Melbourne International Comedy Festival comedian Q&A: Marshall and Marrows Productions, Tone Death: A Ghost Musical

Prepare to be spooked when a comedian dies on stage, joining a small group of ghosts who live in the theatre in this musical comedy by Marshall and Marrows Productions.

Marshall and Marrows Productions Melbourne Comedy Festival 2019.

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

Tone Death is the international premiere of the next all-original comedy musical from the team that brought you Pining For Affection: A Tree Musical.

Halfway through their set, a comedian dies on stage, adding them to the ranks of a small group of ghosts who live in the theatre.

BRITISH AND IRISH COMEDIANS TO SEE THIS YEAR

TOP COMICS REVEAL THEIR FAVOURITE COMEDIANS

Inspired to go about their post-mortem days scaring patrons and forming a musical troupe, the arrival of the comedian brings tensions boiling to the surface between the ghouls and sees the return of an old enemy that they would much rather forget.

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

This is our second appearance at MICF and we’re buzzed to be back.

After MICF 2018, we decided we weren’t quite done with Pining For Affection: A Tree Musical, so we took it to Melbourne Fringe.

Earl was a busy bloke all through 2018, writing his first full-length musical, Holloway: A New Musical presented by Monash Uni Student Theatre and completing his honours year in theatre. Dylan has been chipping away at the Tone Death script since Pining wrapped up and has been working hard on his studies in arts and law.

There are a few familiar faces returning with us to MICF 2019, onstage and off, and it’s good to have the gang back together.

Who should see your show, and why?

If you love a good pun and a show tune, Tone Death is for you.

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

Go to a venue and see as many shows in one night as you can.

Even if you’ve only heard of one of the shows, you never know what gold you might uncover!

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

Dylan: I can’t recommend Abandoman (aka Rob Broderick) enough.

He was at the festival two years ago, improvising whole shows’ worth of hip-hop musical comedy about the audiences’ lives and he’s back again, so don’t miss him, there really isn’t any other show like it.

Earl: I can’t wait to see Jude Pearl’s I Have A Face.

I missed out on it last time she did the show in Melbourne which was pretty upsetting considering how fantastic the response was.

According to all reports, her music is so catchy and her content is terrifyingly relatable; and I hear she loves a pun almost as much as we do.

What do you love about Melbourne?

We’re Melbourne locals so we’ve grown up with this urban crawl in our backyards.

However, what still always captivates us about Melbourne is how much character it has, with the Comedy Festival only reinvigorating it with more life.

Also, if you want a cool place to show your friends, head down King St to the State of Grace and look around a peculiar bookcase.

Who or what is your comedic inspiration, and why?

I mean musical comedy has always had it’s shining stars, so we can’t discredit the likes of Bo Burnham, Tim Minchin and Lonely Island in both our love for the medium and for inspiring our own work.

But also local talent like Tripod and Eddie Perfect.

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

If you thought a musical about a tree was out there, we are only going bigger, better and bolder with this new show. Check it out!

MARSHALL AND MARROWS PRODUCTIONS, TONE DEATH: A GHOST MUSICAL, ARPIL 8-21, THE BUTTERFLY CLUB, 5 CARSON PLACE. BOOK TICKETS