At only twenty years of age, Tommy Dassalo is somewhat of a veteran of the Melbourne comedy circuit, making his third Melbourne International Comedy Festival appearance in 2007. “The Groggy Squirrel” threw this young gun some questions about his new show, “Tommy Dassalo – The Third Guy”.
Tell me about “The Third Guy”.
‘The Third Guy’ is basically me getting jiggy with history. It’s a look at the lives of people who’ve done brilliant, world changing things… but for one reason or another, no-one knows who they are. I think all of us have a desire to leave behind some kind of mark on the universe, but if someone who landed on the moon can’t even do it, than what hope do the rest of us have? Well, I hope to find out! You’ll learn about all sorts of cool people who you never knew about, as well as some more modern examples who nearly made it into the history books (including an interview with a failed 80’s pop star – for real!)
You were directed by Adrian Calear for this show, someone you’ve worked with in the past. Is there a difference between working with someone you’re used to as compared to working with fresh blood?
It’s nice working with someone you’ve worked with in the past, because it makes the initial stages a lot easier. This is the third show of mine that Adrian’s directed, and the second solo show, so by now we both know how each other likes to work, and what to expect going in, which meant we could really hit the ground running and get the best out of our ideas. I’m really proud of how the show’s turned out, it feels like some of my best work.
Last year’s festival saw you bring us a theatrically based piece in “I Heart Racism” whereas the Melbourne Fringe Festival saw you appear in a more straightforward stand up piece. Where does “Third Guy” sit in this spectrum?
The Third Guy is closer to my Fringe show in that it’s stand up based, but there is a touch more theatre to it, as I’m telling stories about these people, and often breaking into character to relate their stories. There’s an overall journey to the whole show, and a narrative, so it has some basic theatre conventions, but it’s fundamentally a stand up show.
If you had to chose between being locked in a room full of bunnies for a day or being locked in a room full of kittens for a day which would you chose and why?
That’s a hard one. I was never that keen on bunnies until I had to look after Kent Valentine’s rabbit for a night, and now I’m on the bunny bandwagon. I think kittens are a tad cuter and I would probably have more fun, however I have my suspicions that I’m allergic to them, but have never been able to work out if I actually am. I guess I’m going to go with the room full of kittens. If nothing else, I’ll be able to put an end to this allergy enigma!
For full booking details go to Tommy Dassalo – Third Guy