Corporate Work, Losers and the Tiv

Hey Ho
The weeks fly by and suddenly I remember I have a blog.
Deakin is gobbling up a fair whack of my time at the moment as I prepare lesson plans etc and scramble towards Burwood for the first year drama & third year directing courses. Wide range of students and skills, should be interesting to see how the first assignments turn out.

Julia & I went and saw Mark Jones, Adam Murphy and Karlis Zaid in "Beautiful Losers" at the resplendent (yet faded) Butterfly Club one hot, balmy Friday a couple of weeks ago. As we waited for audience to finish filing out after Fiona Thorn's homage to all things French “Fais-Moi Mal, Johnny” we chatted to her, John Thorn, Paul Kelly and Russell Fletcher who had just resurrected his Danny Kaye show for a benefit gig (he's doing it again – go and see it – an amazing show). The room was cleared (apart from the stifling heat) and we all squeezed in. The trio blustered in quoting Shakespeare and we were off on a horror show of male depravity, succinct profanity and lilting harmonies. What a freaking great show it is. I hope they don’t get swallowed up in all the mire during the Comedy Festival.

I have been donning the suit for a few roleplay gigs (sorry David and Jo – “interactive scenarios” © 2006 Laughing Matters) and while I enjoy the work I always feel like sham when I’m trussed up, tie and all. I had to walk back through the city and all the time I was waiting for some one to stop me, point an accusing finger and shout “Ah HA!

Stopped by Minotaur and the Basement Second hand Book store where I spent few good hours riffling through wonderful old programs like these:

More here

Apparently the Mitre 10 ad is up and running as coffee shop acquaintances have said “Weren’t you on the telly last night etc”….yep. But because commercial television is so mind numbingly lousy at the moment (how many crime shows do we actually need?) I probably won’t see it for ages.

Go out and see some live action folks – it’ll do you a power of good.

The third entry in my Comedy Blog Trilogy...

Demetrius Romeo has a fantastic blog with all sorts of lovely words and sounds including:

Lano & Woodley discussing their show The Island

Shaun Micallef letting slip about the transsexual Weary Dunlop

Bill Bailey and beer

All this comedy talk is getting me all geared up for the Melbourne Comedy Festival which is coming as soon as the Commonwealth Games piss off. I've already booked my tickets to see Dylan Moran (the man's a true genius, granted - a rambling, shambolic tweed of an Irishman but a genius none the less!)...and there's oh so much more...

I'll be popping up in Celebrity Theatresports and Late Nite Impro hopefully and maybe shuffling my way around the Hi Fi Bar and Ballroom, skankin' to the glory sounds of the Scared Weird Little Guys All Star Comedy Superband - oh please, if there is a Comedy God - let them play this year! This is showing my age I know but the Sista She Hip Hop extravaganza last year left me a little cold (Don't get me wrong - they're great, just not all the time - after all "It's all about the ladies!" right?) and some of the late night DJ'ing was frigging mindless.

Shows I'd like to see and support:

Daniel Kitson - the hilarious egocentric shaggy beast of self loathing and misanthropy returns

Earl Okin - Saw him perform at the Last Laugh in the 80's - I much admired his mouth trumpet.

Rich Hall & Mike Wilmot Late Night Standup - I've always loved Rich Hall ever since he pointed out "Fun-sized" mars bars and other confectionery is a stupid concept. I only caught a smidge of Mike Wilmot's show the last time he was here - and then I saw him that amazing Camryn Mannheim film Kiss My Act - wow...what a late night experience that was. I recommend it to anyone.

Spymonkey's Cooped - it just looks like great fun.

Burlesque Idol - I'm a fan of the fan dance

The Beautiful Losers - (seeing them Friday night at the Butterfly Club)

Call Girls - Janelle Koenig rocks my world.

Claire Hooper - Oh - Claire came and played Late Nite Impro last year and she was fantastic, a brilliant comedy mind.

Geraldine Quinn - Bad Ambassador I recently shared a casting waiting room with Geraldine - she's a veritable whirlwind of talent.

I Heart Racism - I taught Tommy Dassalo last year at the same time as he was sending members of MOSH into a flapping panic over his purported "arrest". This show sold out at the Fringe. I wish him and Dave well on their meteoric rise.

Justin Kennedy - Beelzebuzz - Justin is a man's man. If he was a woman he'd be man's woman albeit bald, bearded and super gentlemanly.

Man Bites God - A Choking Hazard - When he's not being an Uber-Director, Chris Tomkins is living the rock n roll lifestyle in this comedy act. Sort of.

Monsieur Camembert - I dig the sounds of Mr Soft French Cheese.

Scrabble Unscripted - Impro from interstate (Impro Couch did the scrabble thing first though...)

160 Characters - More impro from interstate. I missed these guys the last time around and I heard it was a great show.

The Soubrettes & Friends - Variety à Go Go - a must see for good friends and good times...I was there for the birth of Steg & Durt. History be praised.

Trevor Major is... Throbbie Millions - Trevor should be a household comedy name instead he's a household sex symbol - you can't win...

What's New Peter Costello Whoa Whoa! (politics is showbiz for the ugly) - Jim updates his Fringe show and kicks into satirical high gear. Love that man.

The 20th Brian McCarthy Memorial Moosehead Awards Benefit - 20 years of keeping the comedy world going - not to bloody shabby eh?

As my ever patient partner puts it "April hey? Time to be the Comedy Widow"