British author, comedian and former doctor Adam Kay will return to Australia this summer with his live stage production Twas The Nightshift Before Christmas Live, bringing his bestselling medical memoirs and festive stories to audiences across seven cities.
by Paul Cashmere
British writer, comedian and former junior doctor Adam Kay has announced an Australian tour of Twas The Nightshift Before Christmas Live, a festive stage show built around stories from his bestselling books and his years working in the UK’s National Health Service. The seven-date national tour begins in Perth on 30 November before travelling through Canberra, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, Newcastle and Melbourne during December.
Kay became an international publishing phenomenon through This Is Going To Hurt, his memoir based on diaries written during his years as a junior doctor. The book became one of Britain’s biggest selling non-fiction titles, remained at the top of the Sunday Times bestseller list for more than a year and was later adapted into the acclaimed BBC and AMC television drama, written by Kay himself.
The Australian performances continue the success of a live production that combines stories from Twas The Nightshift Before Christmas with new stand-up material, original festive songs and first-hand accounts drawn from hospital wards during the Christmas period. Rather than focusing solely on comedy, the production also pays tribute to the doctors, nurses and healthcare workers who spend Christmas on duty while most families celebrate at home.
Kay’s stories range from the absurd to the emotional, recalling Christmas shifts delivering babies, treating unusual holiday injuries and dealing with the unexpected medical situations that inevitably accompany the festive season. According to the production, audiences can expect stories involving everything from baubles and chocolate wrappers to television remote controls and fairy lights finding their way into places they were never intended to be.
The live production builds on material from Twas The Nightshift Before Christmas, which followed the extraordinary success of This Is Going To Hurt. Both books became number one bestsellers in Britain, alongside his later memoir Undoctored. In 2025, Kay expanded his writing into fiction with the publication of A Particularly Nasty Case, while also continuing his successful series of children’s books, including Kay’s Anatomy, Kay’s Incredible Inventions and the Dexter Procter series.
Before becoming a full-time writer and performer, Kay worked in obstetrics and gynaecology after graduating from Imperial College London. He left medicine in 2010 following a traumatic medical emergency that later became a defining moment in his writing career. His diaries from those years ultimately formed the basis of This Is Going To Hurt, a book that has sold more than three million copies worldwide and been translated into dozens of languages.
Away from publishing, Kay has established himself as one of Britain’s most successful television writers. His credits include adapting This Is Going To Hurt for television, earning a BAFTA for his screenplay, as well as writing for productions including Crims, Mrs. Brown’s Boys and Mitchell And Webb. His live shows have also developed a significant following, with This Is Going To Hurt attracting audiences of more than 350,000 people and Undoctored becoming the bestselling show at the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe.
Alongside his entertainment career, Kay has remained closely involved with healthcare charities and mental health organisations. He is a patron of several charities supporting healthcare professionals and has helped raise substantial funds through projects including Dear NHS: 100 Stories To Say Thank You, which collected contributions from public figures in support of NHS charities.
The Australian tour places Kay back in front of local audiences at the beginning of the Christmas season, offering a live performance that combines observational comedy with genuine insight into life inside hospital wards during one of the busiest periods of the year.
Adam Kay, Twas The Nightshift Before Christmas Live Australian Tour
30 November, Perth, Regal Theatre
3 December, Canberra, Canberra Theatre
4 December, Adelaide, Norwood Concert Hall
6 December, Brisbane, Fortitude Music Hall
13 December, Sydney, Enmore Theatre
14 December, Newcastle, City Hall
15 December, Melbourne, Hamer Hall
Tickets: On sale Monday 13 July, 12.00pm local time from bohmpresents.com.
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