Comedian and former Canberra insider Carolyn Swindell gives audiences a glimpse into Australia’s political heart of darkness in her new show ‘Nice Lady MP’ at Sydney Comedy Festival.
“‘Nice Lady MP’ is about those women who stand behind the Prime Minister and nod when he's on TV,” Carolyn explains.
“Who are they? How did they get there and why the hell would they put up with all that?”
Written and performed by Carolyn, ‘Nice Lady MP’ is based on her own political career and her many experiences as one of the women who nod for the cameras.
“I had the funniest job title in Australia for six months: ‘Senior Advisor to Bronwyn Bishop’,” Carolyn says.
“As a comedian, people assume I'm joking when I say this, but it's absolutely true. What did I learn in this job? The old saying is true – you can lead a horse to water, but sometimes it prefers to take a helicopter.”
Carolyn is a regular on the Sydney stand-up comedy scene and her debut solo show ‘Why DIY?’ was short-listed for the 2019 Sydney Fringe Festival’s Best in Comedy Award.
“’Nice Lady MP’ is a brand new style of show for me, it's not straight stand-up,” Carolyn adds.
“I'm nervous but super excited to be debuting it in my adopted hometown, especially for that to be at the Enmore as part of the Sydney Comedy Festival. Sure, my actual hometown has the Broncos, but no Enmore.”
Carolyn became a comedian in 2019 after decades working in Australian politics; needless to say, she has dealt with her fair share of jokers and amassed a small arsenal of incredible insider tales.
“This show could be 48 hours long – there's so much absurdity in the political sphere,” she says.
“I draw on my own experience working in politics as well as interviews with a lot of people who've shared some crazy stories with me.”
After her time as a conservative female backbencher, Carolyn hopes ‘Nice Lady MP’ makes audiences laugh and have a little more sympathy for the people who choose to stand for Parliament.
“It’s a truly sh.tty job, I have no idea why anyone would want it,” she says.
Presenting ‘Nice Lady MP’ at Sydney Comedy Festival is well-timed with the impending Australian Federal Election, and Carolyn reckons there’s no better time to soak up some top quality comedy.
“The Comedy Gods have smiled on us all and scheduled the Sydney Comedy Festival with a Federal election campaign,” Carolyn says. “Get out and see some comedy, it's gonna make the most sense!”
Carolyn Swindell plays Enmore Theatre (Sydney Comedy Festival) 30 April-1 May.
