Cal Wilson the sweet heart of TV and Radio is heading back to Adelaide as part of the Fringe Festival. Check her out while you still can!
Is it hard juggling TV, Radio and stand up comedy? “Thinking back this is the longest full time job I’ve ever had,” Cal pondered. “Normally I do bits and pieces at three months at a time and this is the first time I’ve had a real job ever. As a comedian you do get used having a really unstable lifestyle and whilst I might be earning good money this month, who knows, next month I could be back being a waitress. At the moment it is a real luxury to be able to say next month I have the same job.”
What’s it like working with Akmal? “It’s like working with a giant puppy,” Cal suggested. “He’s playful and lots of fun but you have to grab his leash and hold on tight. It is an odd couple pairing but I think we balance each other pretty well and I think we genuinely make each other laugh as well, which is nice because we have such different perspective on things that we’re startled with what the other person comes out with. I’ll have to see his show to see what he is saying about me.”
Does some of your radio work spill out in to your comedy show? “I guess so,” Cal answered. “I guess because I’ve only got the only kind of humour. The radio is the more chilled out version of what the show will be. I can only be Cal really although that’s not true as I’m doing a character in the show. I’ve got one character that I’ve done for a few years that I really like and that’s my treat to be able to do that. She’s a very Kiwi feminist poet called Adele who can be a bit frightening but she’s lots of fun. She’s one of those sorts of people who’d like to flirt with the male members of the audience in a disconcerting way, which is a lot of fun.”
So the males should sit in the front row? “If they like a neck brace, feminist poet from a small town in New Zealand who wear dungarees.”
Do you have any strange rituals you do before your show? “Yes I do,” Cal replied. “It might seem weird to other people but I tend to do, while other comedians pace, is pace but add a bit of percussion to that. I like to drum my stomach to get my mind and energy going. There’s a lot of nervous energy to go round.”
Do you Adelaide and the Fringe? “Yeah,” Cal said. “Last year was my first time I’d been to Adelaide and I love how the whole town, almost like a smaller Edinburgh, comes alive especially walking through the Garden Of Unearthly Delights. It’s like ‘the festival is on, let’s go out,’ it’s such a beautiful atmosphere that I almost wanted to get married in the Festival Fringe bar.”
Does anything standout from your last visit to Adelaide that seems different to the rest of the country? “Hahndorf,” Cal rattled off. “The last time I was here we went up there and I had the most incredibly hot salami I’ve ever had in my life. It was like tear inducing heat and it was funny because we made pasta that was far too hot to eat. Adelaide is quite compact and everyone can get and does get in to the festival. It’s really special and no one is blasé about but rather ‘what are we going to see.’
Have there been any moments where you get to stressed out to go on? “Usually five minutes before I go on I start saying why do I do this for a job, this is insane,” Cal replied. “Five minutes after I’ve gone on I start to think how much I love. I do get myself in a panic and I think other comedians are similar as you tend to do the worst case scenario in your head but fortunately worst case scenario doesn’t happen all that often except in your head.”
Is it hard to be funny all the time? “I use the line that I’m off duty or pay me,” Cal indicated. “It generally doesn’t happen on the streets and most people are pretty cool just wanting to say hi. If you’re at a party and people have had a few drinks and usually want to tell me a joke, or want me to tell a joke or go on tell me about a guy at their work who is much funnier than me.”
For show and ticket details visit www.adelaidefringe.com.au
