Making her Melbourne Comedy Festival debut in 2016, Mae Martin will share her life, her ideals and her questions with the local audience. Inviting us into her personal life, the Canadian comedian is set to greet Australia with an open mind and for some of our creatures – open arms.
“It’s such a lame, tourist thing to say but I’m going to find a koala that I can touch,” Mae laughs. “Somebody told me there is a koala sanctuary. If I don’t find one, I will head into the bush – nothing will keep me away from them. I’ve heard their fingerprints are indistinguishable from human fingerprints; they could be committing so many crimes.
“My mum sent me a list of the most poisonous spiders and snakes in Australia. I don’t know what she thinks I’m going to be doing, but I have the list and I’m going to be cross-referencing constantly with things I see on the street.”
When Martin is not tracking our native wildlife, she’ll be performing her very own show, Us. Said to explore the realms of sexuality, labels and self-expression, the show will hone in on the importance of a neutral upbringing and adolescence.
“It’s a comedy show about my parents and my relationships. I kind of work through from birth up until now,” she says. “I don’t want to give the impression I’m doing a TED talk, the important thing is that it’s a funny, stand up comedy show. It’s kind of like a love letter to my parents, they always told me that sexuality is fluid and we don’t have to label it so rigidly. Moving to England was like coming out to the world and realising that not everybody thinks that way. I think we definitely need to evolve the way we think about sexuality, not just for gay people and gay rights, for everyone. The way we think about it is a bit archaic; we could be having so much more fun. I just don’t know who those labels are helping – I guess it’s easier to communicate and it’s a way of simplifying the nuisances of something quite complex.”
Starting in the comedy game at a young age, Martin is simultaneously a young, old-hand at stand-up. “Somebody took me to a comedy show, I loved the ambience and the vibe,” she explains. “The comedian brought me up on stage and put me on his knee and made me be like a ventriloquist doll. I did my first show when I was thirteen, I did some really embarrassing stuff in the early years.”
Never closing off any doors, she confirms that in the case of a career change, she has a steady and stable back-up plan. “I’d want to be Bette Midler’s personal assistant. You know the song Wind Beneath My Wings?I’d love to be the wind beneath Bette Midler’s wings – just in the shadows, really supporting her and organising all of her appointments,” she laughs.
By Phoebe Robertson
Venue: Melbourne Town Hall – Cloak Room
Dates: March 24 – April 17
Times: 8.30pm (Sundays 7.30pm)
Tickets: $26.50 – $33.50
