Before comedy, Jess Perkins was a high school drama captain destined for a career in call-centres.
Since being a RAW Comedy Competition finalist in 2015, Jess has added to her resume appearing on ABC2’s 'Comedy Up Late', Digital 31's ‘About Tonight’ and has presented on SYN FM and JOY FM. “I was a really big drama nerd.
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"I hadn't really performed since leaving school and I always wanted to do comedy but never actually did it. Then I signed up to do RAW Comedy and my heat was my first ever stand-up gig, it went pretty well! It was super fun and has been an addiction ever since.
“[My comedy] is based on my life; the things that have happened to me or it'll be silly situations, or something that has happened and my imagination has gone on a bit of a ride. It'll sometimes be weird hypotheticals or dumb things that I have done.”
Jess also has a YouTube series called ‘First Dates With Jess’. “I was listening to a lot of podcasts at the time and I liked listening to comedians talk about their everyday life. I like asking questions that aren't your normal sort of chitchat.
“I thought it would be funny to do a first date sort of set-up. I mentioned it to a friend of mine and he helped put it all together. We filmed it over four sessions over the course of one year; you can tell because my hair changes,” Jess says with a laugh.
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Jess will be performing her stand-up as part of the travelling Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow. “It'll be different to perform to people around Australia. It'll be interesting to see how jokes go in different areas. It's going to be fun! Someone's paying me to go around the country, so I don't mind that!
"Comedy is really great because it can open your mind to so many different perspectives but in a really fun and non-confrontational way. It's not people standing there preaching at you with their thoughts and beliefs, they're doing it in a fun, silly and easy-going way. Come watch some silly people be silly, that's what it is!"
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow plays the Brisbane Powerhouse 4-7 May and Events Centre, Sunshine Coast, 12 May.
