Humour me

Comedy and terror often go hand in hand – just ask one of our most successful comedians

“I think we all have a dark side,” muses comedian Michele A’Court, perched on the windowsill of the Ponsonby office where we’ve arranged to meet, gazing out at the chaotic late afternoon traffic, smoking another cigarette and smiling.

“But I think that’s essential. Tragedy and comedy have always been great bed buddies.” She erupts suddenly into a peal of slightly demonic laughter before resurrecting her faux-angelic smile.

Small in stature with a larger-than-life personality, Michele gives weight to the common conception that comedians are typically contradictory characters. As sharp and sassy in real life as she is onstage, Michele, 49, confides that fear has always been one of her biggest drivers. Fear, primarily, of failing to succeed in her chosen career and provide for herself and her daughter Holly, now 18.

Michele was newly divorced and had just welcomed Holly into the world when she moved from Queenstown to Auckland to try her luck at stand-up comedy. It was the early 1990s and the Kiwi comedy scene was still very much in its infancy.
“Comedy isn’t an easy gig at the best of times so starting out as a single mum with a mortgage could be considered kind of crazy,” she says. “But I think that made me even more determined to make it work financially. There were times when I wondered how I’d put food on the table, but we got there. It’s amazing how hard you can work when your motivation is hunger. You can’t afford to do anything half-arsed.”

Her tenacity and willingness to take risks have certainly served her well. Now one of our best-known and busiest comedians, she has won the New Zealand Comedy Guild Award for Best Female Comedian a record seven times. Her proudest career moment came late last year, however, when the Guild named her Female Comedian of the Decade (2000-2010).
“It made my decade!” she enthuses. “I’ve been hanging around for such a long time now; it was wonderful to have that recognition.”

These days, she juggles stand-up comedy with regular guest appearances on TV3’s unconventional current affairs show 7 Days and slots on Radio NZ National’s ‘The Panel’ and ‘Nine to Noon’. A trained journalist, she also writes regular pieces for the Christchurch Press, the NZ Listener, Metro and Next. Michele is something of a star in the corporate entertainment sphere with previous clients in sectors as diverse as accountancy, building, healthcare, the law, plumbing, science and teaching.

However, even now, Michele says she is all too aware that the ‘dream life’ she has conjured could dissipate at any moment. It is partly for this reason, it seems, that she continues to seek out projects that challenge and even terrify her.
When we meet, she is bristling with nervous excitement, having just landed a major role in a play set to premiere at the NZ International Comedy Festival in May. The anti-romantic comedy entitled Michael and Virginia was written by Nick Ward (whose scriptwriting credits include classic Kiwi film Stickmen and TV series Outrageous Fortune) and the equally prolific Kathryn Burnett. Directed by comedian Te Radar (aka Andrew Lumsden), the play includes seasoned actors Will Hall and Lisa Chappell.
“I’m the only one who’s not a proper actor,” Michele laughs. “But I wanted to do something totally different – something that really scares me.”

Not that she’s exactly an acting virgin. She studied drama at Wellington’s Victoria University, has appeared in numerous theatrical productions (although often as herself) and even has a recurring role in Shortland Street as humourless nurse Helen Carson.
Her most famed (and favoured) role, of course, is as herself. She relishes the spontaneity of stand-up comedy, of having the freedom to take whatever idea happens to materialise in her mind and run with it – no matter how irreverent. She likens stepping onstage to entering a parallel universe free from normal constraints.
“It’s disconnected from the real world but you’re intimately connected to the people in the room,” she elaborates. “It’s its own perfect space.”

