[7] Minchin returned to Australia with his parents and was raised in Perth,[8][9] alongside his elder brother, Dan, and two younger sisters, Katie and Nel.

He developed a renewed interest in the instrument after he started writing music with his brother Dan, a guitarist, but still describes himself as a "hack pianist ... a 'more you practise, the better you get' kind of guy".

[9] In his performances, he typically goes barefoot with wild hair and heavy eye makeup, which is juxtaposed with a crisp suit and tails, and a grand piano.

He considers the eye makeup important because while he is playing the piano he is not able to use his arms and relies on his face for expressions and gestures; the eyeliner makes his features more distinguishable for the audience.

"[15] The shows consist largely of Minchin's comedic songs and poetry, with subjects including social satire, inflatable dolls, sex fetishes, and his own failed rock star ambitions.

[23] Koren backed the show's run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where Minchin received the Perrier Comedy Award for Best Newcomer.

[27][28] Responding to the song, which contains graphic violence, the critic laconically remarked that he had not yet had time to listen to it: "Life's too short and I've already done my bit by sitting through that show in Edinburgh.

"[32] Minchin was the subject of the winning entry, by painter Sam Leach, in the 2010 Archibald Prize, Australia's most important portraiture competition.

[37] The recording of the final UK shows at the Shepherd's Bush Empire was broadcast to cinemas on 23 November 2022 and was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 12 December 2022.

"[41] However, iNews referred to the album as nothing more than an "hour-long vanity project...Minchin obviously has things to say about the world but he hasn't really found the right way to say them", but also admitted that "There are glimmers of great humanity and honesty, small moments of beauty.

Minchin also appeared as a special guest on the 2009 edition of The Big Fat Quiz of the Year, performing a song written for the show ("It's Like 1984") in reference to a question regarding Google Street View.

[53] A heavily cut-down version of the show released on DVD as So F**king Rock Live has aired several times on British TV channel E4, first on 23 July 2009.

[54] On 8 May 2010, Minchin's musical sitcom pilot Strings was broadcast on BBC Radio 2; it was well received, but he decided against creating a full series.

[55] In December 2011, Minchin performed a specially written song called "Woody Allen Jesus"[56] on The Jonathan Ross Show.

He did this because he's scared of the ranty, shit-stirring, right-wing press, and of the small minority of Brits who believe they have a right to go through life protected from anything that challenges them in any way.

"There was a project that a writer pitched to Warner Bros., which was a vehicle for me along the lines of a Seinfeld, where there was a character called Tim, who was a musical comedian had moved to LA from London.

Roles from his days in musical theatre include Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha and Pontius Pilate (and understudying Judas Iscariot twice) in Jesus Christ Superstar.

He has also appeared playing small parts on the ABC telemovie Loot and on the show Comedy Inc..[68] Minchin was cast in the role of Judas in the 2012 UK and Ireland arena tour of the Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar.

[69] The tour extended into various other countries due to popular demand, with Minchin reprising the role in the world, with a filmed version being released in Autumn 2012.

Minchin made his Sydney Theatre Company debut in 2013 in Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead alongside Toby Schmitz.

He appeared as himself in the 'To be, or not to be' sketch alongside Paapa Essiedu, Benedict Cumberbatch, Harriet Walter, David Tennant (who also hosted the event with Catherine Tate), Rory Kinnear, Ian McKellen, Judi Dench and Charles, Prince of Wales (who was in attendance with Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall).

It was revealed that Minchin had coincidentally already tried to obtain permission from the Dahl estate to write a musical version of the book in the early 2000s for youth theatre in Australia.

in Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway and Pretty Boy in Back to the Outback which he also wrote and performed the single "Beautiful Ugly" with Evie Irie.

During his 2009 interview for Australian Skeptics' podcast The Skeptic Zone, Minchin addressed his performance style as one that allows bringing up issues that can be upsetting or judgemental to others, such as the "moral hypocrisy about the idea that the Bible is perfect, the only place that you need to go to for your moral guidance ... and about, obviously, prejudice in the church, its role in ostracising homosexuals ... your defences are down when you're laughing as well and it's couched in music.

"[89] As the son and grandson of medical surgeons, Minchin addressed alternative medicine claims by relating that unbiased tests for efficacy are the key:

"[89] In an interview with Independent Investigations Group member John Rael, Minchin explains that what upsets him most about paranormal beliefs is "special pleading" by people who say vague things such as "there is no harm in it".

[94] The royal commission had been called to investigate how institutions like schools, churches, and government organisations have responded to allegations and instances of child sexual abuse.

[97] The song helped fund journeys to Rome for victims of sex abuse so they could watch the cardinal deliver his evidence,[98] with a GoFundMe account set up by The Project hosts Meshel Laurie and Gorgi Coghlan.

[99] The ABC 7.30 programme noted on 17 February 2016: "the song's going viral with almost 200,000 YouTube views" but "supporters of Cardinal Pell say it's verbal abuse set to music.

[112][113] In 2013, the University of Western Australia awarded Minchin an honorary Doctor of Letters degree for his contribution to the arts, recognising his outstanding achievements and worldwide acclaim as a composer, lyricist, actor, writer, and comedian.