Comedicate presents: The Comedian Talks, by Beau Fitzpatrick
1. What type of comedy do you do? How do you classify your sense of humour?
2. What are your influences?
3. When did you get started? How did you get started?
4. How do you come up with new material? What is your process of writing and generating new material?
5. Do you find it hard to write new material?
6. Do you have any anxieties about comedy?
7. What is frustrating you about the comedy scene at the moment?
8. What is giving you a lot of happiness about Melbourne Comedy at the moment?
9. If I was to divide comedians into three groups: Circuit comedians, Festival comedians and corporate comedian. Do you think that’s a fair way to divvy up comedians?
10. How is failure measured? Reviews, audience reaction, personal expectations, reliance on old material?
11. Do you feel uncomfortable about keeping your material in circulation for too long? How long is too long?
12. What is a successful comedian?
13. Developing your own style? Who are your grand influences and do you have any local influences?
14. Do you consider comedy a passion? A hobby? A job? If so, does it interfere with other facets of life? Eg: family or work?
15. How do you feel about stepping on a stage?
16. Does comedy stop for you? Is there a time where you allocate for comedy? Can you switch it on and off? Or do you consider yourself a comedian every day?
17. Do you think there should be the equivalent of the funny police? Or do reviewers do a good enough job?
18. If no one laughs, is it still funny?
19. Do you ever work with other comics to generate material?
20. How can you tell how a good script will turn out well on stage?
21. What’s more important/ what takes priority in your writing? the premise, the wording, or the punchline?
22. How do you collect ideas?
23. What stimulates your creativity? Do you have a muse?
24. How do relate to other comedians?
25. Whats more important? To make people think or to make them laugh?
26. What do you want your ideal audience to be like? Who are they? What age are they? Where are they from? What are their lives about? Who do you want your audience to be?
27. What are your goals in comedy? Where do you see yourself going with it in the next five years?
28. Are your current efforts in comedy in line with your ambitions for those next five years?
29. What would your advice be for the up and coming comedians?
30. What would your advice be for the comedians who are above you?
31. Have you ever considered getting out of comedy? If so, why?
32. Are there comedians in the industry which piss you off? If so, what happened?
33. Lets talk about lifted material.
34. What do you think about some of the comedy rooms in Melbourne?
35. Do you travel abroad for comedy?
36. Do you do festival shows? If so, what have you done?
37. Will you ever win a barry award? Why, why not?
38. Where are your favourite rooms to perform at? What are the hubs of comedy in Melbourne?
39. What age and social strata to you pitch to?
40. If you were given the option to do one or the other, what would you take? Writing or performing?
41. As it stands, what is your greatest strength? Writing or performing?
42. Comedy has many outlets. Have you considered any other form of comedy other than stand up? How about sketch or radio or TV or newspapers?
43. Do you relate to yourself as funny?
44. When did you discover you had a talent for making people laugh?
45. Who are some great people in the comedy scene for you in terms of mentors?
46. How much does your personal life influence your material?
47. Have you ever been heckled?
48. How does your mood influence your performance?
49. What comedy do you watch? What do you love?
50. Do you have any promotional materials? Websites and such that people can follow you on?
51. Is your material palatable to the masses?
52. Where do you stand on “edgy” material or foul language?
53. What do you consider to be “no go zones” in comedy?
54. Are some topics just not funny?
55. Can your material conflict with your sense of humour? Do you write because it gives you a result or because it reflects your sense of humour?
56. If you had two punters talking about you, what would you want them to say about you and your comedy?
57. Is looking good important to your comedy and comedy in general? Looking good in the physical sense and in how your personality is perceived?
58. How important is being likeable on stage?
59. What is your golden rule?
60. What is your philosophy in comedy?
