As the Melbourne International Comedy Festival draws closer Rich Brophy is in Sydney, contemplating the inevitable ups and downs of the impending festival experience.
As the Melbourne International Comedy Festival draws closer Rich Brophy is in Sydney, contemplating the inevitable ups and downs of the impending festival experience.
Lows include the obvious exhaustion that abounds with “24 nights of begging for laughter”, but the highlights of the relaxed and friendly festival atmosphere majorly outweigh any lows. “The best bit is having beers with the people who have seen the show afterwards and making new friends out of fans,” he says.
Originally from “mellow and nice (but not much else)” Perth, 25-year-old Brophy decided to go into comedy after a high school retreat confidence game provided an inspiration springboard. “We were playing that game where you write little messages on pieces of paper and this girl wrote, ‘You’re really funny, you should be a comedian’ and the sun was shining through the trees and I leant back and went, ‘Yes, this is it,’” he says.
Before his inspired entry into comedy, Brophy worked as a painter and in an office, which unintentionally provided motivation to become a successful comedian. “I thought, ‘There’s no way I could do this for the rest of my life.’ I think that’s probably one of the strongest driving factors for a lot of comedians, that we don’t want to have to work an actual job.”
His show is called An Idiot’s Wisdom. Brophy’s philosophy is that everyone is capable of wisdom – even an idiot. “My show is essentially true stories from my life. I’ve learnt very valuable lessons from my own stupidity so I hope that other people can learn the same lessons without making the same mistakes”. Drawing from his experience of world travelling and his at-times-ridiculous life, it is set to be an educational show indeed.
And what would Rich write on a piece of paper if he could offer anonymous advice to budding comedians at a high school retreat? “Have fun. Or even better, don’t do comedy. It will consume your whole life.” Sage advice from a self-confessed ‘idiot’. Catch his show and have a beer with him afterwards for a little bit of extra free wisdom.
Rich Brophy performs An Idiot’s Wisdom at Trades Hall – The Bolt Hole from March 31 –April 24. Tickets are $15 – $18. The shop is at 9.25pm Tuesday – Saturday and 8.45pm on Sundays. Tickets can be bought from Ticketmaster online, 1300 660 013 or at the door.
