Katherine Phelps

Auditioning for Comedy Roles

Posted on 18 August 2010 | No responses

I have been a director for live theatre, stage, and film. It still surprises me how easy and how difficult it is auditioning people: easy in that I can easily say “no” to a great many, and difficult in finding good usable comic actors. I don’t feel the situation needs to be this way. Here are some tips for getting yourself on the acting shortlist with many directors and producers.

Professionalism

People see the bad behaviour of A-list actors and something in their psyche says, “I want that kind of freedom.” Even A-list actors start losing jobs if they prove too troublesome. As a beginner or even mid-list actor you can’t afford to be anything less than absolutely professional. A single acting position can attract thousands of people with whom you will be competing.

Professionalism begins with contacting the casting director with a polite call or a short correctly spelled email with CV and headshot attached. Make sure the headshot bears some relationship to the show and part for which you are auditioning. I’m directing comedy, I want headshots with people smiling. Actors don’t have to go overboard trying to look funny, I just need to see that I’m working with more than a block of wood. If you send me a letter or email, have someone check them and your CV for spelling and grammar. I don’t require my actors to be highly literate, but I do want to see that they take the audition seriously.

When you are contacted you will need to be prepared to audition on the date and time you are given. It’s all right to ask if another time is available. However, once that is settled, avoid any attempts to change these again. If you subsequently cannot make your time, call and apologise, even if that means you are giving up the role. You need to maintain a good reputation. If you insult or waste the time of the people working on a production, you will automatically reduce your further opportunities in the industry.

Arrive at the audition on time. Come prepared with certain standard information about yourself and following any instructions given by the casting director. Standard information includes your costume sizes, if you have a car, and your availability. Special instructions may include things like come in a red t-shirt, memorise certain lines, be willing to audition at a cafe. Before the audition it is acceptable to ASK if you will be provided with a script. Demanding the entire script is a good way to alienate the people on a production. Original material has to be protected. Such a demand might be met as a favour to an A-list actor, anyone else would require a non-disclosure agreement.

For original comedy you may be asked to do cold readings. I usually start by just chatting with an actor to determine if they are likable (absolutely crucial for effective comedy), show charisma, and are capable of being witty in conversation. A cold reading on top of this will show me if the actor is quick in catching the jokes, capable of improvising, and takes direction well. From long experience no matter how good the actor, if they can’t take direction, they aren’t worth the grief.

Once you have completed the audition, thank the people involved and make sure you have left your contact details. If you haven’t heard from the production in one to two weeks afterward, you can either assume you didn’t get the role or call once to confirm. Understand that so long as you remain polite and civil, your audition may have been successful enough for you to be remembered for future roles, just perhaps not this one. I have called people back on more than one occasion. You can also turn down a role. Do so politely. Anything less will affect your industry reputation.

If your audition was successful, you still aren’t off the hook regarding professionalism. You will need to be easily contacted at all times by phone or email. You will need to respond promptly to all communication. Check your email daily. Confirm the receipt of instructions, rather than relying on the production people to assume. If you have any difficulties, give the production plenty of time and help to work around you. If you can’t make a rehearsal (do this rarely), inform people as soon as possible and NOT the day of. I have allergies to certain colourants and perfumes, so I will inform people and often get asked to come in a day early for a makeup test before filming.

Turn up to ALL rehearsals. Turn up to all rehearsals promptly and stay until the designated completion time. If your lines are not currently being rehearsed, sit quietly. Begin learning your lines immediately, rather than waiting for the director to set deadlines.

Experience

I find all sorts of experience are valid for building fine performance skills, not just big name acting schools. Nevertheless, you still need experience. I have had more than one actor turn up with a nearly empty resume, then ask immediately what sort of money they can expect. If you are a practitioner of any art form, you will have to put in many hours of skill development without pay. This is not about fair or unfair. Most jobs require training without pay, except perhaps the military.

Treat ALL productions equally. Whether you are in an amateur, volunteer, or professional production behave reliably, responsibly, and to the best of your ability. These shows provide you with skill-building, networking, and a reputation (preferably a good one). I have brought on actors through word of mouth by other actors who knew them in an amateur production. I also know of a few actors who started being knocked-back because people they mistreated in their early days were now in positions of power. You are not functioning in a vacuum.

As a director I completely respect amateur experience. It shows you are willing to put in the work and have a genuine passion for acting. Volunteer productions have the added value of professional intent. They may not make money, but they are stretching for excellence. Experience with standup comedy is of great use to me. I have the funny factor for which I’m looking. Comedians will have to prove they can act and, more importantly, that they can work with other people.

Getting Over Yourself

This issue boggles me, but I’ve run up against it so many times, it’s worth noting. Comedy involves many crazy and insane roles. Even the “straight” roles will involve moments when the character will either behave foolishly or be the butt of foolishness. This should be understood.

I frequently have had actors apply who think comedy sounds like fun, but are terrified of allowing themselves to be funny. This isn’t about having the comic equivalent of two left feet. This is about people who have carefully groomed their persona for one type of leading role and live it everyday. Even dramatic roles require more flexibility, but these actors admire and emulate cultural stereotypes. Letting that persona slip feels like an ego death.

