Bart Freebairn is not shy when it comes to stand-up comedy.
The comic has been doing his quirky take on the genre for a while, including appearances at the Melbourne Comedy Festival, Adelaide Fringe and Brisbane Comedy Festival.
Bart will be bringing his talents alongside four other award-winning comedians – Luke Heggie, Al Del Bene, Demi Lardner and Becky Lucas – when he hosts the Adelaide showcase of the Sydney Comedy Festival later this month.
The opportunity for Bart to host the showcase was one he happily accepted. “I've been doing this for about ten years, doing all different types of stuff and I'm good at [hosting] I suppose. You get to create a good vibe and control the flow of the show. Doing comedy, you never know what to expect and I guess this opportunity like many others arrived over time with practice and patience."
All of the comedians involved with this showcase Bart has worked with previously. "Well the acts are great. I've worked with all of them before, so I'm most looking forward to seeing them and introducing them. They are all different and all very fun.
“I get along well with them all, I like spending time with them off stage. It'll be really nice to spend time with friends while doing this show."
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Being a host, especially for a comedy show, is a role that doesn't necessarily come with a hand book. Bart explains how he has developed his own style when it comes to MCing. ”Every host is different, some just talk to the audience and have no jokes, some have jokes and don't talk that much and sometimes it's both.
“I guess for me I try to set the tone for the show by saying 'hey guys sit back and enjoy but turn off your phones and don't chat too much', and then I go into jokes and talk a bit. I make [the audience] laugh and then introduce the acts.
“All the acts usually have jokes prepared and I like to set that tone so the audience knows what to expect. If I just talked the whole time that's what they would expect from the rest of the comedians and that's not the case. After talking for a bit, I do five, ten minutes of jokes to prepare [the crowd]."
With a relaxed voice, Bart explains hosting does not cause him any nerves. “I don't feel nervous [on stage]. I've done this many times and I'm comfortable with it now I guess. When I first started I got nervous; it takes a while to get to a place where you aren't, but I've reached that place now."
Bart has been involved with many projects in the past including a regular spot on Triple J. Bart explains how he enjoyed the role, but that it hasn’t shaped his hosting style. “I think the way people perceive a host is different to what it is. Often the host is seen as a separate act when really I think I'm a part of it. You know I tell jokes and chat a bit I guess: the real difference is I may spend more time talking with the audience and warming them up."
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The rest of 2016 is jam-packed for Bart. "After this tour I'll be back in Melbourne performing and preparing for the Melbourne and Sydney Fringe Festivals and then I'll head to New Zealand and do some shows on cruise ships. Then I'll have a Christmas break before getting ready for the festival season. I'm jam-packed, but you gotta keep the momentum going."
