Melbourne-based absurdist comedian Ross Purdy will present the Australian premiere of his new show 'Afterbirth From A Hellmouth' at Adelaide Fringe.
All profits from ticket sales will go towards helping to solve the cost of living crisis. . . Or will they?
Ross Purdy plays ‘Ross Purdy’ in a charity gig for the devil – putting the ‘destruction’ in ‘deconstructionist anti-comedy stand-up’.
This chaotic character, the winner of season 12 of 'Celebrity Brain Lobotomy' and the viral star of a possum licking video, presents an alternate reality, alternative comedy production as part of the Fringe festivities.
We spoke to Ross to try and unpack 'Afterbirth From A Hellmouth', as well as the art of comedy as a whole, and his history at Adelaide Fringe.
For the uninitiated, who is Ross Purdy?
A Melbourne-based sketch/character comedian who is known for his distinct, chaotic brand of absurd and satirical comedy. He plays the character of Ross Purdy, the comedian who is clad in pink balaclava, who lives in what TVTropes.com would call a 'crapsack world', and brings anarchy and chaos wherever he goes, intentionally or not, with a capacity to take and recover from injury and violence like a Looney Tunes character. A manifestation of a Dorian Gray painting of Australian comedy who will take any and all opportunities to attempt to hustle and make it in the business of show. Confused yet?
You’re an ‘alternative comedian’. What does this mean?
Comedy that goes outside the mainstream, whether it be through the themes and content it explores or experimental in form and structure. In terms of my comedy, it tends to overlap in both. It’s not necessarily 'set up punchline' and it doesn’t necessarily wink when it comes to what it is satirising and parodying. It is character-based, absurdist and dada. Reality and fiction are in flux. It’s paradoxically a loud and crude cacophony of subtlety and gag-a-minute cartoonishness.
If you could name a particular comedian that you have always been strongly inspired by, who would it be?
I describe my latest show as 'Sam Campbell by way of Neil Hamburger'. I have a lot of influences that I do wear on my sleeve. I am the offspring of post-ironic internet meme humour, your Tim and Erics, your Eric Andres, Sarah Squirms. I’ve also been inspired by the theatricality and boundary-pushing of comedy punk and metal acts such as GWAR and Green Jelly.
Why do you love the art of comedy?
Its ability to create joy and catharsis in a world that is deeply unsettling and makes little sense, to reflect that back, nonsensically, in a distorted funhouse mirror. Can be deeply personal and bring in different communities of people. For anyone who is adamant a certain kind of comedy or comedian can’t possibly be for anyone else, it can actually be secret morse code language for a small niche.
You’ve received nominations at the likes of Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Sydney Fringe. What does this kind of validation mean to you?
The kind of comedy I do can take a staunch iconoclasm that at times can wear and can feel like maybe there’s no want for your little weirdo act. Those nominations helped me to see there is space in the Australian comedy scene for what I do.
You’re performing at Adelaide Fringe. What can audiences expect to see?
A dadaist character/stand-up comedy show that’s framed as a charity gig, purportedly to help the cost of living crisis but actually for something more nefarious. Possibly exploring how an entertainer’s self-interest and attempt to appease the bourgeoise does great harm to the lower classes while claiming to actually help them, or it means nothing at all. You decide. There’s also cartoon violence, dumb body horror puppets, punk songs about lasagna and gentrifying Hell and nonsense comedy bits.
Is this your first time at the festival? What are you most looking forward to about playing it in 2024?
This will be my seventh time performing at the Adelaide Fringe, I look forward to performing and developing my show at Arthur Artbar, a wonderful venue space run by great people who have always supported me since I started doing festivals.
Describe your show using a song lyric.
'Efficiency and progress is ours once more
Now that we have the neutron bomb
It's nice and quick and clean and gets things done.' 'Kill The Poor' by Dead Kennedys.
Ross Purdy plays Discover Room at ARTHUR ARTHOUSE (Adelaide Fringe) 11-17 March.
