It took some encouragement from the Footscray Community Arts Centre before indigenous comedienne Mia Stanford realised how unique her brand of comedy truly was.
It took some encouragement from the Footscray Community Arts Centre before indigenous comedienne Mia Stanford realised how unique her brand of comedy truly was. The Darwin-native could probably write a book about her worldly misadventures (and probably will) but in gracing the MICF with her presence this year, Stanford is giving punters a sneak-peak inside her incredible world in Unclassifiable: a one-woman comedy show that honestly does defy this description.
“Comedy is about connecting,” Stanford says. “I’m not from here, so it’s nice to connect with the indigenous communities here and other people as well. Comedy is a good way to bring us all together, you know?”
Stanford would know – having spent the majority of her young adulthood making connections within diverse cultural communities while abroad (27 countries in her ripe 30 years of life). A stint that includes studying muay thai in Thailand, teaching English in Romania, and now studying for a writer’s degree in Footscray.
“I’m focusing this show on the larger community that I’m a part of – which is so diverse. You know, Melbourne is so multicultural, and I’ve travelled a lot – so I’ve kind of based the show around my ability to get along with lots of different people. The show basically celebrates those differences and all the little nuances.”
Unclassifiable also celebrates the comedienne’s indigenous heritage. “I really like to pay homage to my community’s sense of humour,” Stanford explains. “It’s really nice to have the opportunity to do indigenous humour because it’s something that we don’t get to do a lot of the time… And it’s something that I really enjoy sharing.”
Mia Stanford performs Unclassifiable at Footscray Community Arts Centre from April 5 – April 16. It’s at 8pm on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets are $10 – $20 from 9362 8888, trybooking.com.au or at the door.
