Cover image: Ben Elton What Have I Done show at the Regal Theatre 3 Nov 2025. Credit Leanne Casellas.

Ben Elton: What Have I Done? with HG Nelson

Regal Theatre, 3 November

Once in every lifetime comes a voice like this. The full house at the Regal Theatre on Monday night attested to the fact that Ben Elton’s incisive voice has weathered the ups and downs of popular culture as the assembled thoroughly enjoyed the rollercoaster of anecdotes peppered with nostalgia.

Host HG Nelson kicked off proceedings with a cheeky sales pitch for Elton’s new book – a reminder that this was, after all, a book tour, before introducing the man himself. What followed was a fluid, funny 90-minute reflection on relationships, encounters and a mind that’s never stopped whirring.

Elton’s wit remains as vigorous as ever, skimming the surface of anecdotes choosing some for a deep dive into the fears and foibles of the human condition, politics, and social constructs. His comedy has always been socially motivated rather than strictly political, though the two often blur. “Guilty as charged,” he admitted, when recounting his daughter’s accusation that he moans about everything. To his loyal audience, his rants are entirely relatable.

Social media, he argued, has robbed children of their childhood: “It’s catastrophic that kids can’t escape the profit-motivated tech bros in California.” He praised Australia’s decision to legislate a ban on under 16s use of social media. On artificial intelligence, his verdict was typically sardonic: “Best we can hope for is that we’ll all be put out of work.”

The evening was also an affectionate name-dropping fest, the sort that only a writer of Elton’s pedigree could deliver. There were exuberant tales of encounters with Vivienne Westwood (a clash on populism), Mr Mountbatten Windsor (the former Prince Andrew), King Charles (respect for his social and environmental stance), a couple of Beatles, Brian May, Helena Bonham-Carter, Robert De Niro (polishing off his fellow diners meals), and Donald Trump – whom Elton longed to whisper the lyrics of Peter Sarstedt’s Where Do You Go To (My Lovely) into the orange one’s ear. He recalled a film shoot in Italy where actor Brian Blessed threw down an existential gauntlet to Keanu Reeves who handled it with aplomb, and a spontaneous jam at George Harrison’s estate where Ringo materialised, unannounced, to join in.

There were fond portraits of comrades: Rowan Atkinson’s understated genius, Rik Mayall’s beauty, Dawn French’s performance brilliance. When asked about influences, he paused for a moment before crediting his father with introducing him to P.G. Wodehouse at the age of thirteen – a literary influence still detectable in his rhythm and irony.

If his 2021 Astor Theatre show was a blistering sprint of stand-up precision, this Regal appearance was looser, more improvised, with Nelson tossing prompts and Elton gleefully scampering after them. The tangents came thick and fast, a testament to both his intellect and his inability to leave a thought unfinished.

 “I’m proud of all my work,” he said, “even the ones that didn’t work.” That candour, coupled with his relentless curiosity made the evening feel conversational rather than performative.

Elton reminisced about a day 13 years ago when Ricky Gervais was hosting the Golden Globes, he was doing an ABC Radio Perth outside broadcast at the Fairbridge Festival in the bush to three people at the crack of dawn. This reviewer was there, having organised said appearance, and can attest to the crowd being somewhat larger.

The glowing plaudits from his peers on his autobiography’s dust cover convey their respect:  Dawn French bestowed the honour of being “the Upstart Crow of our generation” – high praise indeed to be associated with the Bard. Others are a veritable who’s who of the cultural zeitgeist of a generation: Stephen Fry, David Mitchell, Kenneth Branagh, Richard Curtis, David Walliams, Jo Brand, Jimmy Carr and Brian May.

The show’s improvised structure kept things fresh, if occasionally chaotic, and his refrain, “It’s all in the book -just read the bloody book!” became a running gag.

Elton may claim to be just an everyday bloke who got lucky, but his intellect, empathy and socialist moral compass tell another story. He remains the voice of a generation, topical, opinionated still railing, reflecting and laughing at the absurdities of the world he helps us see more clearly.