Glove and Boots follows the thoughts, insights, and adventures of a group of puppets. The two lead puppets are Fafa the groundhog, and Mario, a red, bearded fellow. Their delivery is more Crow and Tom Servo of Mystery Science Theater 3000 than The Muppets. Their humour is squarely aimed at a grown up audience who still enjoy a bit of whimsy and chaos.

Big media loves their storytelling formulas. Large sums of money are being invested, so they want surefire winners. The problem is they get safe, bland, and forgetable stories. So when something like Glove and Boots comes along playing both with and outside these formulas, the laughter is long and loud. Surprise is key to comedy. You drop the formulas, you get more surprise. I love not knowing what’s coming next and being delighted when I get there.

The below selection is my favourite episode from the blog. Pay close attention to the paraphernalia in the room. They place a lot of running gags and referential jokes in the background.

Peace and kindness,

Katherine

I attended the matinee. So, I was surrounded by school-age children. Kids can be the acid test as to whether a show is working, since they only respond when something genuinely interests them. Clearly much of the show emphasized an adult aesthetic. They used balletic choreography, stylised storytelling, artistic costuming, and atmospheric lighting. However, they did not lose their young viewers. They just added to the “cool” factor as each performer demonstrated their physical prowess. This is the basis for Cirque de Soleil‘s success: it engages people of all ages.

I was pleased these graduates were taught that circus is not just physical demonstration. We aren’t watching the Olympics. Circus is all about performance. Therefore, most show segments set up a dramatic situation which contextualised their physical activities. One example was Emma Shepherd’s vignette about escaping a war-zone, and therefore needing to twist and turn and balance on a suspended net. Mind you, even simple hoop acts or juggling were made dramatic by “accidentally” missing a jump or dropping a ball at the beginning. So when the performer is about to attempt a more virtuosic stunt, the audience feels tension as to whether or not they can succeed—and feel elated when they do.

Particularly shrewd was how a number of the graduates made use of character projection. When a performer projects a particular character, the audience relates to them as a human being, not just a moving body. Their character may be stereotypical, but they are recognisable and the audience makes an empathetic connection. When Vanessa McGregor pours on the lighthearted allure in her burlesque trapeze act, the last thing you want to see is her falling. So every success in her series of moves is our success.

Character projection is even more important for those graduates who were studying clowning. These are the people who get to fall down. If you don’t care about them, then you will be unconcerned when they fall, and not see the humour when they bounce back up. Reuben Zalme did a superb job of illustrating character in his mime act. Struggling with his wayward puppet-hand, we were delighted by the story that unfolded and what it said about his (and his hand’s) persona. The kids rightfully went nuts for Staniforth Ricketson’s Tarzan act. Tosha Tharp-Kindley could explore this area further. She has a beautifully expressive face and would make an outstanding comedian.

The one notable omission in this show was audience participation. You can have a sexy, thrilling, deeply aesthetic show and still find moments where you actively engage your audience. CircusOz are experts at this. Certainly, talking to and guiding your audience is not an easy skill, but it is a common part of many circus acts and these graduates are going to have to use it at some point in their career.

So many of the cast in Circus Showcase 2011 showed talent and promise that I will probably get into trouble for not mentioning everyone. Takayuki Seki was exceptionally attention grabbing with his juggling ninja act. His grand fall at the beginning was breathtaking. Julian White, Brian Talaga, and Jennifer Simon all ooze charm. Jessica Niven’s swinging trapeze act was the perfect attention grabber for bringing the children into the show. In all we saw seventeen performers showcased whose skills were polished to a fine professional gloss. It’s no wonder we’ve been seeing an explosion of circus in Melbourne. Congratulations graduates!

Peace and kindness,

Katherine

For the moment The Shelf is only running an October season, but may go on to further seasons. I hope it does. The city has a number of comedy venues. Most of them are fun. Few are what I would describe as classy. I would place The Shelf in the realm of casual classy: you can still tell the odd off-colour joke, but if you threw in a joke about Emmanuel Kant, no one would blink. Except, they might call you an arty Melbourne wanker, which people were claiming to be last night anyway. I loved it.

