Stand-up comedian and Mix 101.1 FM Breakfast Show host George McEncroe talks to Caitlin Crowley about her first Melbourne International Comedy Festival show.
How do we pronounce the Georgina Monologues?
You pronounce Georgina like Vagina. It’s a name my brother kindly gave to me when I was about 14. He reserved this special pronunciation for introducing me to his friends. But only the cute ones.
Tell us a little about the show?
The show is about families, parenting and kids and why every one of those three things gives us the shits and makes us fail and learn at the same time. It’s about marriage and death and birth and everything else that humans do.
You broadcast in a g-rated radio slot (breakfasts Mix FM) but your stand-up is usually a bit blue. What can the punters expect?
The punters can expect to find that too much Georgina is never enough. As if they didn’t already know. It is an 18 and over audience I am looking for. If people want their kids to learn to swear they will have to teach them themselves. I’m busy enough trying to get my kids to key cars.
Your radio listeners know you have four kids, but can they expect a mum-themed show?
I don’t think it is so much about mums as childhood and growing up myself. Naturally part of growing up is looking back at my parents and their parent’s parents and trying to understand how the hell I came to be here.
Who’s going to love this show?
I think anyone who has evolved enough to see that their parents were not always right will enjoy this show. But the people who refuse to forgive them will love it.
The publicity for your show mentions that you will be telling the stories that should only be told AFTER your parents are dead. Do they know about the show or are you planning to knock them off beforehand?
My parents refuse to die but having said that they are trying quite hard. They could smoke for Australia and use liberal amounts of alcohol for medicinal purposes. But damn their good health…They know about the show but will have scouts suss it out before they attend. I’m actually hoping they might come along on the last night. It’ll be too late to change things then if I hear Mum sobbing in the darkness.
Will you be saying really bad swear words in the show? Because a lot of people don’t like to hear women swear on stage. Also, will you be having opinions or an attitude or anything else controversial?
I do say bad swear words on stage. But only when a story needs a touch of cuntishness. Oh and if you don’t think opinions become a lady… then stay home. Watch Packed to the Rafters, darn some socks and remember the good old days when women knew their place and Dick Emery was on the tele more often than The Bill.
Your co-host Tom Gleeson is also performing in the festival. Is it true your show will be stacks-on better than his?
Look I think Tom’s show might be just a little bit better than mine but I also heard it’s unladylike to be better than a man so that’s just as well. Do you like my hat?
For more info and booking details check out George McEnroe in The Georgina Monologues