Under Cal Wilson's Currants

Cal Wilson is the kind of comedian who will do just about anything for a joke.

This is especially evident in the eye-catching poster for her latest show, 'Undercurrents', which she will be performing at this year’s Brisbane Comedy Festival. “I’m buried underneath currants,” she explained. “The idea made me laugh because I love dumb puns. Every time I think about it, I laugh.”

Having to spend a number of hours constructing a wooden frame for her to pop her head through (because being literally buried up to her neck in currants is her idea of “going overboard”), purchasing 12kgs of currants and having them poured on her, and having to sit still to be photographed as they began to melt and cover her in juice, it wasn’t until after she had seen the photos that she realised this could all have been easily achieved using Photoshop. “But, if it was Photoshop, it would have been cheating.”

Cal has long been a fixture on the Australian comedy scene, but it’s her ‘dumb ideas’ that have entertained and delighted audiences the world over. Beginning as an improviser in her homeland of New Zealand, Cal began performing stand up upon moving to Australia, where she has been based since. The eruptions of laughter that Cal creates with her mixture of sprightly charm and ability to spin humour from interactions with the audience led to her becoming a much sought after comedian, touring regularly and performing at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Reminiscing on her beginnings, Cal brought up another example of her odd style of promotion. “I was promoting my show at the Melbourne Comedy Festival by taping Chupa Chups to flyers for my show. What I didn’t realise would happen was that people took the free lollipop, but were throwing out the flyer.” That very same year, Cal would go on to be crowned the Festival’s Best Newcomer.

Since then, Cal has appeared on such shows as ‘Skithouse’, ‘Spicks And Specks’, and the hit English quiz show hosted by comedy legend Stephen Fry, ‘QI', in addition to receiving wide praise for her performances at such festivals as the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival.

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Cal is looking forward to touring her new show, and even more so returning to the Brisbane Comedy Festival, an experience she very much enjoyed. “The festival was so much fun. The Powerhouse is a great venue, and Brisbane is much warmer than the other festivals. I’m looking forward to it!”

Not only will Cal be returning to the Brisbane Comedy Festival for her second year in a row, but she will also be returning to her brand of stand-up comedy. “My last show ('It Could Have Been Me') had different characters based on what-if scenarios about my life. This show will be me talking about stuff I like talking about. The show is also called ‘Undercurrents’ because it’s about what I think about; what’s under the surface.”

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One such topic Cal will cover is her enjoyment of annoying her long-suffering husband. “I love pissing him off. Just doing little things, like sitting too close to him, or brushing against the grain of his eyebrows so that they become messy. I think I do this because I’m the youngest in my family, so I’d have to be annoying in order to get attention. It might be why I got in to stand-up.”

Along with sharing stories from her life, Cal will also be interacting with the audience and discussing topics such as unusual Aussie slang. “I’ve been performing trial shows, and people have been coming out with stuff I’ve never heard before. They’re brilliant!

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“I do a lot of improv and audience interaction because I love to hear the interesting things people have to say. People are funny! I like taking the opportunity to laugh at the audience, as well as returning the favour. I started doing improv before I did stand up, but I still use it in my sets. It’s always fun, and it keeps things interesting for me so I won’t be saying the same thing every night. It’s always fun to pick up on something someone in the audience says and see where it goes. The best comedy comes from a place of truth.”

Cal Wilson Tour Dates

13 Feb - 1 March – Adelaide Fringe Festival
10-15 March – Brisbane Comedy Festival
20 March – Canberra Comedy Festival
26 March - 19 April – Melbourne International Comedy Festival