The Shelf works hard to create a solid balance in how people present their comedy. The first segment of the show was left open to semi-improvised material. The second segment involved set routines. The final segment was Adam’s sprightly trivia quiz. This gave each segment a clear and distinct purpose. The variations kept things interesting. The improvisation kept things fresh. The set routines ensured the end product was tight and professional.

The only weak spot, I found, was the open three way discussion among Adam, Justin, and one of their guests. Somebody needed to be designated as the moderator, because at times the discussion became muddy, and it was hard to hear everyone’s jokes.

I was exceptionally impressed with the obvious effort to ensure we had a good blend of performers to enjoy. We had gay, female, and male comedians all in one night. To knock the whole thing up another notch, it would be wonderful to see some ethnic performers thrown into the mix. Even this much blend created a tangible geniality that made for a happy audience.

The night’s stars included The European Man, Tegan Higginbotham, Steven “Gatesy” Gates, Wil Anderson, and Denise Scott. I feel like a proud parent with Tegan. I remember seeing her early shows and it is so much fun watching her comedy mature. Gatesy proved that he is a comedy force to be reckoned with outside of Tripod. I loved his song about the Sydney Olympics. Wil and Denise were great fun as always. The European Man was my surprise hit of the night. I hope he repeats his routine about a cat interviewing for a corporate position sometime. My jaw hurt from laughing.

The Shelf is a neat package. Despite claims by Justin that it would never make it on TV, I believe the reverse is true. It’s lively, it’s fresh, and has broad appeal. Keep it going you guys! To catch the final show and keep informed of any further seasons check out The Shelf website.

Peace and kindness,

Katherine

I feel lucky to have caught the shows I did this year at Fringe. I always find something to enjoy; this year’s festival managed to attract several particularly exceptional works. Simon’s Ten Things was amongst these.

Ten Things I Know About You plays with psychology, language, life-skills, and relationships. With dollops of creamy science, we are also served sprinklings of emotional insight, coated in a complex sauce of performance skills.

I enjoyed the fact that this was an intelligent show without being condescending. I find it a delight and a relief when science is presented with a sense of wonder, rather than as a blunt object used to scold naughty children. Simon’s myth time segments were both amusing and enlightening. Though, perhaps a little explanation might have given them more impact. Why did we once believe that people used only 10% of their brains? How much do we actually use?

I enjoyed the stories and characters Simon built to demonstrate points about morality, attraction, and inconsistency. His vignette about dealing with street-side car window washers rang true, and demonstrated how we could be both moral and immoral in a single situation. Funnier still was his portrayal of a barista breaking down due to choice overload.

I enjoyed the smooth skill and professionalism he brought to every element of his performance. His dancing was of a fine calibre and kept the show energy high. His spoken word rant about language would fly at any poetry slam. His magic skills were easily of television quality. His electric guitar playing, singing, and original songs were well executed. Perhaps most memorable was his ditty about the psycho-biological reasons for why we fall in love…the punchline to which delivered his biggest laugh of the evening.

Previously, Simon Taylor had been performing as a magician. I’m glad he shifted to comedy. He has a lot more to say about life than perhaps a magic show could encompass. He also has a lot more creativity than could be stuffed into a single skill-set. Sometimes when a show is a little too slick and the performer a little too self-assured, the warmth is sucked out and it loses appeal. Simon brings empathy and understanding to his work, giving it depth.

Ten Things I know About You is of international quality and needs to be taken to Edinburgh Fringe and from there to London. Even though Simon could make money on cruise ships, I would be happier seeing him tour as a stage show to many cities. New York Fringe would have him, Montreal and San Francisco would love him.

This is something I wrote in my journal in response to the show and a conversation I heard with an audience member afterward.

