The super funny boy himself returns to Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF).
Simon Taylor has written a book, and recently got right back into the swing of stand-up thanks to the easing of restrictions and the resurgence of Australian arts and comedy festivals.
You may have seen him on stage, ABC, Network Ten or even Netflix, and this will be Simon's tenth MICF – a cause for celebration.
Here, we have a little chat with Simon.
Tell us a bit about you for those who aren't familiar (but should be!)
I’m the guy you see in a parking garage walking around pressing the key remote in every direction for ten minutes before I remember I caught the train in.
You've written a novel! What made you decide to do this?
Money. Everybody knows that authors all drive Porsches and live on their own private islands. I wanted to get in on that action. The real answer was that I did a Comedy Festival show about having a one-night stand and being told I was going to be a father. It was all about the hilarious mess I had gotten myself into. A publisher saw the show and offered to publish the story as a novel. So I took up the challenge of adapting the show into a book. It wasn’t an enjoyable process but the book has a pretty cover and I’m happy I did it now.
What was the most rewarding thing you got out of putting 'One-Night Stand' together?
Money. The non-smart-ass answer is that I’ve found it really rewarding to share the story with people who might not be able to get to a live show. Books are way more accessible to a global audience and receiving reviews and messages from people who otherwise would never get to see the story on stage has been dope.
You mentioned in a recent interview with us (about your Adelaide Fringe performances!) that you tend not to script your stand-up shows. Why do you prefer to be a bit more on the fly?
It's not really on the fly, it’s just written through memory rather than a script. The worry when scripting is that you sound unnatural when reciting the words on stage. If you just talk through an idea on stage, it has your natural word choice and intonation. From there you keep what works and say it again at future shows. Whatever doesn’t work you ditch and try something new. It’s easier to remember that way, for me at least, than trying to memorise a 10,000-word script and make it sound organic.
What's the hardest part about this method?
Stage time. You have to be getting on stage multiple times a night to do it this way. This requires lots of begging for gigs, waiting around for hours to get a spot, sometimes travelling all the way to a gig to find out they’re overbooked and you can’t get on. Luckily you’re doing it with other comedians and there is a sort of kinship around the process.
What are you planning on bringing Melbourne audiences?
An escape from the world into a comedy hour of my best jokes, embarrassing stories and hell, I might even throw in a song at the end.
You were set to bring the show to MICF last year, but then, of course, everything happened. What was the first thing you did during lockdown?
Finish writing my novel. My publisher wouldn’t believe any excuses for me missing the deadline, so I had no way to lie my way into procrastination.
Describe 'Simon Taylor Is A Super Funny Boy' with a song lyric?
“We’re happy little Vegemites as bright as bright can be” – The Vegemite Song
Simon Taylor plays The Toff In Town (Melbourne International Comedy Festival) 26 March-18 April.
