Danny Bhoy
‘Comedy Porch Thoughts’
When Scottish comedian, Danny Bhoy walks on to any Melbourne stage, it’s like catching up with a mate who we haven’t seen in a while. We can pick-up from where we left off with great stories and plenty of laughs.
Melbourne is dear to Danny’s heart as we hosted his first Australian performance in 2003; albeit in front of just 8 people in a room above a city pub. Danny recalls walking out thinking, ‘boy, it’s going to be a long month here in Melbourne.’ By then end of the 2003 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Danny had won us over; and remains one of most the popular international standouts performing at our Festival each year.
Over the past decade, Danny has reached global success and has also built up a massive following in New Zealand and Canada with regular tours and record‐breaking shows.
Danny’s unique brand of story‐telling and razor wit saw him invited to perform on the Late Show with David Letterman in 2010 and record his first worldwide DVD in his home town of Edinburgh -Live At The Festival Theatre released this month through Roadshow Entertainment.
Danny’s latest show Dear Epson is based on his collection of complaint letters that many of us would like to write but never find time to do. Danny wrote to Epson complaining about the price of their ink; encouraging him to write similar letters to more companies and individuals on his crusade to create ‘real’ change in the world.
What was the last letter you have received?
On Valentine’s Day I received an E-Card from a bookmaker wishing me a Happy Valentine’s Day and reminding me the races were on.
Are you going to write a letter of complaint?
Well I questioned what has my life had become receiving a Valentine’s card from a bookie. I am also worried where my information is being shared having been targeted like that! You have been touring Australia for 3 months.
Who do you travel with?
It’s a solitary profession. I just travel with my tour manager. I don’t have an escort, a warm-up or an entourage. There can be crushing moments about the whole travelling alone thing, especially being reminded about it on Valentine’s Day.
When did first realise you could make people laugh?
At school I realised I loved making people laugh. I spent more time outside of the classroom than in it. I tended to get chucked out of class a lot for being classed as ‘disruptive’. I thought I was being funny. I was always the class-clown.
When did you realise you could make a career out of comedy?
It didn’t really translate into a profession until I attended university. I didn’t even know it was a profession. It was kind of by default rather than by design. I didn’t sit down with a careers officer who said, “Yeah this guy is going to be a comedian.” When I started comedy 12 years ago I realised I could turn that into a good thing. It was always a reason I was chucked out of class, lost a job or thrown out of a car.
Growing up, who made you laugh and perhaps influenced your style?
Billy Connolly was the Scottish icon of comedy and one of the biggest comics in the world. I used to watch his videos with my family and watch them over and over again by myself. Billy kind of invented what we all do these days. Before he came along there were other comedians like Dave Allen whose jokes were jokes, but Billy was about story-telling.
What is your trick to performing comedy live?
Making every audience feel they are just sitting around a table in a pub chatting and shooting the breeze with friends. That is harder to do the bigger the venues become. Comedy is not like a ‘Rock n Roll’ concert where you can be in the audience and just enjoy the occasion. With comedy, you have to engage in the performance.
On stage, is audience silence more powerful than laughter?
The power you experience on stage are the moments between the laughter where you can hear a pin drop; the moment when people are hanging on your every word. The laughter itself comes because of the material. You can be a comedian and have an audience laughing without having them all totally engaged in the show. For me, the moments in between the laughter are more important than the laughter.
Why do you think Australians continue to enjoy your comedy?
Australians are very much like Scottish people. I find Australians like a good yarn in a way that’s different to Americans where they enjoy the one-liners. In Scotland it’s more of a story-telling tradition and that lends to my comedy quite well and that’s what I find most similar here in Australia.
On the topic of Americans, did you enjoy your performance on the Late Show with David Letterman?
It was quite underwhelming to be honest. It was the biggest thing I have done and I was on the show with actor Matt Damon. I thought we would hang around in the Green Room afterwards and Dave would take us all out to his favourite restaurant and we’d all high-five each other saying, ‘What a great show.’ Then I thought Matt would say, ‘Hey guys, I know a great club.’ None of that happened. You go on and do you five minutes and get chucked out and suddenly you are in the back on the streets with someone asking you for spare change.
What inspired you to write ‘Dear Epson’?
The show is basically a man having a breakdown. This time last year, I wrote a letter to Epson that ended up a really long-winded tongue in-cheek letter questioning how their extortion could be justified. I read my letter out on stage one night and because the reaction was so good I decided to see who else I could write to and make it funny. We all want to make change in the world; my show is all about creating change.
What is your Porch Thought For The Day?
"Someone recently asked me what in the hell was I doing touring Australia for three months and suggested I didn't have a life. My Porch Thought of the Day is quite simple - When you do tours like Australia, either you go big or go home."