Contents 8 Matt Okine 10 Alice Fraser Elli Matthewson 12 Gerald McGowan Angella Dravid 14 Dane Baptiste DeAnne Smith 16 Lucy Peach Natalie Palamides 18 Arj Barker Ross Noble 20 Guy Williams Lady Rizo 22 Urzilla Carlson Joel Creasey 24 Em Rusciano
Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2018
Daniel Sloss
Editor’s Note With James Di Fabrizio
26 David O’Doherty
There is much to be said about our global state of affairs at the moment, as I’m sure you’re aware. It often seems like each passing week is commemorated by an increasingly absurd news cycle. But if the inherent absurdity of life isn’t something to laugh at, I don’t know what is. In times like this, I’m reminded of the words of Stephen Hawking: “Life would be tragic if it weren’t funny”. Perhaps there’s something we can take
Emily Tressider 28 Lawrence Mooney Ismo 30 Alexis Dubus Faulty Towers 32 Hannan Azlan Josh Glanc 33 Kuah Jenhan 34 Simon Taylor Stephen K Amos 35 Alan McElroy Guy Montgomery 36 Nazeem Hussain
Editor: James Di Fabrizio Sub-editor: Kate Streader Advertising: Kris Furst, Georgia Spanos Contributors: Claire Morley, Natalie Rogers,
from that. Whether it’s to slow dance in the wake of imminent nuclear warfare, or to simply cast aside the troubles of the world and just go out for a night filled with what makes life truly worthwhile – laughter, friends, and a chance to be part of something larger than ourselves. The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is an opportunity to do just that. There are literally hundreds of shows to get
Lexi Hebert, Chris Swan, Andrew Nardi, Nick Mason, Joanne Brookfield, David James Young, Meg Crawford, Adam Norris, Peter Hodgson, Tarnay Sass, Zachary Snowden Smith, Claire Garratt, Kate Streader, Jacob Colliver, Deanna Makregiorgos
involved in. Whether it’s an international favourite or an independent discovery, get out there and experience it. Embrace the catharsis of laughter. Be prompted to think deeply, or switch off and forgo cognitive thought altogether – the choice is yours. It’s my honour to share this guide with you for another year. Here’s to the magic of laughter, and the power it holds to bring us together.
Illustration, Design, Art Direction, All Round Magazine Maker-Person: Michael Cusack Helper Magazine MakerPerson: Ben Driscoll
Published by Furst Media © 2017 Furst Media Pty Ltd. No part may be reproduced without the consent of the copyright holder.
Paul Chowdhry 37 Mark Swivel Laura Daniel x Joeeph Moore 38 Neel Kolhatkar John Kearns 39 Nick Cody Gosha Bodryi 40 Nath Valvo Morry Morgan 41 Sean M Elliot HActresses Julia Rorke & Elysia Hall Ivan Aristeguieta 42 Amity Dry Cath Styles Darien Brown Danny Sgro & Friends 43 Impro Melbourne Gillian English Kate Jenkinson, Pinky Beecroft & Friends
Lindsay Foyle 44 Michael Shafar Ross Purdy Squirly Simon Wright 45 Dom & Dumber: The Sketch Comedy Magicians Tim Batt Zoe Broughton Woah, Alyssa! 46 Blake Everett Marcel Lucont Will Sylvince & Andy Curtain Kaitlyn Rogers 47 Special Events 8
BEAT.COM.AU
Matt Okine
The Hat Game In the quest to avoid complacency, Matt Okine has worn many hats. The last few years have seen him move between mediums, from radio airwaves, free to air television, and subscription streaming service, Stan. Although he’s conscious to never get stuck doing one thing, comedy keeps drawing him back. The Hat Game is his seventh stand up show, and he’s got no plans to hang up that particular cap. “[Performing comedy] is just something that I continue to look forward to, every night, over and over. It’s so exciting to go up on stage and just talk shit to audiences from all over the world,” says Okine. “Radio, it just sort of goes out into the world, and really you’re just two idiots in a room talking rubbish. With stand-up, you’re still one idiot in a room talking rubbish, but at least there’s 300 other people that are going along for the ride as well.” All that Okine loves about stand up comedy is a stark contrast to the qualities of radio, a medium through which many may have first discovered Okine’s voice. Alongside Alex Dyson, Okine presented Triple J’s prestigious breakfast slot from 2014 to 2016, before leaving at the height of the show’s popularity. “I don’t want to get stuck in one place; it wasn’t because it stopped being fun. Alex and I felt like the show was in a really good place and we didn’t want to lose that spark.” That being said, Okine is quick to point out he’s not ruled out the possibility of jumping back in the booth alongside his on air partner. “Alex and I talk about it all the time. I think it’s more a question of when rather than whether we will. But who knows,
I might end up in LA working in a coffee shop as another failed actor.” So far, however, his acting career is far from a failure. Okine co-wrote and starred in the Stan series The Other Guy, an adaption of his awardwinning semi-autobiographical stand up show of the same name. The experience of creating a show that pushed the boundaries with its approach to sex and relationships has coloured his latest stand-up show in a way that he admits is a little more risqué than his usual style. “I talk about doing my first sex scene, which is a terrifying thing. You have to pretend to cum in front of a room of film and TV people. There’s a camera guy there, and sound guy and a makeup lady. And I’m standing there pretending to cum. What if the way that I cum was fucking weird? And I thought it was normal?” These changes are what drive him, living and dying by his own sword – even if that sword is simulating orgasm on stage. “I wanted to make a show this year that feels like a Matt Okine show, but doesn’t at the same time. There are people that have seen every single show – there’s this girl, Dani, who comes every year with her mum, and when I’m writing a show I always think about someone like Dani…because I don’t want her to feel like she saw this show three years ago. I feel there’s a real ability for comics to do that, to basically rewrite the same recipe using slightly different ingredients.”
BEAT’S GUIDE TO THE 2018 MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL
“With stand-up, you’re still one idiot in a room talking rubbish, but at least there’s 300 other people that are going along for the ride as well.”
Venue: Melbourne Town Hall – Supper Room Dates: Thursday March 29 – Sunday April 22, excluding Mondays and Friday April 20 Tickets: $25 - $35
By Claire Morley