Hold your skepticism lightly, so that it doesn’t slip into cynicism. Instead, cast a discerning eye at all people, recognising that no one has a corner on truth, nor is utterly devoid of truth—rather we all partake in the uncertainty of humanity. Most importantly, though you may find evolutionary, biological, and chemical reasons for kindness, it is still a real thing. In a world where we will all have to face pain and grief, kindness helps hold our lives together.

Peter and Paisley Present Two Knights Only

Melbourne Fringe is all about new creators testing their wings. Not everything is going to be stellar, but creators get the chance to create, be seen, and learn. I love the richness of creativity that goes on at this level. My blog would probably gain more attention if I focussed primarily on the big name comedians, and certainly these are people from whom we want to learn. But it is so exciting discovering and nurturing new talent. I must be a hipster at heart.

Peter Hayward and Sean Collins, the creator/performers of Peter and Paisley Present Two Knights Only, show a lot of raw energy and raw talent. They demonstrate depths of inspiration in generating one interesting unique idea after another, after another.

Their show is about a pair of knights who must engage in a tournament so as to win the hand of a princess, thereby saving the kingdom from the clutches of an evil baron. With this basic structure in place they then fill in the gaps with improvisation and audience interaction.

They were wise to give themselves clear building blocks for their comedy. One show I caught this festival did not give themselves a safety net of this sort, and floundered badly. Peter and Sean did flounder at points, but were always able to work their way back to the story spine, keeping the energy of their show moving along.

Also good was their smooth accepting of “offers” from one another. When Peter came up with an idea on stage, Sean would take that idea and build upon it. Peter would then act on any additions Sean made. And so on, back and forth. This is the core of first-rate improvisation.

Our culture is used to experiencing only finished products and doesn’t often engage in process. Worse, manufacturers have convinced people that owning tools is the equivalent to having any talent or skill. This makes it difficult when young people see performers such as The Pajama Men and assume these guys are doing their improvisation strictly off the cuff.

The finest improvisers have years of practise behind them. Many have learned their techniques from Keith Johnstone’s TheatreSports. It may look like these people are pulling stories from thin air, and in part they are, they also have a performance toolbox in their head that ensures they will usually come up with something coherent and entertaining.

For a first time out Sean and Peter did an admirable job. The audience was behind them and laughing along with their jokes. They also need to learn how to effectively direct their energy in order to lift their performance. The two of them have chemistry and charisma. They have a vibe somewhere between Lano & Woodley and The Mighty Boosh.

I would strongly suggest Peter and Sean seek out mentors. They have what it takes to build up a comedy career. If they feel improvising is their thing, then they should take up TheatreSports courses. If they are interested in pursuing more scripted works, speak to me. I was a university lecturer and post-graduate supervisor in creative writing for seven years and just happen to be in the wild again. Besides, I think you owe me a cup of tea for spilling red wine on my favourite cream corduroy pants.

Finally, performers shouldn’t let reviews on a first show daunt them. Peter and Paisley Presents received another review that I wish I could have helped negate sooner. You are learning. You are lucky to be receiving reviews at this stage in your career. Personally, I believe that it’s irresponsible journalism to stick the boot into new performers, particularly in a venue meant to incubate beginning talent. Having seen many shows at Melbourne Fringe and Melbourne Comedy Festival, yours was genuinely an impressive first go.

Peace and kindness,

Katherine

In Search of Atlantis is something of a folk operetta. Much like Gilbert’s “topsy-turvy” style, it begins with the absurd premise that a couple of outback archeologists could possibly find an Atlantean artifact in the swamps of north Melbourne, then takes things to their “logical” conclusion by travelling to Egypt and thence to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis. The story is liberally sprinkled with Irish-Australian styled folk songs.

