Tag: Josh Earl

Josh Earl – Square Peg

By Elyce Phillipsjosh Earl

Josh Earl has a history of struggling to fit in. From growing up in Tasmania to making friends as an adult, he’s always been a bit out of place. In Square Peg, Earl explores the idea of finding your tribe. Through a witty collection of songs and stories, we are transported through Earl’s life, right up to his stint as host of Spicks and Specks. It’s an interesting story that will have you laughing the whole way through.

Earl’s love of music is at the heart of this show – both in the story and in his performance. His musical talent is on display from the get-go. The songs in Square Peg are well-crafted and never fail to amuse, with their clever lyrics and fun melodies. A song from the perspective of a local footy club coach back in his home town of Burnie was a particular stand-out and a good representative of Earl’s style – sweetly funny, lovingly mocking and never punching down.

Although the songs form the backbone of Square Peg, the stand-up elements of the show are just as strong. Earl’s story about his discovery of Nick Cave had the audience in fits of laughter, helped along by some fantastic impersonations of his parents hosting a dinner party. A short play in the middle of the show is absolutely hilarious and was the highlight of the show for me. Earl’s on-stage persona is very likeable. He interacts with the audience well, drawing them in and even helping out-of-towners with the more obscure Australian pop culture references.

Square Peg is a heart-warming piece of work from a talented musical comedian. Earl’s storytelling is engaging, affable and above all, funny.  If you’ve ever felt out of place in the world, this show is for you.

Josh Earl – Square Peg is on at the Victoria Hotel until April 19

http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2015/season/shows/square-peg-josh-earl

Interview with Josh Earl and Ged Wood about Clued UP!

By Lisa Clark 

Melbourne has been blessed by the influx of talented comedians from other states and a generation of the best musical comedians in the world. Tasmanian born Josh Earl fitted into Melbourne scene straightaway building a strong following and fine reputation over many years with his warm family based tales, funny songs and interesting hair. We spoke to Josh about his latest project, hosting a live quiz called Clued Up! which is being performed at Wesley Anne bar in groovy Northcote on two Sunday afternoons in August.

We also spoke to its creator and producer Ged Wood who was once a standup comedian and now produces a lot of comedy for television including the Warehouse Comedy shows, Spicks & Specks, Myf Warhurst’s Nice, and the sadly lamented Letters and Numbers.

First up, Josh Earl…

L: How long have you been doing standup?

Josh: This year marked my ten years as a comic, which makes me only forty years behind Fred Basset

L: What got you started as a performer?

Josh: I was in Launceston and part of an improvised/soap opera thing (It was better than that sounds) and each week I would come out and play a song. A guy in the audience wanted to do a stand up night, of which Launceston had none, asked me to perform and so I did. At that gig a guy was in the audience from the University, and he was bringing down Rod Quantock and Duff and wanted me to MC the event. After that gig I was pretty much hooked.

L: Do you think winning the Best Costume in the Brooklyn Primary School Fancy Dress Parade three years running from 1986 to 1988 gave you the taste of fame that got you hooked?

Josh: No, but it did get my Mum a lot of enemies at the school gates of Brooklyn Primary school around those years

L: Who has influenced you?

Josh: When I was starting out my act was entirely music and I was heavily influenced by musicians such as Jonathan Richman, Belle and Sebastian and The Lemonheads, a lot of my earlier songs share similar chord structures to Lemonheads songs (Don’t tell them). But in terms of Stand up my influences are mainly my family seeing as a lot of my act is talking about my parents and my childhood growing up in Burnie, that’s influenced me way more than any comedian has.

L: You have a young family, how does this go with being a comedian?

Josh: I try not to talk about it too much on stage as I feel that half the majority of audiences at comedy clubs don’t have their own kids, and those that do are looking at me thinking ‘he looks too young to have a kid, do you think it’s true or just a bit?’ So when I do talk about being a Dad it is in the context of something else such as Skyping my Mum, or a story about how my Dad will sit on the toilet with the door open.

L: I get the impression that your mate and sometime comedy partner Justin Heazelwood (The Bedroom Philosopher) sometimes struggles about whether he is being pigeonholed as a comedian or a musician. (Tripod too) Have you thought about being a straight musician? Or do you see yourself as an ‘All Round Entertainer”?

Josh: I know my capabilities as a musician. I am an average guitar player and singer, but I think I’m a very good songwriter and storyteller. I see myself more as a comedian who uses music. With my festival shows I think the breakdown in the last couple has been 25 minutes of songs, 35 minutes of stand up.

