I haven't done a written interview in a while and it was exciting to chat comedy and television with this new BIPOC magazine.
Glowreel's mission is to celebrate the wins of BIPOC (black, Indigenous and People of Colour) women around the world. This aligns so well with my personal beliefs to make comedy more accessible and inclusive to all, which is why I enjoy producing Lemon Comedy and being a mentor as part of The People of Cabaret's program.
It has recently become clear to me that comedy has given me a platform where I can make a real change and it doesn't have to be jokes jokes jokes all the time!
Here's a little excerpt from the full interview, which you can read here.
What's your fondest career experience to date?
Doing the Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s Opening Night Gala was pretty incredible. The show takes place at the Palais Theatre and is televised nationally.
Each performer gets four minutes. Because of the pandemic, international acts couldn’t make it this year so it bumped the local acts up the ranks. It was awesome to be given the opportunity to rise to the occasion.
When I got the phone call I wanted to run out on the street and scream with joy. After that, it was two to three weeks of intensive gigging to perfect my four-minute set. I’ve never been a professional athlete but the experience felt like the most athletic thing I’ve done in my life. I was testing, refining and getting new PBs until the final performance where I was truly proud of myself for sticking the landing.
Any advice for BIPOC women who would like to get into comedy?
We need you! You are funny! Your lived experiences are full of funny tales because we’ve had to use humour to survive in this world. The cool thing about stand-up comedy is anyone can sign up to give it a go. If you think you might be funny, start jotting down a few ideas in your phone or notepad as they come to you. Watch some shows, get inspired and give it a crack. You’ve got nothing to lose.
Glowreel releases a newsletter every Monday afternoon featuring interviews with BIPOC women and gender diverse peeps. Subscribe here or check them out on Instagram.