To do comedy you must have a greater self-acceptance and resilience in the face of your own humanity. You must be comfortable with your self as a fallible human being. You must be in touch with the core of who you are then play with being other, rather than always living the mask. You also have to be brave enough to make large gestures, take large risks, and live with the odd large disaster. Comedy is mostly about exaggeration.

Sex

You might think I put this in to get your attention. Hey! And it worked. Comedy revolves around sex, violence, and fallibility. I’m less inclined toward the violent end of things, so I use more farcical sex. Sexuality in drama can be controlled and one note. Sexuality in comedy can be chaotic and anarchic.

In audition and in performance you will have to show me that you can walk the line between respectful and open. You will have to be able to convincingly play the male gender, the female gender, trans-gender, and any and all permutations in-between. Panto thrives on the humour of inverted genders. You will have to be able to passionately embrace all genders. You will then have to be able to switch that passion on and off, depending upon whether you are on stage or not. You will have both the confidence and humility to ask your acting partner regularly, “Is that all right? Are you comfortable with that?” Then you will listen to and respect their response.

Sleeze-bags who think they are funny will be weeded out faster than you can say “uh…” Sexual harrassment laws apply equally to theatre as to any other work place. Everyone’s permission for certain behaviours must be clear. I’ve already had to deal once with some minor dressing room harrassment. Fortunately, it took only a word to the wise to sort out.

Conclusion

The screen and stage industries in Australia are small. Even elsewhere the number of performers far outstrips the number of available roles. This imbalance has upon occasion been abused. Yes, you have to be hyper-polite to make it. Learning equanimity, patience, humility, and forgiveness along with timing, gesture, and motivation will get you a long way. Your reputation is worth absolute gold, jealously guard it. I do not believe the competition means you have to compromise your integrity, because that too will form part of your reputation. It’s mostly a matter of treating everyone you meet with respect.

When you go in to audition, learn how to keep your ego in balance. You need that ego to give you the self-confidence to do a grand and guffaw-worthy performannce. Also understand that yours is not the only sensitive ego, many artists go into creating a collaborative work such as a play or film. Your graciousness and civility will make you a prime candidate for involvement.

Peace and kindness,

Katherine

Melbourne International Comedy Festival Debriefing

Posted on 10 August 2010 | No responses

Participating in the Melbourne International Comedy Festival is a significant committment of time, money, and personal resources. This is not for the faint of heart.

Last year I attended the Jeez Louise Funny Women’s Conference. One of the attendees to that conference was the charming Claire Hooper. She gave me the advice that it’s perhaps best to start off by doing a show for Melbourne Fringe before hopping into the Comedy Festival. This seemed like sound advice. However, I had just missed Fringe when I moved back to Melbourne and was keen to make myself known.

Given what a large endeavour doing a solo Comedy Festival show was, I feel it’s important to share what I learned.

The Organisers

You are expected to pay a hefty fee up front in order to participate in the Comedy Festival. With this fee you are guaranteed that your picture and blurb will be in the Festival programme. The programme goes out to hundreds of thousands of people, through The Age and cafe and venue drops. Given the cost of advertising, with this alone you have your money’s worth.

Their marketing company also keeps your press release in a “bible” which can be used by media to determine the shows that interest them for articles and reviews. Then, the festival offers workshops in understanding the Festival process, finding venues, marketing, etc. Finally, they issue comedians a “participant pass” which gives them free and half price access to many shows, and free entrance into the festival club.

The organisers do their best to be of help, but they are run off their feet. So, if you need personal attention, it’s worth being part of groups like The Skirt Network for women. Even just turning up at the workshops is worth the networking, because many of your questions can be answered by the people around you.

Be warned: not all advice is equal. The organisers are very familiar with what does and does not work for the acts they manage. That advice does not always scale down to the newcomers. This may be because 1) it worked in the past when the festival was smaller, and 2) we were contending with a global financial crisis.

I really feel it would be worthwhile having a mentoring program available to first-timers.

Venues

Several sets of venues are available to performers: festival managed, community/arts organisation managed, and willing restaurants/cafes/pubs/etc.

A festival managed venue is not automatically a better space. Some of the spaces are poky and no more central than a number of the “willing”. The advantage to applying for a festival managed venue is that you won’t have to negotiate the contractual agreement with the venue, you will be assigned door staff, and you will be given extra marketing support. If you are lucky, you could score a space within the Melbourne Town Hall. That is the one location which does give you more audience pull. However, you will be required to perform six days a week for the whole festival. This is great when things are going well, but it’s still gruelling.

The other big venues that will offer extra support include Bella Union (Trades Hall), Northcote Townhall, Malthouse Theatre, etc. These community performance spaces can be very well appointed with sound and lighting equipment, front of house staff, and extra marketing. Sometimes they are significantly more expensive as well and may require larger audiences to be worth their while, but this varies. The main issue is whether you can draw a crowd without being in the central festival area. Bella Union has succeeded in becoming its own hub. Others may require more marketing, and appealling to the local audience.

Certain of the “willing” spaces have a good reputation and are well located: The Butterfly Club, Young and Jacksons, Toff in Town. Others have proven problematic for the performers for a variety of reasons. I would strongly suggest finding a good quality venue of this sort BEFORE sign-ups begin for either festival managed or community managed venues. If the others fall through, you will want a back-up that still represents you well.