L: What in your career do you think has prepared you for hosting a game show?

Josh: I think I’m a good listener, and I’m very punctual. I think that means I can hear when they answer the questions and I will turn up on time to start the show. Also I am a very quick talker so if the show has a fast money round we’ll get through a bunch of questions

L: Are you performing at Melbourne Fringe this year?

Josh: I am performing one night at Asher Trelevan’s show  The Experiment which sounds like it will be great [Asher describes it as a kind of ‘anti-comedy comedy club’ with Caribbean music, someone’s small dog and the best of Melbourne’s odd-ball comics.]

L: Tell us about Clued Up!

Josh: Clued Up! is basically a game show with competing teams of comedians, but as it is the brainchild of Ged Wood, I’ll get him to answer the rest of the questions 
– Ged?

L: Who else is working on Clued Up?

Ged: Well creatively and conceptually it’s pretty much just me…these shows a really a test run of the format. In terms of talent I’m really really excited about the people who have taken a leap of faith and come on board. Not Least Josh Earl who agreed to host without much convincing. Then there are the players, some old comedy mates of mine and some fresh faces as well. I’ think there is a good spread of performance styles and personalities. You can check out all the line ups on the website clueduptv.com

L: Is August a bit thin on the ground for comedians – because of the Edinburgh exodus? Have you had problems finding guests for the show?

Ged: From my initial list I had to strike 10 to 15 people off straight away due to Edinburgh which was a shame. Luckily we are in Melbourne and my list of people I wanted to be part of this was quite long due to the fantastic talent we are spoilt with. I actually find it helpful in a way sometimes to have your list of available people cut short. It means you have to make less hard decisions!

L: Do some performers balk at being on a game show because they are worried about looking like dills if they get the answers wrong?

Ged: In all honesty it only came up once and that person said, “you know Ged I will probably not know any answers I hope you don’t mind if I look stupid cause I don’t”. The most popular people on Spicks and Specks weren’t the ones that knew the answers (Hamish Blake, Ross Noble, Frank Woodley).

L: Is this a long term on-going gig, or are you doing a short season of shows?

Ged: A short run of two dates. Filming the second date. Hoping some savvy TV executive will come along and decide it’s the next big thing and snap it up. Otherwise, if people like it I could foresee doing more dates. Perhaps something in the Fringe Festival.

Clued up! will be presented at Wesley Anne, 250 High Street, Northcote on August 11th and 18th at 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM.

Comedians being quized by Josh will include: Adam Richard, Adam Rozenbachs, Claire Hooper, Emily Taheny, Harley Breen, Justin Hamilton, Kate McLennan, Lawrence Mooney, Nick Maxwell, Rusty Berther, Tegan Higginbotham, and Xavier Michelides

Check The Website clueduptv.com for more information

http://www.stickytickets.com.au/12120/clued_up.aspx for tickets
$15 seated
$10 Standing

Lime Champions’ Nightmare Tales

By Elyce Phillips

Josh Earl, Damien Lawlor and Kirsten Law of 3RR’s Lime Champions have put together a suitably left-of-field collection of sketches in Lime Champions’ Nightmare Tales. The conceit of the show is that the audience has fallen asleep immediately upon entering the venue and what we witness are a series of night terrors. What ensue are five Twilight Zone-esque tales designed to amuse and terrify.

The combination of horror and humour was interesting and worked with varying degrees of success. Nightmare Tales isn’t a laugh-a-minute kind of show. Every now and then, the stories will take an unexpectedly dark turn and this made the audience uneasy – but I suspect this is what the team was after.

Like any sketch show, some of the sketches worked better than others. The shorter, snappier stories in the middle of show had a tendency to be more comedy-minded. Lawlor’s solo piece wherein he attempts to call an automated phone sex hotline was far and away my pick of the bunch. The final sketch, involving a rather extensive poop joke had its moments, but wasn’t a great way to close out the night. The atmosphere in the room flagged a little in the more ‘serious’ parts of the stories, but when it came around to the comedy, these guys shone. The trio work well together and there were some nice gags played out with some pre-recorded material.

‘Nightmare Tales’ started out as part of the Fringe Festival and it’s probably best to view it in that mindset. It’s not “hard comedy” like many shows in the Comedy Festival. If you’re looking for something a little different, Lime Champions’ Nightmare Tales could be the show for you. It’s a quirky and creepy offering from some talented local comedians.

