Melbourne International Comedy Festival comedian Q&A: Guy Montgomery, I Was Part of the Problem Before We Were Talking About It
Out of the fog of privilege, Guy Montgomery describes his journey out of ignorance and into basic human decency.
Comedian Q&A
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What can people expect from your show at this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival?
Amongst some very hilarious and relatable observations we can all enjoy about life, it will also feature an investigation of all the ways in which my idyllic childhood in Christchurch, New Zealand actually cloistered me from the wicked ways of the world and meant I was not as cool as I thought I was.
And reconciling who I am as an adult today with who I was as an entitled little teenager.
YOUR GUIDE TO THE MELBOURNE COMEDY FESTIVAL
Tell us what you’ve been up to since last time you were here.
Since MICF 2018 I have returned to New York City (where I am currently living) to tremendous fanfare (I am very popular and well liked by all the residents of New York).
Amongst the pleasures of continuing to start my life over in the Giant Peach itself I have also performed at JFL42 in Toronto, toured through India with the MICF Roadshow (where I was mugged by a monkey for a banana in Sanjay Gandhi National Park) and watched the SpongeBob SquarePants Musical on Broadway after eating a substantial amount of magic mushrooms.
Spruik it! Who should see your show, and why?
Anyone who went to an all boys high school or anyone who has met anyone who went to an all boys high school and wants to know why so many of those boys become such dickish men.
What’s your No. 1 tip for people coming to see a show at the comedy festival?
Arrive early. Once you are at the venue, locate the bathrooms and use them for whatever reason you need to use them.
After that, I recommend buying a drink (if you like to have a drink during the show) and then patiently waiting outside the venue.
Which other comedians/shows are you keen to see at this year’s festival, and why?
Alice Snedden is fast becoming one of the funniest New Zealand comedians so I will definitely be watching her show.
Afterwards I plan to give her inaccurate and confounding feedback, while slowly pilfering her best lines and transplanting them into my own show.
Sam Campbell and Paul Williams are doing two shows together, both of which look as woefully misguided as each other.
What stands out to you about Melbourne?
This is my fifth year in a row spending a month in Melbourne during the festival and it is one of my favourite times of the year.
I love running through the Botanical Gardens, watching the mighty Vodafone Warriors or Wellington Phoenix play at AAMI Park (if scheduling permits), spending an unholy amount of money buying eggs at an impossibly trendy cafe that was downloaded from a Pinterest board, and of course, taking a refreshing dip in the world famous Yarra River.
Who or what is your comedic inspiration, and why?
Rose Matafeo is an inspiration to me.
She is very funny and has rightfully started enjoying some immense success on her own terms, which gets me very excited.
Simon Amstell is one of the reasons I started doing stand-up comedy and I think the funniest person of all time is Norm Macdonald.
Guy Montgomery, I Was Part of the Problem Before We Were Talking About It, MARCH 28-APRIL 21, MANTRA ON RUSSELL, 222 RUSSELL ST.
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