Picture yourself performing as a stand-up comedian – what’s your biggest concern? Perhaps it’s receiving laughs, or remembering your material. For Alexandra Hudson, it’s simply ‘standing up’.
“Sometimes I’m thinking more about not falling off the stage than I am about delivering the jokes,” she says.
“I’ve only recently realised that sitting down eliminates SO MUCH mental energy that I was expending on my body. When I first sat down during a show I thought, 'Wow. I have space in my brain to perform'.”
Alex lives with cerebral palsy – a life-long neurological disorder affecting movement, muscle development and posture.
“The biggest challenge? Walking. I feel like I’ve been learning to walk for my whole life. ‘Walking’ has been a constant point of emphasis. Although most people find it hard to tell whether I’m just drunk or disabled,” she laughs.
Those misunderstandings eventually became a point of comedy for Alex – the public’s misconceptions of her disability soon turning into stand-up content.
“A friend suggested that I do a comedy workshop, and I did it. Not with the intention of becoming a comedian, but to challenge my internalised ableism, and to push myself creatively.
“I finished the comedy course in Byron Bay in 2019, and I started writing jokes because people started offering me gigs. And people didn’t stop offering me gigs, and then I started asking people for gigs, and it all evolved from there. It has upended my entire life.”
Alex went on to win RAW Comedy in 2022, where she was flown to Edinburgh to compete in ‘So You Think You’re Funny?’, then Melbourne’s ‘Comedy Zone’ programme in 2023. Now? The rising star is touring her debut show, ‘Making Lemonade’.
“My experience of being disabled is that people perceive us to be lemons. But I like the point of turning those experiences and misconceptions that people have about disability into something positive – I’m making lemonade,” she explains.
“Society doesn’t understand us; it doesn’t know how to meet our needs. I want to make fun of the ways that non-disabled people perceive us.”
'Making Lemonade' first appeared at Sydney Fringe late last year – now, it’s making its way across the country’s comedy festivals.
“That was the longest I had ever been on stage, at Sydney Fringe. For me to be in that space, to have an hour to figure out my material, was so much fun. And it was held in an accessible venue!” she exclaims.
"I struggle with handwriting – my hands get tired quickly – and I’ve never been one to sit at a computer and say, ‘I’m going to write a joke!’ Typically, I’ll have an idea or experience ruminating in my brain, and then I’ll write a few dot points, and I’ll get on stage and try it out, and I’ll record the set.
“When I listen back, I cut out the unnecessary language and repetition, and I can hear what jokes get a decent laugh. Sydney Fringe really helped to bring my show together.”
“Fundamentally, we live in an inaccessible world, and that’s just a part of my daily life. But hey, at least I can use that to my advantage now. I feel lucky, in a weird way – because I know that I’ll never run out of content.”
Alexandra Hudson plays The Rechabite (Perth Comedy Festival) 10 May, Factory Theatre (Sydney Comedy Festival) 15,17 May, and Brisbane Powerhouse (Brisbane Comedy Festival) 23-26 May.