is not one you’re likely to want back.” – The West Australian

“...an enthusiastic, energetic, musical, sassy, intelligent piece of comedy genius that will have you laughing and make it look effortless.” – The Clothesline

“…she has an acute self-awareness, great singing voice and knows how to write a bang-on bit […] the woman is as talented as Tim Minchin.” – SBS Comedy

“Warm, witty, and engaging, Cosgriff is an entertaining conversationalist, but it’s through her songs that her talents really shine. Crossing genres with ease, Cosgriff displays her impressive vocal range, from a sultry jazz drawl to a broad Australian burr.” – The West Australian

“A one woman tour-de-force of witty, brilliant, truthful comedy starring a sexy twenty-something exploding with musical talent.” – Theatre People

“A gem… An impressive, incisive lyricist, songwriter, highly capable pianist, singer and comedic performer…The performance gods have been kind to her.” - The Herald Sun

“A terrific performer and her debut show…is charming, funny and altogether likeable stuff.” – The Age

“She is a contemporary performer who could just as easily be seen on a music festival concert stage with hints of Regina Spektor or Missy Higgins.” - Aussie Theatre.com