“I’m sitting at home and I’ve already cracked an afternoon wine, is that wrong?” Ciel asks down the phone. Well, not if your show is called #hangover. The stand up comedian is at home in Copacabana beach, on the Central Coast of New South Wales. “I’m on the Savi-b. I’m told Savi-b is over and it’s all about the SSB. I thought we were moving in a Pinot gris kind of direction and I wasn’t a fan. I’ll be honest. Not. A. Fan,” she says for comedic effect.
Despite performing for more than 15 years now, #hangover is the first solo show Ciel has performed as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Gigs elsewhere around the country, TV writing commitments plus close to a decade on breakfast radio in NSW have kept her away, but she’s looking forward to having a drink with her audiences. Literally. “My show does contain alcohol,” she says. “There is an opportunity to partake in a beverage. I do recreate a drink from my past that everyone gets to try,” she says. Having already warmed up this show in both Perth and Sydney she says it’s a good bonding moment in the show. “We all had a drink together and I personally think the show gets a bit funnier after that,” she laughs.
Ciel believes everyone has one of ‘those’ drinks from their past that has scarred them for life and that is one of the topics she explores in this show. “I think if you talk to everyone, everyone has a drink they will never ever drink again and usually a fantastic story to go with it,” she says. She shares the tale of that drink for her (clue: it’s a cocktail that comes with its own theme song) and also talks about a variety of aspects linked to the main topic. “Some of it is about when I used to work in a bar, some are hangover stories, some are the reasons why we have a drink,” she says. Coming from Sydney, where the lockout laws are having a major impact on nightlife, Ciel says she also briefly touches on some of the more serious side as well. But, she stresses, the show is about having fun.
Describing herself as “more cautionary tale than a role model”, Ciel says she has plenty of moments “where the ladies will be going ‘oh my god, that was me’ or ‘oh my god I remember doing that’ or ‘oh thank god, someone is worse than me!’” To that end, she also covers teenage memories, love gone wrong and dating horror stories. “It is a really good girls night show,” she says. “I have some girly stories about dating, I also delve into the ex-files.” However, she points out, “a lot of guys have come to my show and had a very good time also.”
Given it’s her first solo show in Melbourne, what would she like readers of Beat to know? “It’s fun, please bring everyone you know or even people you might just have walked past once. It does contain alcohol and I’m interested to hear your stories as well.” If you’ve ever had a hangover, then you’ll probably have a story for Ciel, or relate to one of hers.
By Joanne Brookfield
Venue: Melbourne Town Hall – Lunch Room, Cnr Swanston & Collins Sts, CBD & Forum Theatre – Carpet Room, Cnr Flinders & Russell Sts, CBD
Dates: April 4 – 17
Time: 8.30pm (7.30pm Sun & 6.45pm Mon)
Tickets: $15 - $25
