Comedian/writer/actor Damien Power is currently appearing at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival with his new show Keit, after being nominated as Best Newcomer during last year’s festival. “Getting nominated was fantastic,” asserts Power. “I was genuinely stoked. Unfortunately it makes very little difference to this year. The festival is so enormous it doesn’t really mean much. But definitely encouraging for me on a personal level.”
It does seem as though the festival can be somewhat overwhelming, but Power is in good form, having ’s spent March dazzling our friends up north with his latest show Keit – which means Kate in Estonian – at the Brisbane Comedy Festival. “Keit went down really well in Brisbane,” says Power. “A lot of laughs. The show has evolved since then into what I think is a great show.”
Power has been active in comedy for a number of years, first emerging as a talent in the Legends of Laughter comedy competition on the Gold Coast. I ask him how he felt his comedy had changed over the years. “Well basically I’ve had a lot more stage time and done more writing,” Power tells me. “I try to focus more on original topics. Back then I was impersonating Tom Cruise and doing jokes that really weren’t about anything. Now I have more social and political commentary in my act and generally jokes with more weight.”
Power writes, sometimes, on his Tumblr. Scrolling through his site you can glean some insight into thoughts about a wide range of topics including resisting the urge to get naked on stage, his family, drugs, graveyards, the Middle East, kids’ parties, and our cultural concept of ‘success’ (you’ll also see quite a fetching photo of the man himself in drag). There’s obviously no dearth of thoughts running through his head, but I ask Power how he channels the activity of his brain into writing a successful stand-up show. The answer is simple. “If I think of something funny I write it down,” he says. “And I try it out and then try to work out how to make it funnier and more original. Sometimes I write for a couple of hours a day just thinking of bits and ideas and working on existing jokes. When I’m really trying to develop material I will force myself to write everyday. But often the best stuff just happens to you in real life or you see something and it just comes to you.”
It certainly seems that Power’s efforts are not going unnoticed. In 2012, he was selected to perform in The Comedy Zone, a showcase of the best emerging comedians put together by the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Then, last year, the nomination as Best Newcomer, and a tap on the shoulder to support Jack Black’s band Tenacious D on the Australian leg of their tour. “A promoter saw my show last year and asked me to send YouTube clips to Tenacious D themselves,” recounts Power. “They approved me. I did spend time with them and they were very supportive and cool.” Black invited power to do a bit between the final vocal solo and the guitar solo. “I got to do what I believe was the first ever ‘Comedy Solo’, which was basically coming out and trying to tell a joke. It obviously didn’t go very well but that was kind of funny in itself.”
BY JOSH FERGEUS
Venue: Melbourne Town Hall – Lunch Room, Cnr Swanston & Collins St, CBD
Dates: Currently playing until April 20 (except Mondays)
Times: 9.45pm (Sundays 8.45pm)
Tickets: $20-$25