Had this show been purely a theatrical work, it still would have been a delightfully diverting evening of fine comic acting. Kai Smythe, the tall adult character, has a lot of fun with accents. Tim Mager, the shorter more child-like character, shows superb commitment to character and situation, making his emotional world real to the audience. They successfully perform in parallel without upstaging one another. An amazing feat, particularly for comedians, who don’t always know how to share the stage.

Had this show been purely a musical work, it would also have been an evening of real melodic pleasure. Comedies sometimes get away with mediocre tunes, so long as the lyrics are clever. Mager & Smythe have written beautiful songs, almost too good for the nature of their story (a comment sometimes made of Sullivan’s work in combination with Gilbert). The tunes are memorable, the two-part harmonies are well conceived and equally well sung, the acoustic guitar and mandolin playing was done with precise skill. I have to admit that I was taken by Kai’s delicious baritone voice. My main complaint would be, why weren’t they selling CDs of the music? This is an excellent way to bring in cash, but also to encourage more people to see the show because they had heard a song or two from a friend.

Though their characters and the comedy may be a bit rough upon occasion, the show was not. It was polished to a fine patina. In particular I enjoyed the Motown professionalism and exactitude of their dance choreography. I also appreciated the thought that went into some of the comic bits. Pulp fiction blithely destroys entire peoples, because we are to assume that they are all equally bad. This is old-fashioned xenophobia that doesn’t play well in our networked world. So the moment when Tim at least questions the destruction of Atlantis is a refreshing one.

The show did leave me wondering: if it’s set in 1910, where was Halley’s comet?

Mager & Smythe’s In Search of Atlantis is a superb show and will be going places. Catch it now, before they start selling out!

Peace and kindness,

Katherine

I’m a long time comic book nerd. From childhood I was a big fan of Spiderman and now continue to read comics such as Flight or Girl Genius. I can tell when someone is faking the comic aesthetic, because they hope it will sell. I can also tell when someone knows the genre well enough to intelligently play with tropes, rather than sinking into cliché.

Bullet pulls off an impressive feat by combining all the best comic book cheesiness that a mainstream audience understands with some innovative storytelling.

The story follows superhero Bullet who has the power to shoot mind bullets. His duty is to protect Settlement City from an array of villains such as Dostoyana Ursine, The Critic, Skyhook, and MechaRed. Repeatedly he is put into classic comic book situations and repeatedly events roll-out contrary to the stereotypical.

Foiling people’s expectations is an excellent way to create comedy, and the writers use this to its full extent. They also leave the audience guessing. Excitement is generated and people are on the edge of their seats wondering, what’s next?

Bullet is presented as a radio play. Performers are dressed in black and seated before a line of microphones. Rather than live foley, they opted for professionally designed digital sound effects and music by Risk Sound. The results were impressive and added to a smooth professional package.

Slight costume touches are used to suggest each actor’s characters. The person speaking as the radio announcer wore a diagonally striped tie. The person playing the bear-like Russian villain had bright communist red hair, lipstick, and fingernails. Though no one wandered around stage, the actors still enhanced their vocal performances with facial expressions and select miming. So, it is well worth seeing Bullet, rather than waiting for radio broadcast.

All of the actors were on top of their game. They easily evoked the situation with their voices and carried the comic superhero tone. That is no mean feat. I have auditioned far too many actors who think they are going to do some comedy, “for a bit of fun.” Comic acting is a skill like any other, and requires practise and commitment. Of particular note are Louise McCrae and Nicholas Barker-Pendree. Their character projection and comic timing were superb.

You don’t get an effective comic team like this every day. The writing was tight. The directing showed a laser like precision in paring things down to their funniest and most evocative. The actors shared a solid collaborative energy that made the stage world believable. I would strongly suggest this group forms an ensemble and do more things together. It’s one of the surer paths to television and film.

Helmsman Pete: Postcards from the Edge of the World

Pete Reid is the writer and performer of this delicious piece of surreality. I enjoy watching works that aren’t essentially comedy, but still rely upon it for their storytelling. Sometimes I find new ideas that haven’t been exploited yet by the comedy mainstream. Helmsman Pete didn’t disappoint.