Do NOT put yourself in the position where you feel you have to take anything in order to proceed in the festival. Give yourself the time to find a place that has friendly management with whom it’s easy to communicate. Make sure the style of the venue suits the style of your act. It’s not worth your while doing a family act at a seedy pub. Put together a clear written agreement with your venue where fine details are thought through such as bump-in and bump-out times, access to a dressing space, etc.

My biggest piece of advice venue-wise is go smaller rather than larger. A venue with fewer seats will look fuller faster and thereby make your audience feel more comfortable that they’ve found a winner. This also influences reviewers who report not only on their assessment of a show, but how popular it seems to be with the general public. Yes, if you are a big success then you might lose a few dollars, but you are still better off leaving people wanting more.

Dates & Times

Because I was set to perform for a Festival managed venue, I continued to think in terms of a six day week when I had to find other performance space. In the end I performed a Tuesday to Saturday week for the entirety of the Festival, but as a newcomer, it was a mistake.

Tight Arse Tuesdays exist for a reason. Attendance during week days is low. If you’re working on a budget, save your money and perform only Friday, Saturday, and possibly a matinee on Sunday. This will force people who are interested in your show to bunch up on those days, providing a fuller venue.

Equally as low is performing on a holiday weekend. This year Easter landed in the middle of the Festival and downtown Melbourne was nearly silent as everyone left town. I attended a performance on Easter Saturday by one well known comedian who attracted only eight people that night.

Hour of the day also affects audience attendance. Festival wisdom says, “If you are good, the audience will find you.” This only works if you have sufficient friends, word of mouth, and reviews for people to make the effort. Even my friends weren’t keen to come to a show that started at six thirty in the evening. It seems like a good hour for families, but most people want to go home and freshen up before going out or at least have a meal first. For newcomers I would say any showtime before eight pm is going to be a waste of your time and money. You have to make it easy on your audience before they are going to give you the odd chance.

Marketing & Reviews

You will be encouraged to spend a LOT of money on advertising.

The street press will be knocking hard at your email door to get you to spend money on space in their Festival inserts. They will even make special offers where you will be spending less during Festival time. Don’t buy into this unless you know the street press readers are your demographic.

Rule number one for marketing: nail your audience. You CAN’T say, everyone; you CAN’T say, people like me. Are you appealing to men or women? Are you dealing with people 18-34, 35-49, 50-64, or children? Is your material aimed at people with a university education? What sorts of jobs do they have? What sorts of hobbies or interests? What movies, books, TV, comedians, etc are similar to your material and who enjoys these? If you are aiming at thirty-something year old rev-heads, the street press will be a waste of your money.

Marketing can do much to sell a show. It can’t work miracles. The Melbourne International Comedy Festival attracts somewhere between 300-400 shows in a period of around four weeks. How do people choose which shows to see? They start with what they are familiar.

Ross Noble, Adam Hills, Paul McDermott, these are all people who sell out instantly. Then come the comedians who people have seen on television, even though they may not be considered A-list: Akmal Saleh, Justin Hamilton, Felicity Ward. Next are the comedians who have gained good word of mouth through local venues or even busking (how the Doug Anthony All-Stars got their start). Then come the people who win awards or get good reviews in the media. They can have a dreadful turn-out to begin with until the media attention fairy hits. Finally, you have the odd individual who just thinks the show sounds like fun from the Festival programme.

Advertising helps to remind people to buy tickets for the “A” and “B” list comedians. Advertising can help “C” to “Z” list comedians seem more important and a viable option for a fun night out. However, general placements are going to be a waste of time for these. If you have a show about plumbing, advertise in a plumbing journal.

Many comedians work hard handing out flyers to their shows in front of Melbourne Town Hall. The hope is that by making a personal connection on the street, people are more likely to turn up to one of your gigs.  I have found that most people felt annoyed at being accosted. I also get the feeling that it makes those comedians seem needy and therefore probably not very good. When the public feels it needs to tighten its purse-strings, you become one more person trying to take their hard-earned money, rather than a good night out.

The most effective means to interest people in an up-and-comer is through publicity, reviews, and Facebook. When people hear you outside of advertising being funny on the radio, television, or print media, that’s when they make the personal connection. To do this you will need to source your media early, write sharp shiny press releases, and learn how to have a pleasant manner on the phone.

Do not be shy about handing out free tickets like a mad person to all and sundry of the media. I would suggest even handing out extra tickets for competition give-aways. Newcomers rely on word of mouth. Let me say that again, NEWCOMERS RELY ON WORD OF MOUTH! Do NOT worry about losing ticket sales. You have to build a reputation first. Though, I will say that it is better to give tickets out as part of a competition, rather than a strictly free give-away. People value a prize more and are more likely to use the tickets.

Facebook is probably one of the cheapest and most effective means of starting up your career as a comedian. Though, this could be done equally well through mailing lists, blogs, and the like. The point is mostly to build up your network of friends, family, workmates, and supporters, then direct that network to come to your shows. If you can get them to write about you in their blogs, even better. This works best among people in their twenties who aren’t as encumbered by life obligations such as family. I also worry that we are turning into a Tupperware sales generation where friends are merely sales opportunities. Nevertheless, the people who love you really are the best place to get a boost.

Festival Pass

The Festival pass is an amazingly important aspect of any comedian’s participation. It is pure gold for developing your career, do not waste it.

