There’s nothing like the presence of a live audience to bring out the best in comic actors, comedy writers and comedy producers. Everything I’m trying to do as a comedy writer and producer is channelled towards making more things before a live audience. I believe you get a better show when you come face to face with the audience. Nowhere to hide. A sense of danger elevates comedy and what could be more dangerous than coming face to face with the people who can make you or break you?
Despite almost all of my TV experience coming in the form of shows that had a live audience aspect, I’ve never produced a show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF).
This year, I’m producing and writing for a 50min sketch comedy show with my sketch comedy group Dr. Duck called “General Quacktitioner“.
Click HERE to see the official poster.
Melbourne writer and actor Andrew Keen started the group. I saw Dr. Duck’s first Fringe show last year, which I thought had a lot of potential. Couple this with the fact I’ve always wanted to be involved in a live sketch comedy show, I was only too eager to take up the offer to write and produce one when Andrew suggested we team up.
Andrew is a terrific sketch writer. I first worked with him when I was head writer of the Channel 31 show Live On Bowen. He and I, as we’ve discovered, have vastly different styles. His work tends to be very dialogue heavy, while my sketches tend to be almost completely devoid of dialogue and very physical. I think we balance each other out quite nicely and the show should be stronger because of it.
For three months, a team of writers met up once a week to write General Quacktitioner. Along with Andrew and myself, the other person who wrote some sketches that made it into the show is Melbourne comedian Ross Purdy. Additional material was also contributed by Nick Mateuszczyk, Ella Gleeson and Amanda Goode.
We’ve got a simply cracking cast: Seon Williams, Olivia Solomons, Eidann Glover, Jon Walpole, Ross Purdy and Andrew Keen.
Rehearsals have already started and things are coming together nicely. It’s always a good sign when a lot of good material ends up not making it into the show.
Following our MICF show, we plan to make a 6x30min sketch comedy TV series with Channel 31. Half of it will be shot before a live audience half shot on location. There’s nothing like putting comedy before a live audience.
I expect applications for writing positions on the show will go out during the week of the 27th March. This time we will be trying something different to how we approached assembling the writers team for our MICF show and will be putting out an open call to people who are interested. Keep an eye out for those callouts on this site!
In the meantime, come and see our MICF show!
Tickets available here: https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2017/shows/the-duck-will-see-you-now
We’ve shot some free sample sketches we’ll be releasing in the lead up to the show. The first one is called Doorknockers and it’s up now!