Pete takes us into a world inspired by a series of postcards with stories on the back. Stories range from a new take on the Pygmalion myth of ancient Greece to humanity’s first communication with alien life at SETI. In between we have a number of tales set in the American frontier.

I loved the otherworldliness Pete brought to this show. We had no doubt we were in the land of “once upon a time”. The stories had the grandeur, larger-than-life-likeness, and absurdity of fairytales. Woven through the show were songs Pete had written himself. Pete’s effortless baritone voice could make the Playschool theme song sound like a fine mix between opera and the blues. Impressive.

One of the things I enjoyed about Pete’s performance, from which comedians could learn, was how much he trusted his audience. He confidently gave his best, and just as confidently expected people to meet him halfway. The manner in which he did this showed respect for the audience’s intelligence and imagination.

The only tweak I would suggest to the performer is perhaps reduce the sheer volume of props. Some were fun, too many started to diffuse people’s attention and caused you to fumble a little trying to find and use them.

I am so glad I had the opportunity to see Helmsman Pete: Postcards from the Edge of the World. I look forward to seeing more from Pete Reid.

Peace and kindness,

Katherine

The evening begins with her strongest puppet character: Kitty. Kitty, as the name suggests, is a cat puppet. She’s appealing to look at, she also has a sweet disgruntled personality. The rapport between Sarah and Kitty was natural and entertaining. The jokes flowed easily from the comic situation: Kitty had been a neglected toy.

After Kitty, Sarah moves onto demonstrations of vocal virtuosity, magic tricks, and comic gimmicks. One of my favourite moments was when she began turning pieces of laundry into unusual costumes and puppets based on Star Wars.

Much of this was standard ventriloquist fare, and a lovely bit of fun. Sarah also seemed to be stretching for more. I would like to encourage her to keep following this path.

Woven through the show was Sarah’s story about being a strange child and how it lead to her current career. She punctuated sections of her show with the sniping of mean girls from her childhood. After awhile I found the sniping distracting rather than adding to her performance arc. However, I think Sarah’s instinct was right. Her show could go from good to great with more storytelling.

I hate saying this, her puppets’s stories are always going to be more interesting than her own. It’s just the nature of humanity to be drawn into the magic of puppetry. The story that should have been followed was that of Kitty. Kitty’s plight was fun, funny, and affecting. She had a well-developed personality and back-story. I wanted more.

Sarah Jones is whimsy for adults. If you want to see something that will brighten your day, see Does Not Play Well with Others.

Peace and kindness,

Katherine

“The” is structured something like a lifestyle show with themed segments and musical segues, which include Alasdair’s smooth dance moves and a punchy reminder of the show title. For those not doing story-based comedy, this is an excellent way to develop your material and maintain audience interest. Alasdair keeps things engaging and buoyant.

Though I do not remember the precise titles of his segments, the material evolved from questions of guilt to experiments in vice and finally the getting of wisdom. These are the classic stops in a spiritual journey, only in this case they were turned on their heads and played with for all the ridiculousness they were worth.

In the guilt segment Alasdair spoke about feeling he should be a vegetarian. It’s no good killing things. However, he explained he feels worse about a dead person than a dead animal. Alasdair then went into a long description about how he might feel particularly badly about an animal being killed, if he found a possum with a little possum home where he found it had been painting little possum portraits and then it died. The whimsicality, imagination, and pure absurdity of his extended metaphors brought something fresh and new to comedy.

Alasdair does range from the light-hearted to the dark corners of human behaviour. Good shows will weave together the diversity of human experience in a way that makes the material dynamic and honest. Though, if that range is too great, you can start losing cohesiveness and focus to your work. I was concerned that “The” stretched too far. We almost had two shows and two styles of material competing for attention here.

