Melbourne International Comedy Festival comedian Q&A: James Pratt, Macdeth

Far from a tragic night out, this family friendly adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth promises a show filled with merriment and meaning, says comedian James Pratt.

Macdeth James Pratt Melbourne Comedy Festival 2019.

What can people expect from your show at this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival?

I suppose it’s a bit obvious to say laughter, gasping for air because of the unbridled hilarity on stage, feeling as if certain bodily functions will just happen by themselves because of the exquisite timing and execution of the work.

Wondering how do they do this? It’s both funny and moving.

BRITISH AND IRISH COMEDIANS TO SEE THIS YEAR

TOP COMICS REVEAL THEIR FAVOURITE COMEDIANS

Well not wanting to state the obvious, people can expect to see a piece of comic theatre that has substance and style.

You will find it funny and you will find it tragic.

It’s like eating sweet and sour, or salt and vinegar, it’s smooth and crunchy.

It’s like eating toast with marmalade in the morning with a really nice cup of tea and … actually that’s just my breakfast this morning, but it was tasty and sustaining. Bingo.

Macdeth is made for families and so if you are an adult you can expect to laugh yourself and to enjoy watching that little person you brought along laughing as well, which as a parent myself, is the best part of it all.

What have you been up to since last time you were here?

I used to be in the comedy trio The 4 Noels and we performed at the MICF for many years. It’s been awhile between that time and this new show with my new theatre company, Company 13.

In the interim I’ve been getting older and more confused about things such as, Trump and geopolitics and # tags and whether I am too old now to wear skinny jeans.

In among this general malaise I stumbled across some Shakespeare, I think I was using the complete works as a door stop.

Reading the first few lines of Macbeth I was immediately taken back in time to my high school English class and the total confusion and boredom I felt in reading the Bard in high school. Thank you Mr Atkins, I so hope you have retired by now.

I forged on because I am a theatre maker and then I watched the movie directed by Polanski and then felt bad because of his history, you know the one where he can’t come back to live in the USA.

Then I thought I am a theatre maker and I read Macbeth, well most of it, enough to make a show.

I should point out I suppose at this stage that Macdeth is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

Who should see your show, and why?

Dad and mums and grandparents and care givers who have kids from 10 to 16 years old.

Why go see a comic piece of theatre?

Because Macbeth is a great story — it’s a story that is relevant to our time.

This is a show that will engage your imagination like a great book, it will have you riveted like one of those Facebook videos of cats doing crazy things with a photocopier machine.

Also it’s relatively cheap for a piece of theatre for the family.

Finally, without getting too heavy handed here, you need to give your kids this experience, you need to show them some good theatre because it will help them down the track, help them get into a better university and find a high paying professional job.

If you fail to bring your children to this show you are actually depriving them.

Just walking into the Malthouse theatre you will have increased your child’s health and general wellbeing outcomes in later life.

Now that is worth the entry price alone. No pressure.

What’s your No.1 tip for people coming to see a show at the comedy festival?

Plan, book, get there in good time.

Don’t come rushing into the theatre stressed to the max and then expect us on stage to engage your frazzled mind.

Save the sweet treat for your kids ’til after the show.

The big sugar fix will have junior about as able to focus on the nuances of well crafted theatre as a broad sword is able to stand in for a butter knife.

Which other comedians/shows are you keen to see at this year’s festival, and why?

To be honest, I’ll watch most of what is on at the Malthouse — it’s a great program.

I’ll try and take my kids to the Listies ’cause no one does stupid like they do stupid.

Bunk puppets Stark and Dormy because it’s unique and I reckon my kids will love it.

Then I’ll wait like a relatively hungry tiger or maybe a lion, no a snow leopard, hang on they are extinct so yeah, like a hungry tiger.

I’ll wait for the word of mouth to spread about what’s good to see and then I’ll pounce.

I will flash my artist pass and bang!

I’ll wait until everyone else has got a seat and then go and see what ever the grape vine, wow totally mixing metaphors now, has offered up.

I know we are saturated with social media and all that but one of the best guides of what to see is good old, actually very old ancient even, word of mouth.

The Greeks knew it, the Elizabethans knew it, good old word of mouth.

In fact, I think Shakespeare may have coined the term.

I know he coined ‘milk of human kindness’ and ‘disappeared into thin air’.

I’ll be employing the same technique — it’s tried and true.

I wonder if he invented that.

What do you love about Melbourne?

I live in Geelong now but I lived for many years in Melbourne and the thing that strikes me when I come back into Melbourne is it’s not Geelong.

Now that may seem like an obvious statement but one of the more salient differences are the streets are thinner, more narrow in Melbourne.

In Geelong the streets are so wide you could easily chuck a U-turn in a bus drawn by a herd of old asthmatic elephants.

When you cross the road in Geelong you need to take a rest in the middle just to make sure you haven’t lost your bearings.

Baristas have set up little kiosks in some roads to service the needs of caffeine deprived pedestrians.

So, yes, I notice the narrow streets and the even narrower laneways with little coffee shops. Very Harry Potter without the whole magic thing and kids in pointy hats.

The spatial difference is also accentuated by all the tall buildings in Melbourne compared to Geelong, which aye the moment has really just one, The Work Cover building.

The steeple of the big church, I’m not religious so I’m not sure which God owns it, but it used to be the tallest structure Geelong had and then Work Cover built its temple to safety. The slightly ironic thing was though that within days of the WorkCover building being completed, part of the structure fell off in a strong wind.

The Work Cover building was less than safe.

Maybe they had angered the God who owned the big church and so he, she, it sent a strong wind as a message like that horse’s head in the Godfather part 1.

Who or what is your comedic inspiration, and why?

I don’t like trying to answer the question of inspiration — it’s slippery and ephemeral where inspiration comes from and as soon as you try to talk about it you come across as an a--.

Anything else you want us to know about you or your show?

Yes, I really want to tell you more about the show but my brain has gone totally blank.

It’s the same when someone says to me ‘hey do you know a joke’.

I remember when I was much younger and in the comedy scene travelling to NZ for their comedy festival and on my arrival card into NZ I put down comedian as my occupation. I rock up to the customs officer and he’s goes, ‘Oh comedian, eh? Tell us a joke then’ and I just go blank and I ‘um and ‘arhh’ and I try to inflate my deflating ego with silly quips about being more of a theatrical narrative comedy person and he just looks disappointed and slightly embarrassed for me.

So, yeah, I’d love to tell you more than what you know already, but I’m blank.

I feel I’ve let the team down on this question.

So, yeah, its’s a great show you’ll love it. Finishing strong.

JAMES PRATT, COMPANY 13, MACDETH, APRIL 6-19, THE COOPERS MALTHOUSE MINI MERLYN, 113 STURT ST. BOOK TICKETS