There are comedians who can stand in front of a crowd and wow them, which is fantastic in itself.
There are comedians who can stand in front of a crowd and wow them, which is fantastic in itself. Then there’s the over-achievers, all singing all dancing, all drawing, all instrument playing freaks (in the nicest possible way). Comedian Jason Chatfield and comedy musician Sophie Miller are two such examples. Chatfield kindly took some time out of his ridiculously-talented-person schedule to speak with us.
So you can draw, sing, play music, be funny… is there anything you cannot do?
“Dance. I can’t dance to save my life. Watching me dancing is like watching an amputee trying to fight his way out of an invisible sleeping bag. Standing up.”
How did you and Sophie meet?
“We actually met at the 2009 Melbourne International Comedy Festival. We were both doing separate shows but we’d always end up drinking at the same places after bump-out. She saw me one night at Trades, fighting my way out of an invisible sleeping-bag. The next night I attempted to pick her up at the bar at Hi-Fi Bar pretending to ask her a bullshit question about her music. It was so cheap even I didn’t buy it. The next day she asked me out on Facebook.”
Have you worked together before?
“Not on comedy, no. I took a year off shows last year and Sophie did the opposite; she took her shows to Sydney, Edinburgh, Adelaide etc. and I went on a bit of a comedy sabbatical. This is our first time writing together, but we’ve been working with Clayton Steele who’s not only a genius, but a great umpire when we start sparring…”
Where did each of you grow up?
“I grew up in Perth, and Sophie in Newcastle, so neither of us are from our respective cities to begin with. I moved to Melbourne and Sophie moved to Sydney, so we both had a bit of an ‘outsider’s perspective on each of the cities – neither of us were too close to the subject material to be too proud and defensive.”
Where did the concept for the show come from?
“Two years of a long distance relationship between Melbourne and Sydney, that’s where.
Every couple of weekends one of us would fly to the other’s city and inevitably draw a hefty bundle of comparisons between the two. A lot of them were so clear-cut and ridiculous that they became comical.”
What’s your experience of the infamous and eponymous Melbourne/Sydney rivalry?
“Both of us have a unique perspective on it, with Sophie having lived in Sydney as long as I’ve lived in Melbourne. At the basest of levels, it’s like a couple of jealous neighbours constantly trying to one-up each other, trying to be the most popular house in the street. Sydney’s been coasting on the Olympics for a decade like an ex-reality TV star, and Melbourne’s been kicking so much arse it’s starting to become as boastful as Sydney was.”
Which city is best?
“Well you’ll just have to come and see the show to find out. Someone from Sydney will tell you it’s Sydney, someone from Melbourne will tell you Melbourne. Someone from Perth will refer to both as the “Eastern States” and talk about housing prices for a while. (Perth actually makes a cameo in the show.)”
What are you most looking forward to this MICF?
“Getting to fight my way out of another invisible sleeping bag.”
Jason Chatfield and Sophie Miller perform When Melbourne Met Sydney at Tuxedo Cat from March 31 – April 10, except for Mondays. Tickets are $15/$13 concession and the show starts at 6.15pm. Book through Ticketmaster online or 1300 660 013 or at the door.
