Hall Stories
There is barely a bakery shop in regional Australia, that hasn’t had one of Callinan’s show posters blu-tacked to its window. In Hall Stories, he combines his skills as a storyteller, stand-up and character actor, to share from his impressive armoury of stories from his time performing in remote locations. He’s been swooped by bats in Boomi; passed a kidney stone in Carinda; done the Macarena with the Mayor in Mansfield; sabotaged a seating plan in Sorell;had his tackle transgressed in Tallangatta and been bought a beer by a baby in Buchan. For the first time, Damian is pulling back the curtain to create a show about the shows. He’ll not only reveal his battle scars, but theatrically share the quirky characters, bizarre rules, unique traditions and legendary yarns that he’s acquired from touring halls, theatres and community meeting places across the country.
Each hall has a story to tell, and Callinan will be the walls that talk. Deftly combining storytelling with a socio historical examination of the role halls play in rural Australian life, he’ll transport the audience with his skills as a raconteur and augment the performance with a hilarious collection of golden photo stories he’s panned from the alluvial river of regional touring. The collection includes a gallery of overly officious hall signs; municipal missteps and an examination of hall quirks and mysteries. He’s not afraid to gild the lily with photoshop, and he’ll curate part of the slide show to your community. Hall Stories is Callinan doing what he does best,where he does it best. He knows how to talk over a bubbling urn; wind up when the CWA start cutting up the passionfruitsponge and stack the chairs in 5’s at the end of the night. Just let him know where to get the hall key, and he’ll do the rest.
There are three versions of the show. The one day standard version as described above. In the two day Hybrid version of the project, Damian will send out a preliminary community survey to identify stories, characters and events specific to the venue. Upon arrival he will kick things off with a ‘Meet & Greet’ session to get to know the hall community. The surveys and meeting will be distilled into a more tailored version of the Hall Stories show.
In the three day Deluxe version, he’ll add to this by immersing himself in the community to examine the hall archives, conduct fieldwork & record extensive interviews that will fuel tailored content. After the show is done, Damian will deliver a fully produced episode of the HALL STORIES PODCAST, based entirely on the story of the hall or venue.
If you’re interested in bringing Hall Stories to your hall, make an enquiry here.
2024
April 18 – Harston Memorial Hall
July 5 – Tallgaroopna Memorial Hall
November 8 – Yando Hall
2025
February 7 – Kaarimba Public Hall
March 14 – Woodhouse-Nareeb Memorial Hall
April 29 – Pyramid Hill Memorial Hall
April 30 – Heathcote RSL Hall
May 3 – Elmore Memorial Hall
May 10 – Omeo Memorial Hall
May 14 – Port Albert Mechanics Institute
May 17 – Munro Public Hall
May 20 – Glenmaggie Mechanics Institute
May 30 – Tongala Town Hall
June 7 – Frankston PAC
June 19 – Williamstown Town Hall
August 2 – Cavendish Memorial Hall
August 6 – Casterton Town Hall
August 9 – Dunkeld Community Hall
October 4 – Teetora Road Community Centre
October 11 – Cheshunt Hall
October 13 – Eldorado Memorial Hall
October 16 – Boorhaman Recreation Reserve
October 18 – Everton Hall
October 21 – Lake Charm Hall
October 23 – Murabit Hall
October 30 – Lilydale Atheneum Theatre
November 21 – Moyston Memorial Hall
Kaarimba just loved our whole ‘Hall Stories’ experience. From the time Damian arrived at the welcome BBQ, until after the show finished a couple of days later, he kept us fully entertained and amused with his quirky humour and madcap antics. We packed out our small hall with over 100 guests for the main show, and they have raved about it ever since. And now we have this amazing podcast to keep. A great mix of well researched hall history and interviews with current local identities. A real gem, that will be treasured by future generations.
Gail Grinter – Secretary, Kaarimba Hall Committee
Coming in at the end of a years long run of shows, Damian Callinan’s Hall Stories in Omeo was a big standout. Especially for me as a producer. It’s rare to work with someone so genuine and someone who took the time to get to know people and what the place means to them. Living so regional, that personal touch means a lot. The show was sharp, funny and full of heart. It wasn’t a roast but a series of careful, clever observations that made us laugh at things we see every day, in a way that made us feel seen too. Honestly, it was just really nice to laugh together in the room with Damian holding a lot of space for everyone.
Ashley Ball – Culture and Creativity Coordinator, East Gippsland Shire
Hall Stories is a brilliant journey through the charm, quirks, and character of small-town halls across Australia—and Damian delivers it with heart, humour, and sharp observation. When he brought the show to Tongala, it felt like our town was being seen and celebrated in the most genuine way. From the ‘stairs to nowhere’ to the trivia legends in the crowd, he captured Tongala’s spirit perfectly. It was more than a show—it was a reminder of the stories and people that make places like ours special.
