Last year, Diane Spencer made her Melbourne International Comedy Festival debut.
Last year, Diane Spencer made her Melbourne International Comedy Festival debut. The British stand up has had a busy year since then. “I was hospitalised in Melbourne; exorcised in New Zealand; went to the Edinburgh Fringe where I performed in a rock nightclub up an alleyway next to a whore house; I got an agent; I won a Chortle award, wrote a new show, found the love of my life and got nominated for an award at the Adelaide Fringe,” she says.
Which brings us to this year’s festival. Spencer’s latest show is called All Pervading Madness and is about a journey home, what happened on that journey and the thoughts that went through her mind at the time. “It’s hard to get home at 11.30pm with blood down your front, because no one wants to know why the blood is there!” she says.
Spencer says this confessional show, which scored her a four and half star review from The Advertiser during the recent Adelaide Fringe festival, is “true stories mashed together” linked with a narrative. “This show was a real step up in terms of writing, performance and technique for me,” she says.
Last year’s show, Lost In The Mouth Specific, about falling in and out of love, saw her actual falling ill during her season. “I was hospitalised in the Royal Melbourne Infirmary, with a throat abscess. I couldn’t breathe, I cancelled three shows and the doctor had to cut my throat open, and he went in via the mouth. I made it into the news with ‘Irony Hospitalises Comedian’,” she recalls.
All Pervading Madness, she says, is rude and naughty. “I am the butt of jokes, and if you can take a little rudeness then you will love my show.” Here’s hoping she has better luck this festival and doesn’t end up in an asylum during this season.
Diane Spencer performs All Pervading Madness at the Cinema at Hotel Discovery from March 31 – April 10. It’s at 8pm Tuesday – Sunday. Tickets are $14 – $17 and available through Ticketmaster online, 1300 660 013 and at the door.
