Haylee Deutrom is launching her first solo comedy act at the 2022 Melbourne International Comedy Festival and it's set to be a wild autobiographical ride.
Deutrom is the blonde-haired, blue-eyed daughter of a Sri Lankan who grew up surrounded by Amazonian beauties. She was born in Australia to a New Zealander and a Sri Lankan, is married to an Englishman, and yet hates cricket. She’s tried everything from playing in punk and metal bands, to starring in theatrical ensembles (First Wives Pub, anyone?), but has just never fit in well anywhere.
At least, until now. Haylee will be in her element when she launches her first solo show at MICF at the end of this month, so we spoke to the burgeoning comedy star about how her unusual upbringing inspired the deeply autobiographical show.
What you need to know
- Interlopia is written, created and performed by Haylee Deutrom.
- Presented by Red Brassiere and Caz Reitops Dirty Secrets on Smith Street
- Shows run on March 30, 31, April 3, 17, 24 at 7pm, and then April 13 at 6pm, and April 8, 9, 15, 16 at 5pm
Check out Melbourne’s most comprehensive comedy guide here.
Your upbringing obviously provides a significant influence, tell us about your family and why you felt out of place?
As this is my first solo, stand-up show, it had to be somewhat autobiographical. So including a great deal of my upbringing was a no-brainer, and most people find it interesting. As I very obviously present as a white woman, reactions to my heritage (my parents are from Sri Lanka and New Zealand respectively) have ranged from shock to outright denial – I remember getting in trouble in Grade 1 for “lying”. So, for most of my Aussie mates I was a bit of an outlier as a white kid who looked nothing like my cousins, got raised on rice and had a very strict upbringing.
How did you then turn that into comedy, what was your process like, and what was the reaction?
My upbringing translates pretty readily into comedy – the observational stuff alone is so out of left field. In terms of my own process, I’ve been a writer (lyricist, poet, playwright) for such a long while that organising my concepts into narratives is second nature, I guess. But while I felt a lot of pressure to write an hour’s worth of content JUST about me, I found that this show poured out quickly. I didn’t have to dig very deep to find funny or ridiculous situations. It has been my great fortune to have spent my life so far surrounded by some hilarious and strong characters! So far reactions have been pretty positive and the content has resonated – and even those who I’ve known a long time and aren’t privy to the content seem excited enough that I’m about to embark on my maiden voyage in stand-up. They know enough to know I’ve definitely got enough material!
What attracted you to the punk and metal scene – did you (and everyone else) take it too seriously? What’s funny about it in hindsight?
I was attracted to the punk and metal scene in my formative years – from about 13-14 or so, and initially what attracted me was the lyrical content and the use of music as commentary, whether social or political (though it has to be said that prior to this I was very much a hip hop kid and that genre provides more than enough lyrical mastery). What I LOVED about being in bands was that I DEFINITELY DIDN’T take it too seriously, and neither did my bandmates. Don’t get me wrong, we worked out arses off and were very organised; but we ran into so many other bands that took themselves seriously to the point of reverence, and it was hilarious. These incidentally happened to be the same kind of bands that tried to kick me out of backstage areas because ‘No girlfriends allowed’, so taking the piss out of them was an exercise in pettiness that I’m still proud of. We wrote a song called “I’m in a Band” specifically about bands that take themselves too seriously, it was one of our better ones.
What’s wrong with cricket (and cricket fans)?
Haha, nothing I promise! If anything, the statement about me hating cricket speaks a lot more to there being something wrong with me! Just one more shining example of me being a complete biological traitor. I think cricket specifically incites such resentment in me (indifference at best) because of people’s assumption that I MUST be into it, as the Australian daughter of a Sri Lankan married to an Englishman. Somehow there’s an unwritten law that I absolutely have to be invested in where the hell The Ashes are. Nope, sorry ’bout it. I was in an Indian restaurant in Canada once and the lovely waiter found out that I was an Aussie with Sri Lankan heritage and his eyes lit up and bless him, he really tried to engage with me about cricket and I just had nothing for him. I will say the global pandemic has me more than a little steamed about Australia’s attitudes to sport and our sporting culture (and its funding) – while the arts are left to languish.
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Who are your comedic inspirations, and whose fans would you appeal to?
Without question, women in comedy. We cop so much more heat than our male counterparts, which is weird when we take up so little of any given bill. Walk into the Comic’s Lounge and see how many women have their photos/caricatures/posters up about the place. (I do love the Comic’s Lounge, I have played there myself! But we can do better.) So many women are ejected from bills (and not just in comedy – in band lineups, on panels, etc), because “there’s already a woman on the bill.” Kathleen Hanna and her ilk implored women to pick up guitars, and I think her comedic counterparts (Ali Wong, Katherine Ryan, Jenny Slate, Tiffany Haddish, Iliza Schlesinger, and closer to home Rose Matafeo, Celia Pacquola, Sarah Kendall and the incomparable Hannah Gadsby) more than lead the charge on the case for women picking up pens and microphones and writing shows.
What can people expect from the sets, and is there anything in particular you want audiences to take from the experience?
People can expect anecdotal evidence about my weirdness. But the main takeaway is that it’s more than okay not to fit in or belong in a situation. Rock up anyway. Have a great time. Who’s gonna say no? I still got into band rooms when dudes tried to kick me out.
What’s your favourite bit from the show and why?
A particular story from a band rehearsal that I can’t believe actually happened. Every comic has that one story that is completely unbelievable and side splitting. About 15 years or so ago I got mine!
What’s your favourite story behind creating the show?
Honestly, just the absolute faith and patience of my creative team and loved ones. It’s a big undertaking, going from zero to solo show in the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, I quite often ask myself who the fuck I think I am. But I even have a couple of gorgeous mates overseas (Belgium and the USA respectively) who, when I confided my anxieties about this project and whether it would be well-received, responded to my nerves with ‘Bitch, I’ve been waiting for this for years.’
Can you provide a shameless plug?
But of course – Interlopia premieres on March 30 at 7pm at Caz Reitops’ Dirty Secrets on Smith Street! I am so excited, not only for my show, but because Melbourne is back, theatre is back, comedy is back and the hospitality industry is still kicking because good culture and a cheeky bevy is what we do best as a city. I can’t wait for you to come down and form an opinion on me – but most importantly, come order heaps of cocktails, tip the bar staff and support your live and local scene because it needs you!