Comedians early in their careers may find this happens frequently. We are all trying to discover our voice. Alasdair’s strongest material would group him with comedians such as Bart Freebairn, Josh Earl, and Adam Hills. He seems pulled toward a Dylan Moran style upon occasion, which can be fun. But I’m not certain how compatible the two styles really are.

I caught “The” on its opening night (without previews) at Melbourne Fringe. Alasdair did have a cheat sheet, he did fumble a little, but wow, it was still a great night out. He’s a talented young man. If you’re a hipster, you MUST see him now, so you can say you knew him when…

Peace and kindness,

Katherine

Demitri certainly had a good relationship with his audience the night I went to see his show at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne. He impresses me as a comedy introvert. These are people who aren’t in your face. Their stage presence is unassuming, but their material and delivery still produces the laughs. People such as Steven Wright, Emo Phillips, and Garrison Keillor are all comedy introverts.

Many comedy instructors will insist an extravert persona is the only one that will sell to an audience. Certainly many favourites have been exceptionally “booyah”. Robin Williams and Jim Carrey come to mind. I too prefer a hyper-active monkey over an acerbic wit. And yet something can be said for humour that can be savoured, perhaps even heard with relish more than once.

Demitri brings charm and ingenuousness to the stage. I felt like I was engaging with a real human being, and not just a goofy persona. When someone asked Demitri how his family felt about his career, he spoke with an honesty that reflected his feelings of frustration and disappointment, and still found something funny in it all.

He provided a real lesson in how to use comedy to cope, rather than using it to vent spleen. To his parents’s accusatory question, “Do you think you’re better than us?” He responded, “Mom, Dad, I tell fart jokes for a living.”

This tour he chose to experiment with doing more improvisation. A brave decision, one I think he should continue to pursue. He was a little rough in the beginning. In fact he was so shy in his offer to answer questions that the audience was equally shy in responding, but in the end he delivered something intimate and memorable.

The sort of material for which he is most recognised, as seen in his TV show Important Things with Demitri Martin, was all there: his drawing pad, the crazy lists, numerous musical instruments, and a stream of non sequitur one-liners.

The funny thing about his material is that it all seemed equally charming because of his delivery style. And yet, some of the humour was quite dark, people just didn’t take it as such. His intent was clearly light-hearted, and so these remarks just seemed absurd or ironic. I think many of the Muppeteers have forgotten this about Jim Henson’s work with Kermit. Kermit wasn’t all sweetness and light, you just felt that way about him, because you could see the bigger picture.

I left the theatre that night going nuts thinking, this is the kind of comedy I want to do. Comedy that is gently real, that doesn’t shrink from humanity and yet still sparkles. Granted Demitri was more in the realm of one-liners and I would like to do more storytelling, but that feeling of happy geniality at the end of a good show…that’s priceless. The Henson people really should be hiring Demitri Martin to write their stuff. His sensibility is spot on. Go see his show if you have the chance, he’s a treasure.

Peace and kindness,

Katherine

So how do “birds suddenly appearing” make it possible to discuss your domestic life?

Megan: Recently I ran into a childhood friend who said, “All I remember from your house is that song ‘why do birds suddenly appear’ and your mum vacuuming.” My mum spoke to the house budgie more civilly and openly than I’ve ever heard her talk to a human. Often she would use the budgie as a behavioural role model for us kids. I knew I could never compete. I hated Trill.

My Nana spent all her days in a kitchen, alone, making jam and gruffing affectionately at a bunch of pigeons out her window. My Nana hated most people. But loved those filthy birds.

The Carpenters were always playing in these two houses. As a result I have had the song “Close To You” on repeat in my head my whole life.

If we step into your police box we can visit my recent share houses – where we find people who seem to have had their wings clipped and spend their days cooped up, not leaving the house for hatred of mankind, following vampire actors on Twitter, waiting for 2012 to end it all, managing sim families, competing to be the most spiritual, stealing my food, and doing the downward dog in front of a TV that constantly plays Nip n Tuck. Phew!