Much of her material deals with decidedly unfunny topics, including politics and terrorism. The news is a continual source of inspiration – she says she listens to the National channel from the time she wakes up in the morning to the moment she falls asleep at night. Although her guest slots on the channel make it required listening these days, she says she’s always been a news and current affairs junkie. She considers it her job as a comedian to find the humour in any given situation or subject, no matter how terrible – the minutiae to which everyone can relate and have a laugh at.
“Humour is a great way of getting people to think about and discuss difficult topics,” she says. “It’s a very palatable way of exposing truths and introducing new ideas.”
Famously outspoken, Michele doesn’t censure her material for different audiences, saying, “When people hire me, they know what to expect”.
Her main aim at every gig, she says, is to make everyone feel comfortable and included – as though the entire room is in on the same gag.
It’s a fine art she has long since mastered. As a reviewer for The Christchurch Press newspaper wrote, “You get the feeling she could pump out an amusing opinion on anything under the sun if you gave her five minutes and a microphone. That’s no small talent.”
Michele’s aptitude as an entertainer isn’t surprising given her family history. Her mother was an actor, her grandmother a singer, her grandfather a musician, and her great-uncle a “legendary raconteur”.

Hers is a family of storytellers, she says. As a child she simply joined in the fun.
“I always knew I’d grow up to be a performer. I remember watching [American comedian] Carol Burnett in the 70s and wanting to be her because she was so effortlessly funny. I was also a big fan of [American actor and comedian] Danny Kaye – I loved his comic ideas and word play. And I adore British TV comedy.”

Michele’s first taste of fame came in 1987 when she landed the role of co-host on popular children’s TV show What Now? Playful and vivacious, she excelled, helping the show take out the Best Children’s Programme Award at the 1989 LIFTAs. A presenting role on live current affairs show The Video Dispatch followed and, while the show was aimed at teens, legend has it the incisive commentary made it essential viewing for politicians.

Theatrical gigs up and down the country followed until, in the early 90s, weary of adhering to scripts, she turned to stand-up comedy. She’s kept audiences at home and abroad in stitches ever since, appearing at major comedy festivals nationwide and in Edinburgh, Melbourne, Adelaide and Coff’s Harbour. Now an undisputed industry veteran, she is a judge for the annual Billy T Award for Kiwi comedians and a funding assessor for Creative New Zealand’s Theatre Panel.

Along the way, she’s found time to acquire two husbands although both marriages were short-lived. These days, she and Holly share their home in Auckland’s Birkenhead with Michele’s partner of 11 years, fellow comedian Jeremy Elwood.
Aside from their mutual talent for poking fun at the world, themselves and each other, Michele says she and Jeremy are also both unashamed hedonists, gorging on good food and wine whenever possible.

“Jeremy, Holly and I all really enjoy each other’s company,” she says. “And I appreciate that, at 18, Holly still wants to hang out with me.”
It seems Holly has inherited the entertainment gene: she’s currently studying dance at Unitec.
Now that Holly has left school, Michele has begun to think more seriously about working overseas – a recurrent dream for a while now. It’s another move sure to challenge – and maybe even terrify – her, particularly if she decides to join the “cool new comedy circuit” in Southeast Asia.
“I wouldn’t describe myself as ambitious or a goal setter but I do have a wish list,” she says. “And travelling and writing a book (not a novel) are both up there.”
Michele relishes the freedom of the freelance lifestyle, saying she loves being able to pick and choose her own projects, seize opportunities when they arise and plan her own schedule. In fact, one of her greatest sources of achievement is that she’s managed to get by without a “job job” for nearly two decades.