As mentioned earlier you get free entrance into the Festival club. Go to the club, buy a glass of mineral water (keep your head sharp), and chat with other comedians. Don’t just network. Just networking is boring and doesn’t get you the support of MAKING FRIENDS. I was actually offered a gig once because a venue manager saw me walk in and all the major comedians said “hi”.

Go to as many shows as possible, from the famous to the not so famous. You’re getting in free or at least at a discount, so why not? Use the opportunity to analyze what works and what doesn’t work with audiences. Pay especially close attention to people who are clearly rising stars and pinpoint what is drawing people’s attention. These are the people who will be showing you what the next wave of comedy needs to look like. Go to other newcomer shows, they need your friendly support and who knows, they may be the next big thing.

If you get nothing else out of the Comedy Festival, you should at least learn something in order to improve. The Festival pass is your magic ticket to a superb education.

Conclusions

For any newcomer wishing to put on a solo show at the Melbourne Comedy Festival: start by building a fan base and think modestly.

For the year before trial bits of your show at a diversity of venues. Put on a solo show in an outer suburb and make sure a local reviewer turns up. Offer your services to charities.  Melbourne Fringe is an outstanding place to develop a reputation. Collect email addresses on a clip board you always have on hand.  Carry cards/flyers on you and don’t be shy about talking yourself up.

Don’t expect to make money. I know, that’s a heartbreaker. But your first time is likely to be more of a learning experience than anything. That shouldn’t put you off, because every step is valid. And if you do break even or make a profit, be sure to celebrate.

Set an achievable goal that helps you to grow as a performer and feel good about yourself by the end of the Festival. These can be goals such as: better able to interact with the audience, improved improvisational skills, keeping energy levels up.

The piece of advice I would like to push most strongly is form a team of comedians. You can do sketches or just divide an hour in four or five pieces. You then get Comedy Festival visibility while spreading the load and learning at a less costly rate. Think about all the groups that went on to form television shows. Cooperation will move your career forward faster than anything else I know.

Repeatedly thank everyone who helps you with your show: crew, venue, Festival organisers, audience. They need to know their presence meant something. Feel free to throw out all my advice, if you have a strong sense something else would work better for you. Finally, be good to yourself and have fun!

Peace and kindness,

Katherine

2010 MICF Reviews, Part 4

Posted on 26 April 2010 | No responses

Claudia O’Doherty – Monster of the Deep 3D

A number of comedians trial their shows at Melbourne Fringe Festival, such as Felicia Ward in The Book of Moron and Shaolin Punk in +1 Sword. Some performers create humorous shows, which garner a large enough word of mouth and good reviews, that they make the leap into the Melbourne Comedy Festival and do well without being standup: Telia Neville’s While I’m Away. Claudia’s show is another which made the leap without being standard comedy festival fare.

The premise of the show is that Claudia is the sole survivor of an underwater experimental environment known as Aquaplex. She is now before us to give a presentation about the details of that world and its culture. The point by point lecture style provides plenty of opportunity for laughs. Claudia begins the show by noting that perhaps she isn’t the best person to be ensuring what was Aquaplex is remembered: she is merely the child of a scientist and not one herself. However, her artless presentation ends up revealing an insightful story about their everyday realities through both what is said and not said.

This show uses many familiar tropes from scifi films and cartoons in the 1970s, eg Sealab 2020 or Logan’s Run. Though I suspect it is largely based on the very real events behind Biosphere 2. Everyone enjoyed the quirky and whimsical details used to portray Aquaplex: from the flip chart to the scale model of the complex to the huge number of box dioramas with LED lights inside. Claudia certainly put a lot of work into this show.

Claudia plays an innocent from another culture to perfection. You have to be intelligent to construct such a well-developed world with all of its emotional ins and outs. You have to be intelligent to come up with so many effective comedic moments. Then to play a believably ingenuous and unaffected character without a hint of cynicism is a tour de force. She reminds me of one of my favourite comedians Gracie Allen. I hope this show gets the support to go on to places like the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Pedro Tochas – The Sculptor Clown

Pedro Tochas is an interesting addition to the Melbourne Comedy Festival. His show was produced by Australia’s beloved Adam Hills. It’s comedy, though not standup. It’s aimed squarely at a family audience. It would also do well as part of the Buskers Festival in Adelaide or a circus arts festival. However, what makes this Portuguese performer shine goes beyond his balloon sculpting and has much to do with his relationship with the audience and his ability to tell a story.

Pedro starts off with a few standard balloon figures and jokes to warm up the audience. Then when he sets up a humorous scenario where a young woman is urged to kiss him, and she (unsurprisingly) fails to do so, he launches into a scenario where in the end she will want to kiss the young man he has brought onto the stage. The fairytale he develops is easily grasped and enjoyed by all ages and all genders. The simplicity gives him room to create marvelous balloon creations and many comic moments. He masterfully kept the energy of his performance buoyant, so that any time delay from knotting up a balloon just disappeared.

Pedro Tochas is an exceptional entertainer. I hope the National Institute of Circus Arts based in Melbourne took advantage of his presence for a master class.

Josie Long – Be Honourable

I am a great fan of Josie’s work. She gives the impression of being a great big child out to savour the wonders of the world. Her earnestness is lighthearted and refreshing. Be Honourable is almost like two shows in one and might be better served by being more integrated, though both halves were enjoyable and thought-provoking.

