“I’m like a travelling salesman, nothing wild happens really I just lose bank cards, clothes and occasionally my mind.”
Attention all tipsy women, terrifyingly funny comedian Joanne McNally is bringing her irreverent and critically acclaimed show The Prosecco Express to Australia for the first time in 2023, and she promises you’ll wet your pants. Or at least, she will wet hers!
If you’re at all familiar with relatable humour, then there’s no doubt that you’ve been following Joanne McNally. Writer, podcaster, actress, and “joyously nuts” – Joanne has enjoyed sell-out shows in Edinburgh, Ireland and the UK. Many of her Australian shows are already sold out, in what is sure to be an “authentic, hilarious” comedy show.
Joanne McNally – The Prosecco Express
- Adelaide, Garden of Unearthly Delights – March 17, 18, 19
- Perth, Astor Theatre – March 22, 23
- Brisbane, The Tivoli – March 26, 27
- Sydney, Enmore Theatre – March 28, 29, April 16
- Melbourne, Athenaeum Theatre – March 30, 31, April 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
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We were lucky enough to steal a few minutes with Joanne who has been touring for most of 2023 so far. We spoke about life on the road, how jokes die and we managed to ask if the famous Carol was real.
There are plenty of funny jokes or inspirational quotes that start with life being like a road trip, but we think Joanne should write her next show about life on the road. What she has to say about the tour so far had us giggling like school girls. “All good so far! I like life on the road. I’m like a travelling salesman, nothing wild happens really. I just lose bank cards, clothes and occasionally my mind.”
Ageing, no husband, no kids, no pension, and no plan. The Prosecco Express is kind of like a coming-of-age story for the 30-something-year-old woman. “To be honest the audiences don’t vary much city to city thank god! They’re always just really sound, tipsy (mostly) women who just want to have a good time so I do my best to give that to them.”
While giving her audience a good time, Joanne has a lot of fun when she is on stage. She keeps her energy at 110% which helps bring the audience up to her level. “When I was newer if the audience didn’t feel as up for it as usual I’d have probably lost a bit of my own energy on stage but those days are gone now. I just power on like I’m having the time of my life regardless and although some venues can be quieter than others, there’s always a bitta wildness to the room.”
The Prosecco Express questions what happens to Joanne if she doesn’t birth anything, and more importantly, who will be obligated to watch her die? While she hasn’t delivered anything in the delivery room – she continues to create “dark, hilarious, strangely reassuring” comedy. But does that mean she is obligated to watch her jokes die?
“Sometimes a joke will stop working and it’ll be because I’ve lost interest in it, so yes! For sure sometimes stuff loses its power but mostly your material can get funnier the more you do it because you add bits on the night and suddenly a line is now a five-minute bit so that’s handy.”
Joanne doesn’t describe herself as the comedian in her friendship group, which gives her a little bit of reprieve from being the funny one. She tests her new bits out on her friends but ends up laughing more than they do! “I love laughing and I do it very regularly so I guess I do! Most of my friends are way funnier than I am so I’m the one going to them for a laugh. Gearoid Farrelly who opens my Irish and UK Tour makes me wet myself on a regular basis. I have a weak pelvic floor.”
We’ve heard so many stories about Carol. We feel like we’ve lived and laughed alongside her. We had to know if Carol was real. “Carol is a beautifully mad mish-mash of all my friends! She encapsulates all of them. But Carol herself is fictional, sadly.”
Finally, is there anything that we won’t hear Joanne joke about when she makes her away to Australia? “I should probably stop telling people about my weak pelvic floor!”
Tickets on sale now – book at bohmpresents.com.
