Interview 8 - Jeff Green and Matt Elsbury From the gains and losses of late-in-life parenting, the demise of heckling and the social media 'self-esteem train', to building comedy bridges on the back of global disasters... it's an action packed half hour of Stellavision chat. Jeff Green - famous in both the UK and Australian comedy scenes - believes many comics (and writers) begin their careers after a life changing loss ("I'm just not going to be that crushed guy!"). Keep an ear open for when Jeff explains why his 'Ex' is still next of kin on his passport ;>) When Matt Elsbury is spotted in the street and asked to tell a joke (comedian's bain), he semi-politely explains he is a professional, agrees a price on the gag, generates an invoice followed by a swipe on ZipPay (12 easy monthly payments). But he also cautions that earlier success does not guarantee future entitlement. As Matt puts it: "Your next audience owes you nothing." Stella ventures that comedians are 'vicarious empaths' - near enough to the action to be singed, but not so close as to blister. Finding the grumpy and exasperation in a situation, is to find the comedy (being just 'angry' is not really funny). Being able to create and explain a strong feeling, so the audience can compare it to their own experience is where comedy connections are made (and make you laugh despite yourself :>) Don't forget to check out the Stellavision website for forthcoming shows. To listen to all our podcasts and episodes, go to: Funny about books Hobson Words Come to Stella Kinsella Books for stockists, and the fascinating back stories on Stella's own publications. YouTube Transcript 00:18 uh sobbing a big bill oddie all right cutting to the chase 00:24 welcome again thank you so much to my lovely crowd of Newports comedy room 00:29 hunters who come so regularly to see these shows and stick around for these 00:35 rather unique podcasts we are in fact building up an interesting archive of 00:40 some fantastic Australian or Australian working comedians who have really got a 00:45 bead on the social context and the zeitgeist if I can use that word because 00:50 there is no one more acutely able to comment on what's happening in real time 00:56 as our stand-up comedian community now community of stand-up comedians I 01:02 suppose that's true but you don't really get together an it though comedians but 01:06 can I please welcome to two really hard-working comedians in Victoria 01:13 predominantly but nationally and to some extent internationally I think that's 01:17 fair to say will you please welcome to the Stella vision here at the Newport 01:21 comedy room podcast the wonderful Jeff green and Matt Ellsbury thank you please 01:29 tell her thanks for having us and thanks for putting on such a great show with a 01:32 wonderful audience and we both had a great time very rarely perform on raffia 01:41 it's it's a first for me I have to say I'm just a little nervous that your 01:47 intro stellar for the podcast has said the bar little high talking about the 01:51 zeitgeist when I believe about an hour ago I was talking about my two-year-old 01:55 and a cupcake how profound allowed to be during this podcast hurry the process up 02:01 a bit with a few Jane away but we can't just can't defame ah we can't do that 02:06 now listen this is called funny about boxes inaudible you can you can pick it 02:10 up on any of your Spotify or podcast listening devices that you have but what 02:15 we do here on this show is we talk to comedians about the nature of writing 02:18 and what that actually means because writing comedy is a bit weird isn't it 02:22 it is weird I've I've written three books three well I've written my show so 02:28 I'm a writer often call myself a writer when I when I don't want to mention 02:32 a comedian in taxis Sam a writer yeah and or you know if I'm coming into the 02:37 you know coming into the country and you have to put your your occup...

Funny About Books

Jeff Green and Matt Elsbury – connecting with exasperation

Interview 7 - Mitchell Faircloth Mitchell is perhaps best known as ‘Slim Whittle’, playing alongside a cast including Tracy Harvey, Tony Rickards as "Con Marasco" and John Rothfield as "Dr Turf" on ‘Punter to Punter’ – the seminal radio show broadcast on 3RRR on Saturday mornings during the eighties. But his talent reach is much broader, including songwriter, musician, illustrator and also script writer for Tonight Live with Steve Vizard and The Gillies Report, and performing many acting roles – as recently as 2019 with Hugo Weaving in Measure for Measure, and independent candidate for the 1990 federal election! You are up for a real treat in this interview, as Mitchell and Stella talk Melbourne comedy, life in Byron Bay and have absolutely nothing nice to say about ‘the sport of kings’! Don't forget to check out the Stellavision website for forthcoming shows. To listen to all our podcasts and episodes, go to: Funny about books Hobson Words Come to Stella Kinsella Books for stockists, and the fascinating back stories on Stella's own publications.