In the first half of Josie’s show she discusses her experiences of dieting. In the process she found herself looking at pictures of food like some people look at pornography. One fellow in particular has a site where he puts up a photograph of what he had for breakfast every day. This gentleman is from the US and his breakfasts illustrate all the excesses and decadence in which some US citizens indulge. Pancakes with M&Ms seemed particularly bizarre. The delightful thing about this story is that we find out all the vulnerabilities and humanity of the man behind these breakfasts and thereby the kindly world-view held by Josie herself, drawing us all into that view.

In the second half of the show Josie speaks about the importance of doing good and becoming involved in the political process. She makes some valid humorous points here, though in the process she disparages her work as a comedian. It takes many people doing many things to have a functioning world. Most work is worthy of respect if it is done with care.

Politicians do not change the world, people change the world. Polticians tend to largely reflect the attitudes of their constituency simply in order to be in an apparent position of power. I am a US-Australian dual citizen. I’m originally from Seattle, so I receive ballots and voters pamphlets from that city in the US. No one in that city, left or right, Democrat or Republican, can get into power except if they support an environmental agenda. Therefore, Seattle has right-wing Republicans who put up initiatives to reduce the green-house emissions in that city.

When Josie told her story about the gentleman who photographed his breakfasts, she also revealed something of his life as a gay man in an area where he has to face various types of intolerance. We learned to care about him. Because we now care about him, we are more likely to want fairer laws concerning the treatment of people in non-standard relationships. Politicians will have to reflect this if they want to play at the top. Voila! Yet another way in which comedy is important to a functioning society.

Xavier Michelides is Happy By Request!

Xavier Michelides is a one man theatrical production. He spent much of his routine talking to himself in a variety of voices. The immediacy of the worlds he created in this way was magic. And as such, when he threw in a little magic realism now and again, the audience readily accepted the extra sparkle. Personally, I believe he should be shown a door marked “come in, write some sketches, shows, maybe even a film for us”. His sense of character development is superb.

Much of Xavier’s material involves common stand-up topics like the girlfriend, hanging with mates, dealing with shopkeepers, etc. Where he shines is the way in which he thinks outside the box and gives us genuinely surprising punchlines. More than one comedian has inserted “ad breaks” into their routines, often producing filmed parodies of existing ads. Xavier creates his own Seussical ads, performing them live with some sound assistance. This is one of the few times I found these performance interstitials funny and genuinely engaging.

Xavier is smooth, professional, and shows great warmth and ease on stage. His routines have the sort of clarity you get on TV from hours of careful editing…and yet he’s doing it live. If you’re going to do straight stand-up, then this is how it’s done. He deserves more media attention.

Peace and kindness,

Katherine

2010 MICF – James Dowdeswell

Posted on 16 April 2010 | No responses

James Dowdeswell in My Grandad Was A Clown And Those Are Big Shoes To Fill

James points out early in his show that (like my own brother) he has a lazy eye. However, I must point out that the lazy eye in no way impeded the many sparkles that twinkled therein. What James has in spades is twinkle-eyed charm.

It’s a valuable skill to get your audience empathising with your anecdotes. What also works well, if it’s not too self-conscious, is a gently added wink or twinkle that brings people along with what the comedian finds funny. I frequently add  a few jokes that are for as much my own amusement as that of my audience. Too much of this and it gets self-indulgent. Yet, just the right amount and you’re expanding people’s idea of what’s funny.

I would also point out that James is a big tease. I could easily have enjoyed another thirty minutes of his show in order to have certain of his anecdotes expanded upon.

He speaks about his grandfather’s life, a man who was a profesional clown and worked with Charlie Chaplin around the turn of the previous century. He then speaks briefly about his own journey toward becoming a clown. I loved his stories of childhood play-acting. He mentions he went to clown school, but then tells us very little of what that experience was like. I would LOVE to know what “pie in the face” training is like. Do they get fitted for giant shoes? And on stage he had a big red nose on his prop table that I desperately wanted to see get used. Otherwise the parallel construction of their two lives was brilliant.

The clown Olympics anecdote was stitch in the side funny. If only I could have heard more of his ideas on how clowns would fit into a variety of sporting events.

I am very fond of laid back joke telling styles. James has that delicious pacing which speaks of warmth and confidence. With the particular material of this show, I believe he could add even more exaggerated gestures and outrageous over-statement. This is what we love about the old silent comedies. In particular his re-enactment of his own opening done 1902 style could have used this. Even so it was a beautiful moment on stage giving tribute to his grandfather while demonstrating how he was carrying one family trade forward.

If you have the time, James is well worth a look-in before the comedy festival wraps up for the year.

Peace and kindness,

Katherine

2010 Melbourne International Comedy Festival Reviews, Part 3

Posted on 12 April 2010 | 1 response

Diane Spencer – Lost In The Mouth Specific

Diane is a wonder. When I saw her show she had only just come back to the mic after receiving surgery, spending several days in the hospital, and now functioning with the help of painkillers. She’s a real testament to “the show must go on”. Though I have to admit, I’m a bigger believer in the performer must go on. Take care of yourself Diane.

I expected and received no less than a smooth professional presentation with lots of laughs from Diane. Some stand-up comedians feel a little generic. They’re fun, but they are interchangeable with one another. Diane’s work bursts with personality. She has a wide enough and confident enough view on the world that she can bring an original glow to familiar situations, making them sparkle for the audience.