It’s certainly no small feat, particularly in a sector she confirms is still very male-dominated. As to why there are so few professional female comedians, Michele says she’s stumped.
“I don’t understand what that’s about to be honest. But [comedy] isn’t the easiest thing in the world to do if you have a family because the hours are just stupid.”
She says it can be harder for female comedians to get bookings, although she’s confident that those with the requisite talent and tenacity will succeed.
“I’ve never seen a [female comedian] dismissed because she’s a woman, but I’ve seen plenty dismissed because they’re crap,” she says.
Michele attributes her own success to her strong work ethic and powers of transformation.
“I’ve morphed from a writer to a TV presenter to a stand-up comic, current affairs chick, corporate entertainer and actor. These days, I guess I’m a bit of a combination of the lot.”
Although she comes across as someone who lives for the moment, she insists she’s “completely anal” when it comes to time management.
“I couldn’t get by without my diaries and wall planners and I’m a list-maker,” she says. “I plan my time as much as I possibly can and I have an accountant. We have fights over who does the spreadsheets because I like to know what’s going on financially.”
A firm believer in the adage, ‘you’re only as good as your last gig’, she admits she still gets nervous before shows.
“I’ve been told the nerves only get worse with time. The more you learn about this business, the more you realise you could be just a heartbeat away from failure.”
But she considers nerves a blessing as well as a curse, describing them as a powerful energy source that fuels her performances.
“I’ve learnt that you can be any frame of mind – happy, sad, pissed off, whatever – and still put on a good show. I’ve been around long enough now to trust that, if I follow my little ritual, everything will work out when I walk onstage.”
That little ritual includes refraining from talking for half an hour before a show, drinking plenty of water and breathing deeply while, in her head, she repeats her personal mantra: ‘stability, courage, success and peace’.
“I find it useful to think about what those words mean. It shuts up the incessant chatter in your head. I always have a plan before I go onstage but the best stuff often just comes to you when you’re in the right headspace.”
Despite her lingering insecurities, Michele describes her life right now as “pretty close to perfect”.
“I’m living the kind of life that, growing up, I hoped I would. I’m able to sustain myself doing something I love and life’s full of possibilities.” She pauses and her serious expression gives way to a smile. “And, importantly, I’m not broke anymore. If I want to buy a nice pair of shoes or knickers or bottle of wine I can. In fact, I’ll probably buy two.”
Once again the room fills with laughter. Although this time it’s anything but demonic.

Lorna Thornber



Michele A’Court – in her words
Q: You and a long line-up of other well-known Kiwi comedians hosted the recent Auckland Stand Up for Christchurch Comedy Fundraiser to support the Christchurch Earthquake Relief Fund. How did the idea for the gig eventuate?

A:The Auckland Stand Up for Christchurch gig was our way of doing something and getting together so comedians could feel like we were helping by doing what we do, and also giving Aucklanders a chance to share a sense of community. Many of us have our roots in Christchurch (I started by TV career there on What Now?) and we all travel there often to work. All the money raised went direct to Christchurch through the Red Cross, and we live-streamed the show on the internet so Cantabs could watch it and have a giggle with us. My partner Jeremy Elwood and Paul Ego also flew to Christchurch to do a surprise live show for the Student Volunteer Army to boost their spirits.

Q: Is the Michele A’Court we see onstage the same character your family and friends know and love?

A: My onstage persona is probably an amplified version of my true personality, but it’s not a character. That’s one of the things I love most about stand-up; you can rave on about whatever you like. There’s no need to worry about what’s in the script. When I step onstage, I seem to tap into some subconscious part of myself.

Q: How have you managed to remain at the top of the ultra-competitive comedy game for close to two decades?

A: I think it’s because I like to work really hard. I want to make everything I take on as good as I can. I’ve done a lot of different things throughout my career and had to draw on every skill I have, every facet of me. I actually quite like having to generate my own work. The harder I work, the more work I get, so I’ve only got myself to blame for having so little free time!

Q: Your partner Jeremy Elwood is also a comedian. Do you think having a partner in the same line of work is a good thing or a bad thing?

A: A good thing, I think. We bounce ideas off each other and we both keep the same ridiculous hours. We’re not competitive at all [smiles wickedly]. We support each other. Jeremy has worked overseas a lot though, which is something I’d like to do more of now Holly has left school. We make a good team in our professional and personal lives. He’s a great cook and I love to eat. We both appreciate good wine, and he makes me laugh of course. Yes, I think I quite like him.