Mitchell Faircloth – Punter to punter

Interview 6 - Steve Kearney and Neill Gladwin From the primordial soup of the late 70’s, free education, Dada discomfort, performance art, teacher training at Rusden, Buster Keaton and post ‘vaudevillia’ came the bumbling genius of Steve Kearney and Neill Gladwin as Los Trios Ringbarkus – the ‘anti-tainers’. Melbourne’s thirst for cabaret, variety and live venues during the early 80’s provided the perfect environment for the trio pair to climb the dizzy stacked chair heights of accidental comedy greatness.  A career together spanning over ten years, later saw the two become production and direction icons in the Australian and Hollywood movie lands, but only after ‘time served in the comedy crucible’. When asked about a touted documentary, the two replied: “It’s pretty hard to write a documentary about yourself.” To me it just sounds like a dare :>). Don't forget to check out the Stellavision website for forthcoming shows. To listen to all our podcasts and episodes, go to: Funny about books Hobson Words Come to Stella Kinsella Books for stockists, and the fascinating back stories on Stella's own publications.

Steve Kearney and Neill Gladwin – Los Trios Ringbarkus

Interview 5 - Lauren Bok and Joanne Brookfield "I've felt the steely, cold wind of a giant bomb stinking up the stage and when you get off and you're like, I can't look anyone in the eye...I'm going home to wash myself of the failure that is surrounding me." Lauren Bok on a bad night at the office. Lauren was the first of 60 women interviewed for Joanne Brookfield's new book "No Apologies" - celebrating the power of women, their voices and their stories. When you do the math, that's 60 interviews x 5,000 words per interview = 300,000 words that Joanne has skillfully crafted into a 65,000 word 'must read'. Stella questions: "Can we hope for the day when we don't actually need the book? Where inequality at lots of levels: gender, race, disability, etc doesn't exist?" As Joanne points out: "The point of the book is that we're not there yet!" There's a real sense of closeness among the comedy 'sisterhood', which stems from bizarre inequities and impossibly shaped hurdles. "We're not allowed to get it right, but we're always told we're getting it wrong.", says Joanne. It's appears to be not just about equality, but a unique response rejecting/countering phobic, sexist material delivered up as entertainment by the comic majority. Gender archetypes have made it a challenge for women to 'rage on stage'. The suggestion is that 'permission' is gendered - "Go for it dude! But be careful ladies". But of course comedy has the unique ability to mock itself, holding up a mirror in a powerful medium for different points of view and diversity of perspective - inclusive regardless. As lauren so beautifully puts it... "Be the change you want to see in the world" Don't forget to check out the Stellavision website for forthcoming shows. To listen to all our podcasts and episodes, go to: Funny about books Hobson Words Come to Stella Kinsella Books for stockists, and the fascinating back stories on Stella's own publications.

Lauren Bok and Joanne Brookfield

Interview 4 - Mandy Nolan and Ellen Briggs Tune into a rapid fire chat with the authors of the book and hit show: 'Women like us', Mandy Nolan and Ellen Briggs. In an hilarious look at gender stereotypes, parenting, comedy coaching and writing, Stella, Mandy and Ellen 'rip the band aid off' our changing cultural norms. Mandy has coached over 1,500 people in the comic arts ("Yes and five of them are working" she quips) including Ellen who was writing a book at the time that was "getting funnier". That was the beginning of a beautiful friendship and Women Like Us, now in it's fifth year. It's not always easy to fathom the years of refining, testing, failing and succeeding that results in a truly funny - and what seems like an 'off the cuff', spontaneous comedy routine. Mandy reckons it took her a decade before she hit her straps. Ellen was dead against doing stand up, but delights in 'making people angry', leaving her nowhere to go but up with her audience - there's no people pleasing without some kind of human sacrifice! In a classic moment during the interview, Stella opens the topic matter up to more weighty issues like: what's sexy about middle age and the disproportionately small number of women in comedy ,which they all get right down to. But not before Ellen shatters the more serious tone by announcing: "Before we do that, I thought my drink would last longer?" Stage and audience crack up with Mandy suggesting: "Sounds like the title for the next book!" Don't forget to check out the Stellavision website for forthcoming shows. To listen to all our podcasts and episodes, go to: Funny about books Hobson Words Come to Stella Kinsella Books for stockists, and the fascinating back stories on Stella's own publications.