Anyone could grasp her poo, sex, and death jokes, but at no point did any of it feel lowest common denominator. In fact her poo story inspired many appreciative grimaces and guffaws. The secret would be how personal she made her material. I loved her “I wanna be an astronaut when I grow up” story. Perhaps because I was another little girl who weirdly drank all the Tang, ate all the protein chocolate bars, and begged for an astronaut pen for Christmas because she thought space stuff was just so cool.

I really hope next year Diane gets picked up for guest spots on Good News Week, 7pm Project, Spicks and Specks, etc. She would be great.

Adam Hills in Mess Around

The glorious thing about Adam Hills is that he genuinely likes his audiences. He’s neither trying too hard to please, nor in a fierce battle to get you to laugh. He’s there, you’re there; his attitude is: “Let’s have a good time together.” This creates a relaxed atmosphere where it’s very easy to improvise with the audience. And that’s what Mess Around is all about.

This year Adam decided to not script so much of his material and just find out what would happen if he had an extended conversation with his audience. The results are delightful. He still has a few anecdotes and themes to move things along, but they are to serve his interactions.

In the performance I attended Adam discovered that one couple attended the Sydney Gay Lesbian Mardi Gras for their anniversary. He thought that was so funny, he arranged for the husband to be camped up behind stage in order to give the wife a thrill. They both had a great time, as did the audience. Adam certainly made his point that everyone is as fun as a celebrity, given half a chance.

Learning comedians would do well to spend time going to an Adam Hills performance. His skills with rapport are superlative. It’s worth learning how to gain that vibe, because that’s what will give you long term appeal.

Denise Scott in Number 26

Denise Scott attracted an interesting audience to her show Number 26. I suppose it’s not surprising she had many women in the audience. HOWEVER, standup comedy until recently has not been considered of interest to women, and this audience had women from their teens to their eighties. The men were largely in their middle ages, but I sat next to a young man in his early twenties. It’s gorgeous seeing such a broad section of Australia coming together for a laugh. It’s also a real testament to Denise’s skill and appeal.

Number 26 is a deeply personal journey through Denise’s life from when she and her partner purchased their house (number 26), and were about to have their first child, to the present. She discusses the trials of starting out in life, dealing with her children’s illnesses, living through affairs, and finally having to move her mother to a hospice. This is the sort of stuff that can potentially grind people down to sad and/or angry husks. Her humour provides the perspective and resilience to see these dips in life through and remain available to those moments of pure joy.

Personally, I would like to see more of Denise on film or TV. She’s an Australian icon at this stage, and yet I think her style of humour would carry well to North America most certainly and possibly to Great Britain. I know I’ve had her in mind on two occasions for some screenplays of my own.

Peace,

Katherine

2010 Melbourne International Comedy Festival Reviews, Part 2

Posted on 6 April 2010 | No responses

Sammy J and Randy in Ricketts Lane

Ricketts Lane has already won several awards, received five star reviews at Edinburgh Fringe, and played a sell-out season in London’s WestEnd. It’s a fine piece of comic storytelling, illustrating a large tale with only two characters: Sammy J the tall fellow with the bottle brush hair and his pal Randy the purple-headed puppet.

Events begin with Sammy waking his room-mate and best friend Randy in order to inform him that perhaps someone has broken into the house. Sammy then paints a picture of his life as a lonely tax lawyer with no future prospects. The plot starts rolling when Sammy is given the opportunity to crack a tax fraud case.

It’s rare to see a story that takes such a Kafka-esque trajectory to events. Things start out bad, then just go to worse in a circular manner. There’s no bankable happy ending, but the humour is strong and consistent, making the show an enjoyable romp. Unlike Kafka however, this show gives a sense that perhaps this is what the characters deserve.

The night I attended this show the performers experienced a couple of technical difficulties. At one point Sammy lost his mobile phone across the stage and at another the puppeteer’s radio mic batteries ran out. I’m sure comedians may feel uncomfortable when I point things out like this, but it’s important for other comedians who are still learning. Despite the accidents of the evening, the performers managed to keep the audience on side and the story rolling.

This is no mean feat. I specifically took courses in TheatreSports in order to manage such events should I experience them. Effective improvisation skills, particularly in comedy, are an absolute necessity. Things are going to go wrong upon occasion and you need the wherewithal to cope.

A major component of improvisation is feeling confident enough in yourself and confident enough in your understanding of your character and the story that you are willing to step out and commit yourself to unscripted actions. This is not magic. It just requires practise, practise, practise. Bravo Sammy J and puppeteer Heath McIvor

Tripod in Tripod Versus The Dragon

In the last couple of years we seem to have had a spate of Dungeons & Dragons based comedy shows. Mind you, Tripod has always had a thing for this game.

These shows often spend some time explaining how the system works. It’s a geek thing. No geeks worth their salt will let you drive the technology, play the game, etc without opening the bonnet and explaining in great detail how it works (which, I suppose, is what I am doing here concerning comedy). Tripod restrained themselves a little, but honestly they could have thrown the whole surrounding “playing a game” story out and just focussed on the fantasy, which was funny enough and fulfilling enough on its own. That being said, TripodVersus The Dragon is a great show.

