At last year’s MICF, Dave Thornton’s A Different Type of Normal was a humourous and touching show centred on the comedian’s memories of his late father.
At last year’s MICF, Dave Thornton’s A Different Type of Normal was a humourous and touching show centred on the comedian’s memories of his late father. At the end of the show, it was hard to tell whether the misty-eyed audience were harbouring the symptoms of poignancy or laughter – most likely both.
“It’s interesting – I’ve kind of wanted to do a story about him for a while,” explains Thornton. “When you are telling a story like that, it can take it out of you at times.”
But it’s safe to say that this year, Thornton will be bringing a different vibe to the comedy festival with his latest show, I Wanna Be Bruce Lee. “I joke with my family, ‘this one is going to have a little less depth in it’,” laughs Thornton. The idea of his latest stand-up comedy show came about during a flight to Edinburgh while watching a documentary called How Bruce Lee Changed The World.
“It’s one of those comparison things,” says Thornton. “I saw a documentary on him and I realised he was 32 when he passed away, and next year I’ll be 32. He was a writer, director, actor, philosopher, martial artist, and I kind of realised that I don’t have any of those skills. I don’t even have the skills of a Subway sandwich artist.”
For those who think Thornton will be emulating Bruce Lee, well, that’s not going to happen. Instead, “It’s all the big questions – I don’t feel like I’m grown up enough to do. In one point of my show – I think this is a fine example – I try to point out how I think that iPhones are better than babies.”
Whilst the crises of being in your 30s is hardly new territory in terms of comedic material, Thornton’s brand of self-deprecation has always been uniquely refreshing. “The theme really, that’s the conceit, and it’s me also turning 30 and realising that I haven’t done things that I thought I would – I haven’t checked those things off.”
Dave Thornton performs I Wanna Be Bruce Lee at Arthur’s Bar at Rosati from March 31 – April 24. It’s at 8.30pm Tuesday – Saturday and 7.30pm on Sundays. Tickets are $22 – $24 from Ticketmaster online, 1300 660 013 and at the door.
