James Clark is an unashamedly rich, corporate sell-out.
Through his material, the award-winning stand-up comedian offers a fresh, hilarious take on the always busy, work-focused lives of corporate professionals in Australia.
James has been a stand-up comedian for more than a decade. He's performed all around Australia and Hong Kong, including the Sydney and Melbourne International Comedy Festivals. If you can't relate to the weed-smoking, Centrelink-complaining, ironic t-shirt-wearing comedy from your 'differently tax-bracketed contemporaries', James' show 'Comedy For Corporates: Work-Life Balance Is For Losers' is for you.
After all – every meeting, every email, every call and every presentation is just inching you closer to priority boarding on another overseas flight!
On a broader scale, the show will be a hit for anyone wanting a brief escape from the corporate world, to unwind and have a good laugh.
In the midst of his Sydney Comedy Festival run, banker by day and comedian by night James Clark tells us more about him and his comedy stylings.
For those new to your work – tell us a bit about yourself!
I'm a stand-up comedian from Sydney, trying to balance an entertainment career with a day job in banking. Have also done some acting, singing and filmmaking, but lately I've been touring my comedy show around Australia and the UK.
When did you realise stand-up comedy was something you wanted to pursue?
I think when everyone performs for the first time and they either get their first big laugh, or just survive it unscathed, they can't help but want to get up as much as possible. I've also had some great feedback from audiences and other comedians, which has helped immensely.
Tell us about your process when it comes to writing stand-up material. Where do you start and what fuels your creativity?
I don't think it can be forced – so trying to schedule a time to sit down and just write jokes like it's a chapter in a novel might generate lots of output, but not a lot of usable material. There's few creative limitations in stand-up comedy and inspiration can come from anywhere. So while there's usually an overarching narrative that loosely connects all of the bits in a set, audiences don't mind if you stray off on a tangent as long as it's funny or interesting. The most important part is acting fast when inspiration strikes and writing or recording it quickly, which thankfully technology has made much easier. Then the challenge is not to overthink it or overwrite it.
What has been your greatest achievement as a comedian?
Selling out shows is nice, but the positive feedback from audience members is something I've always held in high esteem. A lady at my show in Melbourne told me that mine was the first ever stand-up comedy show she'd ever been to and that she had a wonderful time and would make sure to go see more comedy.
And what would you say is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your stand-up career to date?
You can try and tailor the content to each audience, but ultimately you have to do the material that you like. That, and be ready for anything.
And when it comes to your show being a fresh take on the lives of corporate professionals, why is this such an effective topic for comedy?
I think it's a bit of a forgotten audience because a lot of stand-up from well-known and or older performers is about their family and the things that happen to them while touring/travelling. Conversely, a lot of the younger acts are a bit more topical, with content about the latest trends that a time-poor office professional might have lost touch with (if they ever were in touch with). So this was hopefully a bit more of an insider's perspective about the modern knowledge worker or 'laptop class', but not just a list of complaints about the nature of work. It's also a challenge to the workers in those roles to think about what's best for them and how to navigate the conflict between financial security and creative fulfilment.
If you had to pick a comedian who you’d say is your biggest inspiration, who would that be and why?
Michael McIntyre, Jimeoin – great acts both on stage and on TV, which is not an easy transition. Jimeoin had a great sketch show on Australian TV back in the day. All the big US acts too, especially Chris Rock, Seinfeld, Eddie Murphy.
What’s your main goal, aside from of course laughter, when you step out on to the stage?
Just that audiences will have a great night out and get value for their money. It can be hard for audiences to get time together with friends and loved ones, so if they can come along and enjoy a night out, then that's some small amount of positivity put back into the world.
If you love _______, you’ll love James Clark.
Fantasising about European travel while stuck in a meeting.
James Clark has a final show at Manning Bar (Sydney Comedy Festival) 17 May. Follow him on socials for any upcoming dates.