Tripod are very much into theatricality. They enhance their tale with the use of interesting lighting, ominous shadows, and cut-out puppets. The equipment was basic and inexpensive, but the effect was powerful. People have become so used to expensive special effects, that they have forgotten how engaging even the simplest of effects can be when coupled with a genuinely entertaining story. I regularly get complimented for the box with dry ice and a flashlight that I used for Time Titties. Comedy seems to be the last bastion of where an audience’s imagination is respected rather than spoon-fed.

Tripod’s musical skills have been improving over the years. Not only is the song writing sharp and the lyrics funny, but their harmonisations soar. The addition of Elana Stone as another singer/actor to their story was a superior choice. She nearly upstaged the boys with her effortless smoky vocals. She certainly had the audience crowing for more. As a comedian if you can write songs, I would say go for it. A one-liner loses it’s interest once people know the punchline. A funny song with a catchy tune can be listened to over and over again.

Finally, I am particularly impressed with how much maturity Scod, Gatesy, and Yon brought to their characters. Our culture needs better stories. We’ve been stuck in “might makes right”, even when it’s from the underdog, for too long. Gatesy’s lament at having killed an orc is marvellous. Scod’s wizard character regretting the horrible consequences of following his desire for power is a relief. And Yon’s humorously wise nudges just rounds things off. I also like the message that perhaps being a bard is better than being a fighter.

Peace and kindness,

Katherine

2010 Melbourne International Comedy Festival Reviews, Part 1

Posted on 4 April 2010 | No responses

Josh Earl vs. the Australian Women’s Weekly Children’s Birthday Cake Book

Josh is another Gen Y charmer who has given cynicism the boot. His relationship with the Australian Women’s Weekly Children’s Birthday Cake Book is one of pure joy: joy at the anticipation of having a cool cake for his birthday, joy at the hilarious family events surrounding making said cakes. He moves smoothly from story to original songs to multimedia presentations, keeping the pace light and breezy. At no moment does the energy in his show lag.

I was especially impressed with Josh’s effective use of technology. I have seen a number of comedians working multimedia elements into their shows with varying results. Often the show loses its warmth, its focus, and has a choppy feeling to it. I also feel that if I wanted that much multimedia, I would have stayed at home in front of my TV or computer. When I pay money for a live show, I expect to connect with a real human being.

At one point in the show Josh creates a situation where he is apparently calling his mother live in order to talk about her cakes. Scripting and execution are so seamless, you could almost swear this is a real event. This is when technology is used as it should be for a theatrical performance.

I hope I will continue to see live performances from Josh Earl in the future. I also believe TV producers should take note of this young talent and get him on as a writer. He understands the realities of telling a story that is both warm and full of spectacle.

Sarah Bennetto in The King and I

Sarah Bennetto is a storyteller par excellence. She does not impress one as the stereotypical storyteller, but she keeps her audiences on the edge of their seats. Last night she regaled us with her story about actually being invited to a party held by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace.

Her adventures and misadventures were hilarious, but I would say her sense of wonder, character, and drama were what kept everyone keen to find out what happens next. It was lovely meeting through Sarah’s words the Welsh gentleman who regularly wrote in to her little show on SkyTV. I loved the palace butler who did his best to calm her nerves and introduce her into the party. And our wildcard gentleman who worked at the Australian Consulate provided some of the best punchlines.

When I took a course in standup in Adelaide, the instructor explicitly forbade us to tell stories, because he said they didn’t work as comedy: people only want one-liners. At the time I was flabbergasted. What about Bill Cosby or Garrison Keillor? Storytelling may indeed have fallen out of fashion for a time and certainly doesn’t work as well at comedy theatres that specialise in hens and bucks nights. However, it is coming back. London has storytelling clubs now and in Melbourne we have Willow Tales at Willow Bar (one of my very favourite venues).

I first met Sarah at Jeez Louise women’s comedy conference last year. Because of that meeting I returned to comedy with a story. I was overjoyed to finally see her perform this year. She is an active proponent of this art form and deserves respect for her support of others as well as her own fine performances.

Kent Valentine in Fablemonger

Kent Valentine is another storyteller. Though, rather than a single sustained story, he tells a string of inter-related stories that are made cohesive by a strong theme.

This sort of storytelling can be a lot of fun because you can weave in sub-plots, running gags, even use your mosaic of tales to develop your own or others characters. In this case we get a series of snapshots of what it’s like to be an Australian family man in London.

Kent’s performance is smooth and professional. We get a sense from his very first words that we are in safe hands. Part of this comes from learning early on that he is quite a humane character. I find nothing wrong with a comedian venting some spleen, but that spleen can become outright misanthropic and unpleasant in the wrong hands. Kent can blow some steam and we all just appreciatively nod. I would say, he should probably re-think his computer game story, since the ending doesn’t lead to the usual Kent wisdom. But overall here’s someone I would have a cup of tea with any old time.

Andy Muirhead in Saturday Night at the Library

I am a great fan of Andy Muirhead’s The Collectors on ABC. It’s such a jovial way to end the week. His Saturday Night at the Library wasn’t what I expected, but was nonetheless another delightfully jovial end to the week.

I have to admit I was expecting to be led on a tour of the amazing collections at the State Library. He would tell us something fascinating about various objects while throwing in several jokes. Evidentally, he is doing this for the museum tours and brought some of the jokes from that event over to our own.

