Janet McLeod, always all over the comedy scene in Melbourne, is bringing us four (count ‘em…four) different shows this festival. Annette Slattery caught up with her in the lead to this mammoth undertaking
You’ve got your fingers in plenty of pies during this year’s festival: Comedy Showbag, Cinema Fiasco, Quiz Internationale at The Festival Club and your regular room, Local Laughs at The Local Taphouse. Can you give us a brief rundown of each of these various projects?
COMEDY SHOWBAG – All the audience knows is that they’re getting 3 comics for $15 so they get a huge surpise when the typical lineup is world-class. O/S acts, stars of TV and radio, kick-arse locals… Imagine asking for the house bubbly and getting a glass of Bollinger. Awright.
CINEMA FIASCO – This is going to be monster fun. Geoff and I have been watching crappy B grade movies together for years, doing our own DVD-style commentary for the benefit of our mates. We’re basically shifting the show out of our loungeroom to the art deco splendour of St Kilda’s iconic Astor Theatre (they’ve got better Choc-Ices than at my place). Cheering, jeering and screaming during the movie shall be encouraged.
QUIZ INTERNATIONALE – Feedback last year was that QI embodies the spirit of the festival. No doubt meaning that it’s stupid good fun and that everyone is equal – punters and comics alike are on the same footing: ‘That girl who was in the semi-final of RAW Comedy’ is just as likely to get laughs as ‘that famous bloke off the telly’. But DJ Dave Shaw is still the funniest of all.
LOCAL LAUGHS – Back at the ol’ joint now the renovations are done. Looks fantastic! Expect the usual lineups of top-drawer local talent mixing it with visiting superstars. Get there early because these shows always, always, always sell out.
You’ve got plenty of other things going on this year. Can we expect to see you in the info booth as usual?
You bet you will – although I’ll be out on the street a bit more this year. I’m supervising both the booth (aka Info HQ) and well as the Wot Squad (mobile information squad who rove around outside the Town Hall) and also the Street Team (marshalling foot traffic on the busy Easter weekend) so will be floating around more but still helping to match-make punters to shows.
It seems like a role that could have its positives and negatives. Do you enjoy working in the booth?
A huge positive is sending punters to see a show that they may not have heard of but which they end up ADORING. Negatives include having to keep repeating “the Box Office is around the corner in Collins Street. Yes, just up there. Around the corner. Yes, Collins Street. Around the corner in Collins Street. See that corner? That’s right, go around the corner into Collins Street – the box office is there. Trust me, I’ve SEEN it.” Plus having all your energies sapped by people who just dont know when to leave you in peace. Urk.
You are someone who’s been intimately involved in the comedy industry for many years now. How does the health of comedy scene in Melbourne/Australia at the moment compare to times gone by? How important is the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in fostering that health?
The scene is outstandingly healthy, artistically – the inventiveness and creativity of performers around at the moment constantly amazes me. One thing I’ve noticed at regular gigs recently, though, is that it seems harder to get punters to flock en masse to a gig unless there is a big name drawcard. Are people ‘saving themselves’ for festival? I’m not sure. All I can say is that they’re really missing out on some excellent gigs.
The festival is great in that it provides an important focal point in the comedic calendar, but at the same time it isn’t the be-all and end-all of comedy in this town. Puppies aren’t just for Christmas and comedy ain’t just for festivals.
As someone who has her finger on the pulse on all things comedy, can you tell us who you’re looking forward to seeing at this year’s festival?
I can’t wait to see the end result of all the bits n pieces the local comics have been working up at Local Laughs over the last few months. Bec Hill, Richard McKenzie, Danny McGinlay, Justin Hamilton, Geraldine Hickey, Matt Elsbury, Mat Kenneally, Scott Pollard, Anyone for Tennis?....I’m having to choose between my comedy children here!
Interntionals: I loved Kristen Schaal at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe – kooky and delightful. Plus Lin Dong Fu who I met in Shanghai – a very funny Chinese actor who is instantly the coolest person in the festival for the mere fact that, when movies are dubbed into Chinese, he provides the voice for Darth Vader. Now THAT’S cool. Oh, and Howard Read’s kiddies’ show is a corker. And not forgetting Wil Hodgson who is more of a one-man-monologuist than a standup – a genuinely interesting guy sure to challenge many-a comedy go-ers notion of what-is-comedy. Plus there’s Sarah Bennetto’s Storyteller’s Club (UK) up at Trades Hall – I was chuffed to be invited onto the bill in Edinburgh to tell a story. Sarah gets some amazing comics asking to tell a story.
Click the appropriate link, Comedy Showbag, Local Laughs, Quiz International, Cinema Fiasco for booking details