MWFF Panel ‘The Culture of Comedy’

Written by Victoria Lonergan

From diversity and representation, to the behind the scenes of stand-up and television, moderator Dr Belinda Smaill caught up with writer Michele Lee, comedian Sashi Perera and writer Jessica Walton to talk all things comedy and its ever-evolving culture. Each panellist spoke of their personal experiences in the industry and shared how they hope to use their voices to give light to diverse communities including women of colour, queer, non-binary and disabled people in Australia.

Delving into what kickstarted their career, the panellists offered fruitful insights into differing approaches taken to integrating personal experiences into their comedy. For Jessica, who recently published their graphic novel ‘Stars in Their Eyes’, it was important to serve communities with stories that put them at the centre of their own narratives. This meant giving voice to disabled, non-binary and queer readers, particularly adults who may not have seen themselves represented in the YA genre growing up. It also meant ensuring that the decisions occuring behind the scenes came from and reflect the voices of those represented.  As a screenwriter on an episode in ‘Get Krack!n’, they found authenticity came from ensuring each character in the episode was played by a disabled actor, that the choices in the writer’s room served to bring joy and laughter to disabled viewers and that non-disabled audiences were invited to learn something new. 

Jessica’s love for writing and serving diverse audiences is reflected in their first picture book, ‘Introducing Teddy’. On what compelled them to begin writing, they said: 

“We all bring our own favourite picture books from our childhoods to read to our children, but sometimes what we have isn’t representing the community our child will grow up in today.”

Being a creative from a marginalised background however, doesn’t necessarily mean all creatives approach representation in the same way. Sashi touched on the importance of visibility, as well as the liberty to tell stories other than those that centre on gender or ethnic specific experiences.

“Sometimes you do want to speak about the thing that is most visible or what people are hungry for… but it doesn’t mean that just because you’re brown, when you go on stage, you have to talk about being brown. Sometimes I want to speak about doors, crows or self-serve checkouts.”

Artists and creators from marginalised backgrounds have to often contend with audience expectations about the type of creator they are expected to be and the stories they should tell. Yet in simply doing what they love doing, and being visible while doing so, they can create change. 

Drawing on this, Michelle emphasised that white men in the industry are often afforded the freedom to explore the complexity of the whole human experience - and it is rare that anyone complains about this. This is where diversity in representation, and not just representation itself, is important. 

Jessica shared their familiarity with the expectations held against disabled creators, including the presumption that they should perform their trauma, tell their story in a confessional way, and be either tragic or inspiring - nothing in between. How does Jessica feel about it? Put plainly, they are “so sick of it”. It can be difficult to break out of these expectations, but comedy can help challenge those confines and disrupt the perceptions non-disabled people have. 

Undoubtedly, comedy has been of immense importance to people’s lives across, particularly throughout the dread-filled (and boring) lockdowns many have endured. 

“Comedy was a lifeline for some people”

In a sense, comedy has taken on a new life over the past few years, opening up avenues where anger and laughter don’t have to be mutually exclusive. All three panellists agreed that melding both emotions on stage allows for powerful moments to call out the absurdity of sexism, homophobia and abuse. 

As Jessica mentions, Hannah Gatsby’s Nanette (2018) is a vivid example of this dynamic - where vulnerability comes not from relying on the emotional release of funny punchlines but from infusing those moments with unrestrained expressions of anger and frustration. Michaela Coel’s I May Destroy You (2020) and Bo Burnham’s Inside (2021) play with these emotions in a similar way, innovating the art of comedy to create spaces for coping and catharsis. 

As for the future… the panellists shared their excitement for continuing to see comedy help bring people together - perhaps not always in-person - but certainly through the stories and experiences shared on-stage and online.