What we were treated to was a year in the life of Andy Muirhead, and it was an endearingly intimate journey. He brings amiability, ingenuousness, and vulnerability to his comedy. Those are qualities that remain fresh with audiences. We could all feel the hurt when he spoke about breaking up with his girlfriend, and sympathise largely because he’s generous enough to not vilify the woman, but simply bemoans the vicissitudes of life. His presentation was clean and unforced. At no point did he seem to skip a beat. This was a very polished performance.

After the show I hung around because my friend Janet just happened to be there. Andy bemoaned the fact that he had accidentally missed bits. It’s delightful to hear these sorts of things, because it just points out how at times we are too hard on ourselves as comedians. Perfection in memory and perfection in performance are not the same thing. If you forget a bit, but flow on with what’s working, no one but you ever notices, and you can still bring down the house.

Peace and kindness,

Katherine

Bart Freebairn in:
A Breathtakingly Magical Journey into the Ordinary

Posted on 1 April 2010 | No responses

I have noticed on this blog that many people look up my reviews for the big name comedians, but not so much for the up and comers. This is a shame.

I love watching the pros at work and I will continue to review them when I can. It’s highly instructive to analyse what’s working for someone who is at the top of their form. HOWEVER, these people don’t need my publicity.

The upcomers are the ones who will pour their guts out to give you a good show. They are accessible and friendly. It’s also great to make friends with them now, so you can say you knew them when…  Your support ensures in the years to come we will have new innovative performers who keep us entertained, not boring reruns of the same old stuff that’s no longer funny.

Your willingness to experiment and watch even one new act each comedy festival goes a long way toward supporting Australia’s vibrant comedy industry. So please, please read the reviews for the little guys and give someone a go.

Bart Freebairn I would say is on the medium-rare side of things. He’s still working his way up the ladder, but he’s been around and has a following. His show A Breathtakingly Magical Journey into the Ordinary is anything but ordinary. During his performance he asked if any of us had the “Magic happens” sticker. Really he should be selling “Magic is where you find it” stickers. Perspective is everything, and he demonstrates this with his charming and quirky stories about life, childhood, and family.

The show starts with a white-bearded wizard sitting on the stage in a pose similar to an arcade oracle machine. He plays an electronic organ in a mystically menacing manner, then serves to provide a dramatic entrance for our comedic hero. Clearly Bart is fashioning himself as the Harry Potter that didn’t go to Hogwarts. Throughout the rest of the show the wizard provides a nice counter-point to Bart’s reflections and insights.

Felicity Ward uses the same dramatic trope in her show The Book of Moron. Only she has a friend playing a dog who lays at her feet as she reads her stories. As a comedian, if you can get someone to fulfill this sort of role for your show, go for it.

At the last minute I was able to do the same for Strange Blessings. The advantages are: you have an extra set of hands to help you set up and take down your show, someone actively responding to your work in a postive and/or useful manner can add warmth to your performance, the spare person can also cue the audience in how to respond and serve as their surrogate without recourse to heckling. I would also say that it’s GREAT having someone with whom you can commiserate when a show doesn’t go to plan or numbers are low on a Tuesday night.

I suspect Bart will be doing very well in the future. Gen Y seems to have a very particular taste in their comedy, which is only just beginning to assert itself. No doubt TV and and films will begin to reflect this in about five years time. I say five years because big media tends to play chicken with new trends and waits for someone else to blink and give something different a try.

Bart’s comedy shows an understanding of the harsh realities of life and yet focuses on the whimsical. We all have to laugh and play, if we are going to successfully make it through life. We all have to cultivate big imaginations, if we are going to come up with the solutions that will make life even a little bit better. I love this stuff. Hurrah Gen Y!

Bart talks about trying to magically move things with his mind, but that doesn’t bring the smile to his and our hearts as does the tiny acts of kindness his grandfather showed toward the physical difficulties his grandmother faced. That’s a special kind of magic.

I can highly reccommend A Breathtakingly Magical Journey into the Ordinary. It’s full of charm and wit. I’m also deeply grateful to Bart for his promotion at the end of his show for the up and coming comedians. Thank you.

Peace,

Katherine

Melbourne International Comedy Festival: Strange Blessings

Posted on 25 March 2010 | No responses

Woohoo!

The comedy festival has begun and I am in it!

Strange Blessings is the story of the Blessington Community Variety Show. Every year Blessington holds a show where the citizens strut their stuff: the librarian reads her saucy poetry, the plumber shows off his skills at air guitar, and Lord Mayor Frank the Bunny-Eared Angel demonstrates that his toes are indeed twinkly, performing a dance number with the mistress of ceremonies. This year something special happens when two of the performers discover true love.

Please be sure to join me at POP Restaurant and Bar 68 Hardware Lane, Melbourne CBD, 24 March–17 April 6-7pm Tues-Sat. Tickets through Ticketmaster outlets or call 1300 66 00 13, Comedyfestival.com.au.

You can find more information on the comedy festival site or my own Strange Blessings site.

Peace and Kindness,

Katherine

PS: Kiki and Mbulu are back!

Sisters

Posted on 23 February 2010 | No responses

Well! It looks like Frank Woodley and I are sisters. I hope you laugh as hard as I did when I noticed the similarity in these photos. Perhaps we’re using the same photographer.

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