I hold my life’s theme song “Close To You” responsible for all the above events. Guess you’ll have to come see the show to see why.

Do you find the humour you ferret out of difficult situations helps you to cope? Or perhaps at least gets it out of your head?

Megan: You could look at it and say I was born into a difficult situation and chose comedy as a coping mechanism.

But my whole life has been spent attracting odd situations and characters. I love it!

Sometimes I meet people, then I will be going about life when suddenly they have taken over my entire psyche. I feel their facial expressions, their voice, their movement. In order to get them out, I must BE them or write a show about them.

Perhaps this is just an extreme way of finding empathy for people.

I always wonder how humour about family or people to whom you are close affects those relationships. What sort of impact has it had for you?

Megan: I spent my childhood imitating my mum when we had visitors. My mum would laugh heartily and then once everyone had gone home, she would ground me for it.

My Nana can’t complain coz she’s dead. Honestly – my Nana wouldn’t love nor hate to know she’s made it to the stage. She’d just say “Oh yeah” and tell me what Bruce and Phillip said the other night. She is a character who is always in me. My absolute favorite.

The rest I just block on Facebook. LOL ‘n’ such.

You seem to enjoy character comedy. Do you feel that you can say more when you are playing someone other than yourself?

Megan: I feel I can express things about life that I don’t nessassarily feel/relate to, and present different ideals and belief systems which aren’t my own. When I am exploring a concept/person I like to explore it every way possible. Characters are the best vehicles for this.

Do you actually like The Carpenters? What do you particularly like or dislike about their music?

Megan: When I was growing up I felt morbidly depressed listening to song lyrics such as “there’s nothing to do but frown” and “no one even cares if I should live or die” etc. It was certainly a strange soundtrack to live my childhood to.

For this show I have accidently made myself into a closet obsessed fan! I have been walking around with Karen on my iPod feeling empowered, then close to tears, and then like laughing ridiculously. There is something very magically emotional and epic about their songs and yet quite awful. I have fallen into a love/hate relationship and there is simply no middle ground.

Karen’s voice and lyrics are loaded with loneliness which is no suprise, if you consider her life and demise. They are the perfect soundtrack for the events that take place in my show.

When so many comedians rely on guitars and keyboards, it’s awesome you’ve been able to collaborate with a drummer. Could you tell me a little about Dan Violato: how you joined forces, how she enhances the show?

Megan: Dan and I joined forces in the forces of love. She has been drumming for a wee while, this will be her debut show.

For this show I wanted a raw/organic soundtrack that was happening in front of the audience. I wanted to create a sense of immediacy, and so Dan will be shaking, banging, and scratching all sorts of things to make this happen. Also I felt it would be cool to have a female drummer – in honour of Karen starting her career as a female drummer. This was less common in her time.

Are we getting any of your poetry in this show?

Megan: There is still a chance that I’ll connect with the wanna be rapper inside and write a tribute to Karen.

And the surreal question of the interview: which would you rather be and why – a chocolate donut lightly sprinkled with cat fur or a piece of duck tape?

Megan: Cat fur stuck to duck tape stuck to the donut – to make people wonder.

Where and when can we see you at the Melbourne Fringe Festival?

Cape Live Upstairs
Corner Brunswick & Johnston Street, Fitzroy
8:30pm 29th-30th September, 1st-2nd October, 6th-8th October
Tickets at door or from Melbourne Fringe.

Peace and kindness,

Katherine

PS: I like doing interviews, because I can then sit back and enjoy a show without worrying about what I am going to say in review. However after seeing it, I must say, Meg’s show Close to You is a delight and deserves a few extra words. She projects charm, warmth, and authenticity. Her character portrayals of family and housemates are laugh out loud funny and memorable. I enjoy her use of props, such as the squeaky toy meat. She’s still a developing artist, and I see a bright future for her work.