Comedian Lawrence Mooney steps out from behind Malcolm Turnbull and into the light of a brave new world.
It's been a wild few years. A lot has gone down, including a whole lot of nothing during various lockdowns and border closures. But that means Lawrence has really been able to iron out any kinks in his show 'Beauty', to really get it in tip-top shape for audiences.
You might have heard Lawrence on breakfast radio or seen him on TV on 'Dirty Laundry Live' or 'Modern Manners'. Otherwise, he's of course no stranger to the stage – having toured around the country and even won awards like Best National Act at Perth Comedy Festival and Best Comedy Act at Melbourne Fringe.
Here, we chat to Lawrence about what to expect in 'Beauty' and what's to come for him.
Tell us a bit about ‘Beauty’.
'Beauty' is a show all about our obsession with the way we look and that basically you can’t fight nature or the ageing process, you might have a rough bonce or have been beaten with the ugly stick but there is somebody for everybody. Because this show’s had a couple of false starts over the past two years, it’s now all killer and no filler.
This isn’t the first time some folks are hearing of ‘Beauty’, yes?
The ‘encore’ bit of the title is basically referring to how limited the audiences have been due to the whole COVID-19 bat eating imbroglio so now everyone gets a chance to get out and see the show.
Why did you decide to write a show focusing on this subject matter?
It started when I was in Sydney living in Bronte. There were a lot of beautiful people around, tanned, ripped, a lot of botox and filler, fake boobs and I was the odd man out. I mean I’ve got boobs, but they’re real.
Would you say much has changed since you presented it the first time around?
A lot has changed in the show. But that’s the nature of a comedy show. Some bits start growing exponentially and other bits drop off because they aren’t as good. Comedy evolves very quickly with the zeitgeist too. Yep, I said zeitgeist, and that is a good reason to dislike me.
What’s your main hope for how audiences respond to the material in this particular show?
Well, there’s two results in comedy, they laugh or they don’t. With this show it’s definitely the former, people are loving it.
Who is your current fave Aussie comedian right now, and why?
I love Fleety, but Lawrence Mooney is my favourite. That guy is a unique voice in the wilderness of conservative bullsh.t.
What’s on the horizon for Lawrence Mooney?
A holiday in Fiji, some heavy drinking and then working on becoming a recluse. It’s all very appealing.
Lawrence Mooney plays Regal Theatre (Perth Comedy Festival) 29-30 April, and Brisbane Powerhouse (Brisbane Comedy Festival) 5-8 May.