Mandy Nolan and Ellen Briggs

Interview 1 - Hung Le and Rod Quantock Stella brings in the maiden interview of the 'Funny about books' podcast live at the Newport Comedy Room with special guests and legendary comics - Rod Quantock and Hung Le. Rod proudly confesses to having never written for his stand up routines, but Hung admits to aiming for a cracking punch line every three sentences! In a conversation taking more twists and turns than a federal politician watering with a cheap garden hose, the group discusses whether comics are made or born, the delights of the classics and how much fun it is to 'peel the tape off' racial and political stereotypes. "It really helps if you look funny…" reflects Hung about physical comedy, to which Rod quips: "You lucky bastard!" Don't forget to check out the Stellavision website for forthcoming shows. To listen to all our podcasts and episodes, go to: Funny about books Hobson Words Come to Stella Kinsella Books for stockists, and the fascinating back stories on Stella's own publications.

Hung Le and Rod Quantock

Interview 3 - Richard Stubbs and Evan Hocking Comedy, radio and TV icon - Richard Stubbs - joins Stella and 'grass roots' comic Evan Hocking for a wild discussion covering everything from duty free to running the country. Richard, who is best known for hosting variety show Tonight Live on Channel 7, pioneering breakfast and drive time radio comedy (XY Zoo on Melbourne's 3XY and later on 3 Triple M) - has recently returned to stand-up between ongoing corporate gigs and presenting on ABC Radio Melbourne. Like many Melbourne comedians, Richard had his first shot on stage at The Last Laugh in Collingwood during the early 80's - where he (and many other aspiring comics) worked as a barman at the time. Stella, Evan and Richard compare notes on the current comedy scene: "Four minutes on stage for a try-out, and no pay", Evan reports flatly - with Richard curbing his earlier career interstate travel expectations, now being "put up overnight in the promoter's spare room"! We also hear some of Richard's family tales as brother, father and son. Like many people approaching their 6th decade, he tells the familiar challenging stories of ageing parents, new loves and flexible careers. His retirement plan will crack you up - look out for him as you come through customs at Melbourne Airport (or in federal parliament as this week's prime minister)! Don't forget to check out the Stellavision website for forthcoming shows. To listen to all our podcasts and episodes, go to: Funny about books Hobson Words Come to Stella Kinsella Books for stockists, and the fascinating back stories on Stella's own publications.

Richard Stubbs

Interview 2 - Greg Fleet Veteran comedian and author of three books - Greg Fleet - joins Stella in a walk down (sketchy?) memory lane when comedy venues like The Last Laugh and The Prince Patrick were the 'Valhalla' of aspiring comics. During their shared experiences in the 80's, The Comedy Company and The Big Gig brought with them incredible television exposure for Australian comedians, who also made up the majority of the show's writers. So comedian to writer and author isn't such a big stretch. In a frank, revealing and sometimes heartbreaking sojourn, Stella and Greg meander through his experiences of grammar school, acting, hard drugs and a mysterious father figure. It's a heartfelt story of two very close friends (even closer in the early days ;>) (Apologies to Michael Collins, Jacinda Arden and Dave Taranto whose names were mispronounced during the show). Don't forget to check out the Stellavision website for forthcoming shows. To listen to all our podcasts and episodes, go to: Funny about books Hobson Words Come to Stella Kinsella Books for stockists, and the fascinating back stories on Stella's own publications.

Greg Fleet

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