Richard Stubbs; comic, television and radio presenter, writer for over 30 years – it’s all fun and games in his world of anecdotal comedy, even if it’s not always intentional.
Slowly, carefully, one of Australia’s most revered entertainment personages checks off his list of activities these last six months. “It’s been really enjoyable,” he says. “I’ve been travelling to gigs all over the place – Finley NSW, Nagambie [VIC], Canberra, did a gig on the GC just the other night – I was thinking about this last week.
“I did a comedy bar to about 40 people on a Monday night, an insurance lawyers function, a sporting club night, all in the same week. Odd jobs.”
As a household name on the comedy circuit with an illustrious career, it’s endearing that Richard should be doing, well… “You wanna say ‘sh.tty gigs’, that’s what you wanna say!” Richard laughs. Well, not exactly, but as he explains, Richard has had times when his work has been hugely popular and times when it hasn’t – that doesn’t mean you don’t do anything, that’s not the way for Richard.
“I do my comedy primarily because I enjoy gigs. Each gig is a challenge, and I think I’m unusual now in my career because I’m not looking to getting anything out of it, I just wanna do the gigs.
“It’s akin to surfing, I guess – each time I go out I wanna do the best gig I can do, whether it’s to ten people or 1,000. The audience are vitally important but they’re not what are driving, they’re just a part of a huge equation.
“It’s a mindful action to be in the gig, wherever the gig is.”
And much like surfing, every wave is different, every gig is different. “One of the huge challenges of stand-up, but also one of its joys, what matters is the here and now,”Richard says, sagely. Nothing if not a chameleon, adapting to the times in terms of how he presents himself, how he works, and of course the material he delivers.
“There’s a debate about ‘has comedy changed?’ and I just don’t buy into that narrative, I think it’s all rubbish.
“You should always be evolving and be current, delivering to your audience right then and there something they find funny. Again, there’s no past in this, there’s just the now.”
In the spirit of being in the now, Richard has a brand new show, 'Cachinnation', that he’s bringing to this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Richard promises he’s not unveiling a singing and dancing triple threat show – “That’s down the track!” he teases – instead, 'Cachinnation' promises the same tone, delivery and man we’ve come to love. “It’s an hour of me and my take on stuff,” he says. “But it came out of a response to me being on radio, and also gigs. People need to be entertained and [need] the benefits that produces, the positives that come out of being cheered up.
“To me, what I want from this show, is that everyone comes in with their baggage and doesn’t think about it for an hour. They put down the things that are worrying them at the door – and they might, if they choose, pick them up when they leave.
“Hopefully it’s empathetic but I certainly want it to be something that anyone can walk in and their particular tribe won’t be the butt of the jokes, that they’ll enjoy, forget, and they’ll laugh. That’s what I want. I don’t think that’s a little thing, I think that’s an important thing.”
