Tell us about Harold’s Hoo-Haa, and how you became involved.
Loredana, the Producer at New Ghosts Theatre Company, and I go way back – we’ve known each other since our university days where we worked together on multiple student theatre productions and faculty revues. When she asked me if I’d like to perform I jumped at the opportunity to support one of her productions!
Why is this event important?
Events like this, where you have artists from different fields coming together to support new work, are important because they are a great reminder that you’re part of a broader community who can support one another through similar challenges and opportunities.
Who are you most looking forward to seeing in the line-up?
Ooh that’s a tough one – it’s a toss-up between Becky Lucas and Sarah Gaul. Becky’s show was one of the most talked about at this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival and it was so popular that her Sydney shows sold out before I could get a ticket, so I’m glad I’ll be able to see her in action. Likewise Sarah has just gotten back from a year in New York where she was performing heaps and I can’t wait to see how that has honed her skills!
Who has inspired you most either personally or professionally?
The people who inspire me are constantly changing, however, one constant has been Daniel Kitson – he’s a British comedian/theatre maker who won the then Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Fringe when he was just 25. His shows weave autobiographical narrative and comedy together in a way that is both extremely funny but also often quite moving. Likewise – and like almost everyone in Australia comedy at the moment – I saw Hannah Gadsby’s Nannette last year in Edinburgh and it absolutely blew me away by fundamentally redefining what a comedy show is and can be. Another local influence is Damien Power: I love the way he manages to examine huge philosophical concepts through the lens of life in suburban Brisbane.
What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given?
When I was just starting out I was told that no matter how good you think you are, you’re not. It’s taken me a while to heed that lesson but realising that has made me far more receptive to the idea of failure as an opportunity for growth and development.
Who is the one person (dead or alive) that you would like to/would have liked to work with?
That’s a really difficult question! Probably Daniel Kitson, though he’s notoriously uncompromising about pursuing his creative vision so perhaps it wouldn’t make for the most fruitful collaboration! That or Tina Fey, after reading her autobiography, Bossypants, I’ve always felt like working in one of her writer’s rooms would be a wonderful experience!
If you could send one tweet to the entire world, what would it be?
I’m absolutely awful at Twitter so it would probably just be something drawing attention to my favourite parody account: @nycguidovoice
Do you have any other upcoming shows?
Yes, I’ll be performing a run of my latest, critically acclaimed solo show A Quarter-Life Crisis in Twenty-Seven Parts at the Melbourne Fringe Festival from 12-16 September.
Why should people go and see Harold’s Hoo-Haa?
Because it’s a genuinely amazing line-up of some of the best up-and-coming and established comedians in Australia, that also happens to be in support of exciting, new theatre.
