Celebrated Australian comedian Brodi Snook is bringing a punchier version of her critically-acclaimed show ‘Handful’ to the 2021 Australian comedy circuit.
Hailing from Busselton, Western Australia, Brodi began her comedy career in 2014 by becoming a two-time RAW Comedy state finalist, and in the same year made her mark on the international stage, reaching the final of the prestigious ‘So You Think You're Funny?’ competition at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Performing sold-out solo shows at festivals across both hemispheres for the next five years, Brodi debuted ‘Handful’ at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe, and not only made it onto the UK Telegraph’s list of Best Comedy Shows for 2019, but was also named in their Top 40 Jokes of the festival.
“The success in Edinburgh and the fact that it ended up being a bit of an acclaimed show was absolutely incredible, but it was a long time coming,” Brodi explains. “Doing Edinburgh Fringe is a huge rite of passage in the UK, and so I knew that it wasn’t something I wanted to rush. I wanted to have a show that I really backed and that I was really passionate about, and that was very funny and as honed as it possibly could be.”
The show – named after Brodi once being told that she was a handful on a first date – predictably relays disastrous Tinder encounters, but also reveals that Brodi was the victim of a drawn-out harassment case with a high-profile comedian. Her take-no-prisoners, sarcastic, dark humour approach to topical issues such as gender equality and sexual harassment was no laughing matter for some however, with lots of men on Twitter expressing their anger.
Discussing the backlash, Brodi says, “I am not trying to take on a Herculean, 'Nanette' kind of show. That’s not the type of comic I am. It’s a show that is very funny, dark, powerful and heartfelt.”
A month after being crowned Chortle’s 2020 Best Newcomer (UK) in March 2020, Brodi – like many expats – returned home to Australia due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Along with other performing artists, Brodi’s livelihood was heavily impacted by the pandemic, however in a strange twist of fate the forced sojourn provided Brodi with the opportunity to look at ‘Handful’ with fresh eyes, and has resulted in her touring the show on her home turf in 2021 – an idea first floated with her agents in 2019.
“It has been interesting to pull out and dust off a show that is now nearly two years old, especially from the pre-COVID universe that it came from,” she says.
“The show was already funny, but I’ve been doing a bunch of rewrites, and it’s a really nice feeling to realise, ‘Wow, I’m better now than what the original script was!’ So I needed to update it to make sure it reflects where I’m at now with my skillset, having had an extra year and a bit of work under my belt since first writing it.
“So that’s what I’ve been doing. Making the show really nice and strong and ready for a 2021 lens, and adding a lot more punch. And so I’m really looking forward to getting it back out on the road and performing it to Australian audiences.”
Brodi Snook plays Comedy Republic (Melbourne International Comedy Festival) 6-18 April, Factory Theatre (Sydney Comedy Festival) 28 April-2 May, and Regal Theatre (Perth Comedy Festival) 7-8 May.
