Comedy Fest Questionnaire: Geraldine Quinn

Comedy Fest Questionnaire: Geraldine Quinn

1) Tell us what your show is called this year?
You’re the Voice: Songs for the Ordinary by an Anthemaniac

2)  Why?
It’s all in the title – original songs in rock anthem styles by someone who is a maniac for rock anthems, all about the glory of being ordinary.

3) Can you give us a few hints as to what broadly your festival show is about?
Celebrating how wonderful and power-ballad worthy very day things and experiences can be, and realising you’re probably in a pretty good place in your life.

4) How much time have you spent crafting the show over the past 12 months since the end of the last festival?
None! This is its 6^th festival, so it has settled a lot since it was first performed.

5) The comedy festival is turning 21 this year – it’s a big age 21 – what are you’re your memories of being 21? Or if you’re not old enough yet, you lucky person, what are your hopes for being 21?
I am old enough, and my abiding memory is: I wasn’t single.
A lot’s changed.

6) The Comedy festival is one big party and catch up for a month - is there anyone you’re looking forward to seeing over here either socially or on stage?
I miss Juzzie Smith and Urzila Carlson, who I met in Adelaide years ago. I don’t know if Wilson Dixon is around, but I would love to see him again. It’s been far too long! And any other friends from around the world who may be attending.

7) What’s the comedy scene like at the moment who do you rate and why?
Oh, I am a bit strange in that I am in cabaret, but I do have a soft spot for people pushing boundaries, like Tommy Bradson (who just trounced me for Best Cabaret in Adelaide Fringe), Dr Neal Portenza, stand-ups Lori Bell, Geraldine Hickey and Anne Edmonds and various other sundry nutbags like Lessons With Luis, Slutmonster and Friends, Slow Clap and others in that talent-rich, Melbourne group.

8)  What’s the best piece of audience interaction you’ve had?
It wasn’t so much interaction, because I’m quite scripted, though cabaret tends to avoid the fourth wall – but one year in Adelaide I did have a couple snogging up the back of my show. Which was interesting.

9) What’s the most memorable part of performing for you within the last 12 months?
Selling out this show in Adelaide, and both winning a Weekly Award (Cabaret) and being nominated for Best Cabaret overall. It was a pretty fun season. We danced so much…

10) When we say New Zealand International Comedy Festival to you, what’s the first thing you think of?
All my dreams of going to New Zealand coming true…I was a Split Enz nut in the late 1970s/early 1980s in Wagga Wagga, so I became very fascinated by place names and folk tales. I’m frankly embarrassed it has taken me this long to come over!

11) How would you persuade people to come and see your show?
Original rock cabaret with balls-out singing, heart, laughs and lashings of PVC and fluro tulle. Please come.