Jason Kelley – Tongala Progress Association
Hall Stories was a great celebration of our historic Willliamstown Town Hall and an opportunity for the community to tell their stories over supper in the ballroom – from memories of Italian social dances to commemorating locals who had fought and died in WWI. It was a special experience to have Damian bring these stories to life through community engagement, and package it all as a funny and moving show.
Max Hayward – Hobsons Bay City Council
The community of Yando and BBAC Productions were thrilled to host Damian Callinan for his hilarious show, Hall Stories. From start to finish, it was a laugh-a-minute as Damian brought local stories to life with tailored anecdotes and a presentation perfectly suited to our audience. His ability to connect with the community, embrace our charming hall, and join in the festivities made the event truly special. It was an unforgettable evening and a fitting celebration for the Yando Hall’s 70th Anniversary. We feel incredibly fortunate to have shared this milestone with such a talented performer.
Fiona Hall – Yando Hall & BBAC Productions
Hall Stories feels less like a show parachuted in, and more like something grown from the very walls of the hall itself. As a bespoke, place-based work, Hall Stories is artistically accomplished, socially meaningful, and reminds communities of the richness of their own histories. – an invaluable inclusion in our 2025 program.
Stephen Henderson – Director, Bendigo Venues
The Frankston Arts Centre approached Damian to be a part of the FAC’s 30th Anniversary and we worked together to present Hall Stories. Whilst this was different to the usual remit for the show, Damian embraced the challenge and took the opportunity with humour, kindness and integrity. Damian’s approach was always generous and understanding of the constraints we gave him but ensured artistic merit and audience engagement was always at the heart of everything he did. Damian made everyone feel heard with skill and aplomb – I couldn’t have been prouder to present the work and to work alongside Damian. As a presenter, audience is always at the heart of what we do. Damian’s approach makes that incredibly easy and enjoyable to do.
Heidi Irvine – Frankston Arts Centre Head of Programming
Arts & Culture, Arts Development and Programming
Damian Callinan’s ability to find out the history of a space, connect with community and produce a show from the information is an underutilised skill. Hall Stories helps to bring a community from a Town Hall back together to share their story and the story of their families growing up around these central community spaces. Adding just enough humour to make the audience laugh but also tell the story of the past, helps to share a slice of history that is in danger of being lost!’
MATT SCHROEDERS – RIVERLINKS MANAGER, Shepparton
The inaugural “Hall Stories” production at Harston Hall has been a very positive experience. We found Damian to be very professional and excellent at extracting the local stories/history from multiple community members. The night itself was a big success with patrons enjoying many laughs and a good time. Highly recommended.
SALLY & GREG SHERMAN – HARSTON HALL COMMITTEE
“We were in fits of laughter,” and “he is brilliant” were the comments heard amongst the audience who attended Damian Callinan’s hilarious “Hall Stories”. The stories were wittily enacted with shrewdness and skill. He took us on a journey (aided by a series of screen shots) to each country town in which he had performed across Australia. Damian became many characters, giving us a glimpse of the comic moments revealed in each community hall with its committee rules and local idiosyncrasies. Audience member, Jane, summed up the privilege she felt by having such a professional show in our own town, saying, ‘Hall Stories’ provided a night out with friends, ideas to think about, laughter and warmth in the exploration of what makes rural life so engaging and a fabulous sense of communities at their best.”
Maree
Mudbrick Motley Theatre
Heathcote RSL Hall
Damian’s ‘Hall Stories’ hit the nail on the head! He gained information on some local identities and then presented their achievements in a comical way, that had the audience laughing all night long. Damian delighted in making fun of quirks specific to the Hall, that only those with an eagle eye would even notice. Funny, witty and very entertaining!
LYN HOFFMAN – TALLYGAROOPNA HALL COMMITTEE
Hall Stories is a cheeky, affectionate celebration of the characters, chaos and charm that make small country towns tick. The perfect mix of standup comedy and a love letter to your local history.
Niamh Hassett – The Wedge Performing Arts Centre
Damian Callinan’s Hall Stories is a nostalgic and entertaining collection of anecdotes, events, myths and legends surrounding a hall in any Australian town. In researching his next venue, Damian delves into the history, mystery and mayhem surrounding the local meeting place, its committee members, and the community they serve. Our hall in Pyramid Hill had just celebrated its centenary, as do many others that were built post World War 1, and Hall Stories was a wonderful celebration of everything our town hall means to us, as a community. Thanks Damian – it was a privilege to host another of your brilliant shows to a full house, and we look forward to your next visit. Jean’s passionfruit sponge will be on standby!
Cheryl McKinnon – Pyramid Hill Hall Committee