Tim Minchin fans moved to tears by news of mum’s death during show

Musician and comedian drew gasps from the audience as he announced the sad family news

Tim Minchin revealed that his mum, Ros, has died after being diagnosed with a terminal illness, during his show in Sydney this weekend.

The Australian musician, actor and comedian, 48, was performing on Friday 10 November at the State Theatre as part of his latest tour, An Unfunny Evening with Tim Minchin and his Piano.

The set includes renditions of songs from Minchin’s albums Darkside and So Rock, and Matilda the Musical and Groundhog Day the Musical, which are interspersed with stories from his life.

In one, Minchin explains that his mother, Ros, was diagnosed with terminal blood cancer in 2020.

Later, as he returned to the stage for an encore following a standing ovation, Minchin told his fans: “My mum died yesterday.”

As gasps were heard around the venue, Minchin explained that he had wanted to continue with the show despite the difficult news.

He then performed “White Wine in the Sun”, an original song about loss that includes the poignant lyrics: “I’ll be seeing my dad, my brother and sisters, my gran and my mum… they’ll be drinking white wine in the sun.”

Minchin closed the show with a cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”, which he asked the audience to help him sing as the venue’s lights were dimmed.

“Singing ‘Hallelujah’ together was one the most beautiful moments I’ve experienced and I will not forget it ever,” one fan wrote after attending the show.

“Thank you for sharing a piece of magic in spite of everything.”

“What a profoundly moving, beautiful show. It will stay with us for a long time,” another fan wrote on Instagram Stories. “Thank you.”

One audience member commented: “Tim Minchin’s show last night was absolutely beautiful. One of the best shows I’ve ever seen.”

“The crowd, sitting in the dark and singing along to “Hallelujah”, is something I'll remember the rest of my life,” another fan posted to X/Twitter.

Minchin frequently discussed his parents in both his comedy and his songwriting.

“Mum and Dad had high expectations of us as human beings – it wasn’t just about education,” he told the Guardian in a 2017 interview.

“It’s a fantastic way to go about parenting, and I aspire to that. Things have taken a huge change – I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t say ‘I love you’ to their children now, but my parents’ dedication and love to us was unquestionable.

“There is just a language difference, not an intent difference. I’m as strict as my parents – I have high expectations, too. I’d never ask the kids to do something outside their capabilities, but I’ll encourage them not to be lazy and to try hard.”

Since announcing the news of his mum’s death, Minchin has shared a photo of her to his Instagram page, simply captioned: “So it goes.”

In a separate post, with a photo of him facing the audience as they cheer him on, he wrote: “Thank you, Sydney, for a weekend of shows I’ll never forget.”

Minchin is scheduled to perform four nights in Hobart this week before playing Canberra in December.