Lime Champions’ Nightmare Tales is on in the Lunch Room at Melbourne Town Hall, Mondays until April 15.
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2013/season/shows/nightmare-tales-lime-champions

5 Good Reasons to see Josh Earl three times and the other Lime Champions

Josh Earl vs The Australian Women’s Weekly Children’s Birthday Cake Book 

1. This show is about the greatest book ever published, a book that made birthdays exciting for thousands of children across Australia throughout the 80’s and early 90’s

2. This show actually helped get the original book republished, which then went on to become the highest selling cook book in Australia of 2012, of which I get…none of the profits

3. Every cake in this show will be shown on a cinema sized screen, You’ve never seen dessicated coconut this big!

4. I write a letter to Ita Buttrose on a typewriter cake to the theme music to Murder She Wrote

5. It has sold out shows all over the country and won the Best Comedy show at Fringeworld 2012

Josh Earl vs The Australian Women’s Weekly Birthday Cake Book is on at The State Library of Victoria at 8pm March 29, 30, April 5, 6

http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2013/season/shows/the-australian-women-s-weekly-childrens-birthday-cake-book-josh-earl-vs

 

Josh Earl is a Librarian

1. This is a show about Librarians, in a Library, by a Librarian, it’s like the holy trinity

2. This show goes all through the Dewey Decimal System, the only comedy show to have ever attempted this feat (probably for good reason)

3. This is the best place to see a lot of Librarians lose their mind as they see the Call Number 612.6 on a big screen

4. If you want to see a guy who looks like a hairy skeleton take his shirt off this is the one for you

5. This show is match fit having just sold out my entire season at Fringworld in Perth and Brisbane Comedy Festival

Josh Earl is a Librarian is on at The State Library of Victoria at 8pm  April 12, 13, 19, 20

http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2013/season/shows/a-librarian-josh-earl-is

 

Lime Champions’ Nightmare Tales

1. After 4 years of performing the only sketch comedy show on Melbourne radio the Lime Champions are bringing their confusing world to the stage

2. There are Dancing men, a secret revealed, an accident in a stairwell, robotic phone sex and strong frequent acting

3. This show is banned in Queensland

4. The acts in this have been described as “SHOCKING!! DISTURBING!!! NUNAWADING!!!”

5. Oliver Clark provides a voiceover, that is worth the ticket price alone

Lime Champions’ Nightmare Tales is on at The Lunch Room at The Melbourne Town Hall at 9:45 April 1, 8, 15

http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2013/season/shows/nightmare-tales-lime-champions

Josh Earl is XXX

By Annette Slattery

It’s hard to find the right adjective to describe Josh Earl. He is a contrast. On the one hand he presents a show of high energy, adorably relatable, poppy joy. But he is also dryly acidic, knowingly exasperated and bluntly honest. However I can think of a couple of adjectives that do fit him neatly, such as fabulously funny.

Earl has turned thirty. As someone two months shy of her fortieth birthday, I was concerned that thirty year old Josh Earl was going to bemoan his advancing age. Earl however is quite aware that he’s not old; in fact this show sees him questioning whether he’s grown up enough. This fear is enunciated to him by nine year old Rosie, a character who has appeared in two of his previous shows. This monopoly playing adversary believes that Earl has grown old without ever becoming a grown up. Rosie has a list of criteria by which she judges whether someone is grown up and it is upon this list that Earl hangs this show.

In doing so he tells us about his son, his marriage and his driving history. He assesses his own level of wisdom (occasionally comparing himself to an owl), determines if he’s ever had a proper job and discusses his home rental history. Earl’s take on these stories is never dull, never ham and never old hat. He works from his individual history thus rendering his tales authentic.

Whilst Earl began his comic existence as a musical comedian, usually accompanied by Tasmanian cohort Justin Heazlewood (The Bedroom Philosopher) these days he’s a “comedian who uses music”. His musical ability has in no way diminished; in fact it has expanded in style and content, becoming occasionally reminiscent of Flight of the Conchords. The difference is that Earl doesn’t rely on musical interludes but rather he uses them to enhance his comedy.

Earl relates to his audience exceptionally well. Whilst he may be well known enough to attract a favourable demographic, his work is accessible enough to attract knowing laughs from a wide spectrum of society. Nevertheless he is never in danger of becoming “broad”.

This is not a show that will disappoint. In fact I was thrilled to see this young (yeah I said young) comedian’s latest stage of evolution. Josh Earl is a youthful thirty years old. But he is also fabulously funny.

Josh Earl is XXX is on at Arthurs Bar on Flinders Lane

http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2012/season/shows/xxx-josh-earl-is/