Renowned for his unique spin on the Australian society, Simon Taylor has spent the past year refining his brand new show. Uncovering the world of colliding cultures, Taylor’s latest, Human, is said to explore the humour of existing.
From stand-up to slam poetry, Taylor’s love of language is often the driving force of his performance. A self-confessed travel-enthusiast, he combines his personal experiences and his passion for the spoken word to create a seriously smart act. “A lot of the show is talking about the power of words, how accents and languages affect how people judge and perceive you and how your identity is linked to how you speak,” says Taylor. “Some people dress a certain way, some people act a certain way – but one of the first things you can judge someone off is their voice and that plays a big role in how we communicate.”
Touching on one of the most integral communication devices of our society, Taylor applauds the influence of the internet and its ability to strip away individual differences.
“It takes out accent and speech patterns and it becomes a streamline of information,” he says. “You’re then forced to actually read what people say and take an opinion outside of that,” he asserts. “In many ways it’s just a veneer. It’s the icing on the cake of being a person.”
Taylor has always fed off the energy of his audience, and his upcoming shows is no exception.
“I feel like if you want the comedy to emerge from the audience, and to perform comedy based on what makes people laugh, you present them with the jokes and the jokes change based on their reaction,” says Taylor. “It needs to come from them; it’s like playing an instrument as far as I’m concerned – you can’t sit in your bedroom and get good at comedy, the audience is your instrument so you have to go out and practice with an audience.”
From writing for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, to touring overseas and across Australia, the local wordsmith is clearly an avid and experienced performer. Nevertheless, Taylor seems unfazed by people’s expectations and admits that stepping out on stage continues to be a daunting task. “Ten minutes beforehand I’m getting more nervous and then it just spikes up until the last second,” he humbly reveals. “As soon as I’m on stage I’m happy…I feel free. I realise it’s just the crowd and me now and it’s between us. There’s no more preparation or discussion. You’re in it now and you’ve got to do – you’ve got to act.”
Clearly, Taylor loves comedy. He provokes laughter with a passion. “It’s that endless obsession,” he says. “It’s waking up every day and thinking about comedy, thinking about your jokes and your ideas”.
Ultimately, Simon Taylor has engulfed himself in all things entertainment, and is in no rush to slow down. “I’ll be in the nursing home doing twenty-minute slots,” he laughs. “When I look back, I’ve always just wanted to travel and talk, and I get to do that. I can’t imagine being in one place for too long, I can’t imagine having a boss, or a nine to five job, or something where I couldn’t just talk – that’s just who I am, who’ve I’ve developed to be and that’s the life I’ve grabbed by the hand.”
By Phoebe Robertson
Venue: Trades Hall – The Meeting Room, Cnr Lygon & Victoria Sts, Carlton
Dates: March 24 – April 17 (except Mondays)
Times: 8.15pm (Sundays 7.15pm)
Tickets: $22 – $29
