‘Butt Kapinski’ is an award-winning comedy show that brings the audience into a completely different realm of entertainment.
Butt is a private eye immersed in the world of sex, shadows and subterfuge. The show plans to bring Adelaide Fringe audiences into a film noir murder mystery world, where all typical gender stereotypes are smashed and boundaries are pushed through the use of clever humour and extreme entertainment.
The audience is in for a night of true laughter and real involvement.
Deanna Fleysher, the extremely talented and clever performer behind this one-woman comedy show explains her love for Butt Kapinski, the Fringe and above all, why audience inclusion is so important to her.
Your comedy show ‘Butt Kapinski’ revolves around the idea of a private eye solving a murder mystery. Where did this idea originally come from?
I love murder mysteries. I think a lot of us love murder mysteries. Isn't it fun for us all to get in a room together and make a murder mystery? I think so!
The show is very audience inclusive, what is that you love so much about bringing the audience into your show?
Audience members are almost always incredibly generous, funny, surprising and real. They are the reason I keep doing what I do. They keep it fresh.
Although ‘Butt Kapinski’ is a one-woman show, you do use the audience like co-stars. Why did you choose to create it as a one-woman show with contributions coming from the audience rather than other performers?
Well, I think it's interesting to call attention to the audience/performer divide, and to dissolve that boundary. It's a show about getting involved. We're all in this together.
Image © Nathaniel MasonThis show pushes and swaps many gender stereotypes, what made you want to present a show that pushes those boundaries?
You know how you're supposed to leave pimples alone? Don't do that with gender stereotypes. Push them, poke them, bother them, and then maybe they'll go away a bit.
You've been playing the character for seven years, how do you keep it feeling fresh?
That's the magic of an alter ego. It feels fresher than I do. I get tired and bored with myself, but I never get tired of Butt Kapinski.
You will be bringing the show back to the Adelaide Fringe soon. What do you enjoy most about performing at the Fringe?
I love the Garden of Unearthly Delights. It is so atmospheric and fun. It's crazy to perform in a tent every night like a fricking carny. The audiences are out for a laugh and usually have great attitudes. It's a unique month, that's for sure.
Image © Nathaniel MasonWhat’s the most challenging part about performing a show almost constantly for a month?
The show does take a lot out of me, so six shows a week is a pretty demanding schedule. It's important to eat well, work out, breathe, all the self-care stuff. Sometimes I have to forgive myself for not doing so much besides performing and taking care of myself. Or rather, I have to congratulate myself when my day consists of making an awesome salad.
You have had incredible success with this show overseas and in Australia. How does it feel to have an awarding winning show people clearly love?
It feels nice, but there's always room for improvement! There's always updating to do, new material to develop. You rest when you're dead.
And finally, for people who haven’t seen your show before, what can they expect from it?
They can expect gentleness from me. I don't pick on anybody. We'll all have a good time together and just for a moment forget the horrible things that are happening in my country right now. Can we? Can I, at least? Or if we can't, maybe we can have a laugh about it all and figure out how to make a difference. If the audience can be the star of the show, then maybe anything is possible.
