Interview with Justin Hamilton and Hannah Norris
JUSTIN
Tell us about “Goodbye Ruby Tuesday”.
Justin: This year’s story finds us following the tale of Ruby, a girl who one night finds herself quite by accident at a stand up comedy night and see’s the comedian Jason Harrington perform. After he’s finished she decides they should become friends whether he’s ready for this or not. It’s a story about comedians and their relationships with the many varied audience members that come to their shows and explores the responsibilities that are inherent whether we truly want them or not. It should also be fun to see this relationship from a punter’s point of view rather than the comedians, especially as we learn more and more about Ruby as the show unfolds.
Last year’s show, The Killing Joke saw “Jason Harrington” at the precipice of his own demise. This year’s show sees Jason’s return. Will this show answer any questions about Jason’s return?
Justin: Not really, I think it was all in last year’s story. In the end Jason had “won” and now we see he’s doing quite well for himself. This isn’t a direct sequel to last year’s show but it definitely takes place in the same world which is a very different world to Three Colours Hammo. This is my favourite type of love story, it is very romantic but not in a conventional sense. This is turning out to be my favourite show so far, I’m loving all the twists and turns and the way it unfolds and Hannah Norris is going to knock everyone’s socks off! She’s brilliant!
Do you enjoy the liberation of performing under a pseudonym?
Without a doubt! Jason is a fantastic character to play because he’s an exaggerated facet of my personality, a part of me that is boosted on steroids and booze and a love of life! There is a cockiness to him that while I’m sure would be extremely annoying in real life I wish I could call upon on a regular basis. He’s the life of the party even when there isn’t a party there. You’d love to hang out with him…now and again! Playing him in shows allows me to explore interesting and progressive ideas without allowing me to be caught up with people thinking they’re getting the 100% true me on stage.
Over the past few years your festival shows have become increasingly theatrical. Am I right in thinking this will be your most theatrical piece yet?
Justin: Without a doubt. I love stand up but I can do that anywhere in Australia at anytime of the year. I love exploring the different ways we can tell stories and the Comedy Festival seems to be the perfect place to do this. Will I stay in the world of comedy? Maybe. I have no idea but I wouldn’t be surprised if I disappear from the comedy festival for awhile. I feel like I’ve said all I really want to say with this show but you never know, if another idea comes along then I’ll be back next year. Last year was pretty theatrical and hence why a lot of people loved it more than any other show I’ve done and some people were completely let down because that isn’t what they wanted. Fair enough but I don’t write for other people or a quick audition to host a reality TV show etc. These are the stories I want to tell and as long as I do my best to make it as entertaining and funny as possible then I think I’ve done my job.
A big change from your past shows this year, is the presence of actress Hannah Norris on stage with you. How does working with a partner affect your work?
Justin: Hannah if fucking ace! I’ve known her for quite a while now and was lucky enough to see her in the Seagull about 7 years ago. She was so good, just amazing and I told her I’d write a show for her one day. Ideas have been gurgling away in my head for a number of years…in fact when I was first writing up the idea of Three Colours Hammo I had at one point thought about turning it into a two hander with her playing Calliope. In the end I wanted Calliope to be bigger than anything I’d spoken about before so to keep her as a part I played at points, as an idea, let the character function that way so in everyone who saw the show they had their own picture of her. Then I had the idea for Goodbye Ruby Tuesday and Hannah was the only person I pictured to play Ruby. She’s just brilliant, I can’t wait to see people’s reactions to her. I’m really asking a lot of her, Ruby tells the story and she has to play such an array of emotions but Hannah is so good she’s going to make it look all too easy. She’s so good I’m betting people will be annoyed when i take the stage wanting more of her!
HANNAH
You have a background in proper, grown up theatre. What enticed you to the much maligned world of comedy?
Hannah: I used to work on the door at an Adelaide comedy venue called the Rhino Room while I was an acting student which was where I became friends with Justin. So about 7 years ago, he said that he would write a show for me one day – and here it is – ‘Goodbye Ruby Tuesday’. I’ve always really loved tragedy and intense, hardcore, disturbing dramatic plays both as a performer and audience member but I’ve found in the past couple of years, particularly auditioning for and working in TV and film, I have started feeling more confident with and enticed by a lightness, and the subtle timing it takes to create humour. I’ve done a number of ads with the very funny director Tony Rogers (the 4n20 pie ‘Magic Salad Plate’ ad last year and the RACV ‘You complete me’ one that’s on right now) and have had many a fun and witty conversation with comedians over the years but this step into the Melbourne Comedy Festival is one that I hadn’t predicted. By no means am I pretending that I’m a comedian now too but I am looking forward to having my festival pass and not having to line up to get into the Hifi bar.
Have you ever worked to a script authored by a stand up? Have you found any notable changes?
Hannah: I think this is actually the first show that I have been involved in as a performer throughout it’s entire development. Being an actor, I am used to working on plays that are already written – 2 or 200 years ago. Justin’s a great writer and has definitely created a voice for Ruby different to the way that he writes for himself but in the process of multiple drafts we have noticed things that may be beautifully written, well structured sentences and thoughts as the written word, but somehow when they’re spoken they don’t always sound like natural speech. Although those things for me are certainly insights into the character, as regular human beings we seem to speak very monosyllabically and that feels more real in the moments of direct address to the audience. The moments of stand up Justin delivers in the show, he has been working and crafting for some time in front of audiences, I found that in our trial show they obviously felt much more solid. We are about to get into rehearsals for the actual show so have no doubt that all character nuances and rhythms will come to life as we work together with Paul Horan, our director.
Despite my earlier jibe, as an actress you will no doubt have worked on comedy pieces in the past. Is there a division (perceived or otherwise) between theatre oriented comedy and standup oriented comedy?
Hannah: ‘Goodbye Ruby Tuesday’ blurs the line a bit between stand up and theatre comedy. Rather than a traditional stand-up show, it’s more of a comic play with stand-up threaded throughout it, and that only happens because Justin’s character, Jason Harrington, is a comedian. Before working on ‘Goodbye Ruby Tuesday’, I had never realised or given credit to stand-up comedians for the massive amount of energy it takes to talk to/at an audience for about an hour. I’m sharing this piece with Justin but I can’t believe how much I talk in it! For me there is nothing more terrifying than the idea of standing up in front of people and trying to make them laugh, or public speaking – but if I’m playing a character then somehow in my brain, it’s a completely different, and much less terrifying experience.
Thanks to Justin and Hannah. For booking details go to Goodbye Ruby Tuesday