Tell us about yourself and how you got into improv.
I’m an actor, but I used to be so terrified of improv that I would run away and cry whenever someone tried to make me do it. That obviously wasn’t ideal, so in 2019 I enrolled in an Improv for Actors course and discovered that it was much less spooky than I’d previously believed. I got a scholarship to train at The Improv Conspiracy from 2021-2023 (the “eight week” level one course took six months because of lockdowns but nevertheless, I persisted). Then I auditioned and joined The Big HOO-HAA! and Improv Conspiracy ensembles at the beginning of 2024.
What has been your most memorable moment during your theatre/comedy/improv career so far?
I love doing work that impacts young people. I’ve been working with a children’s theatre company called Playhouse Pantomimes for eight years, so every school holidays I get to perform for babies, toddlers, and primary school kids who are experiencing live theatre for the first time. That feels really special.
I also had the privilege of working with Momentum Studios and the Knox Rainbow Youth Action Group on their short film Still Me in 2021. It was incredibly meaningful to be able to bring such a beautiful queer story to life in partnership with the queer young people who created it.
If you were to recommend an artist in your field, who would you recommend? Why?
Go see the weirdos! Stand-up is great, but it’s a common misconception that it’s the only type of comedy at the Festival when there’s an abundance of sketch, theatre, improv, clown, and circus.
If I try to pin it down to one artist my head might explode, so here’s a handful: Taylor Griffiths, Pedro Cooray, Sophie Power, Piotr Sikora, Blake Everett, Hannah Camilleri, Ben McCarthy, and Holly Bohmer. And if you want to see some world-class improv, see The Bear Pack. They never seem to miss.
Are you working on other art projects so far?
I’m actually performing in three other shows at the Comedy Festival! During the school holidays I’ll be doing Playhouse Pantomimes’ improvised children’s musical, Story Soup, which I co-created and directed last year. I’ll also be doing some improvised musicals for adults with Les Improvise, and playing a few characters in The Booth Variety Spectacular and Formal Apology Hour with Frankie McNair and Isaac Haigh (MICF Best Newcomers 2022 & 2023, respectively). Naturally, I’ll be entering an extended period of hibernation from April 21.
If you were an animal, what animal would you be?
I think I look a fair bit like a fish. But going off vibes alone, probably a quokka: I’m very bouncy, very smiley, and I curl up in a tiny little ball when I’m frightened.
What event, past or present, would you like to witness?
I’d have loved to be in the live studio audience for the taping of the ‘Friends’ finale.
Which six dinner guests, dead or alive, would you invite to dinner?
Ayo Edebiri, Cat Stevens, Matthew Perry, Susan Sarandon, Marsha P. Johnson, and Sinéad O’Connor.
What three words would your friends use to describe you?
I just asked a couple of them so I didn’t have to think about this for myself, and my favourite answers were “passionate,” “unusual” (which they clarified was a compliment), and “curious” (as in “eager to know or learn” — they’re not just listing synonyms for “weird” I promise).
What would you do on your perfect ‘day off’?
I’d wake up whenever my body tells me it’s ready, and eat some big fluffy pancakes with ice cream and syrup (plus hashbrowns on the side) with my partner. Then we’d head down to the Peninsula and have a big old soak in the hot springs. We’d get a late lunch in our robes, and then we’d go to the drive-in and see a horror film. We’d order a big bucket of popcorn, and a boysenberry choc top each. Then, we’d do some night rides on some roller coasters (let’s imagine for the sake of my perfect day off that there are roller coasters in Dromana and they’re open all night). When we got home, we’d fall asleep watching YouTube videos about defunct theme park attractions.
Where is your happy place?
I love being on stage, and as I just mentioned, I love being on roller coasters. I like to think of both standing up in front of crowds and zooming around on big fast rides as (very different kinds of) thrill-seeking behaviours.
If you had to compete on MasterChef, what dish would you cook?
I would describe my efforts in the kitchen as “extremely inconsistent” at best. I DO make reliably delicious canned sardines on toast, but whenever I eat them my partner has to sit on the other side of the room on account of the smell… perhaps too polarising of a dish for TV audiences.
Where is your dream holiday destination?
Europe. I went when I was fifteen on tour with Ned Kelly: A Rock Musical (yes, you did read that correctly), but I’d love to go back as an adult. I remember being especially blown away by the art and the architecture in Venice and Rome. And if I may bring it back to my roller coaster habit for a third and final time, Europe has some of the most beautiful and historic theme parks in the world — including the world’s oldest, which opened in Denmark in 1583! I’d love the chance to explore those parks.
