Performer: Anthony Jeannot Photograph by: Blanca Romero Show: Life Coach (Age 14) Venue: Laughing Horse @ The Free Sisters Promoter: Indie Online: Box Office
Tell me about your Edinburgh show.
When I was 14, my school wrote a letter back to myself, 10 years after I graduated they sent it back to my parents address. That letter, nearly ruined my life. It’s a story of growing up and finding out you’re not who you wanted to be, of getting paid to google search the term sexy teen girls and of going on dates with doomsday survivalists.
Tell me about your first gig.
It was back home in Melbourne, I had a whole heap of friends and family come to see me. It went crazily well. I soon figured out that most audiences don’t like you as much as your friends and family unless you’re actually funny.
Do you have any rituals before going on stage?
I remind myself ‘be funny, entertain the crowd’ three times.
Tell me about your best and worst review.
My best review described me as narrative comedy of the highest calibre, gave me four and half stars and described my comedy pretty much exactly the way I’d hoped to see it described.
The worst described me as ‘floating around like a bearded butterfly aimlessly on stage.’ I shaved the next day.
During this Edinburgh run, do you plan to read reviews of your show?
Yes, I read them the day they come out.
How do you feel about reviewers generally?
They’re just doing their job. It’s important to remember it’s one persons opinion of one night of a long run. A great review is nice and a terrible review would suck. But if you’re any good at this you’ll know how the show is shaped roughly by the reception from night to night.
In April 2018, YouTube comedian, Markus Meechan (aka Count Dankula) was fined £800 for training his girlfriend’s pug dog to do a Nazi salute with its paw, in response to the phrase ‘Gas the Jews’. Do you believe Meechan committed a criminal offence, and why?
I don’t think it was criminal, but I’m also not in the whole ‘what about free speech’ camp either. I think there are things you can do, but probably shouldn’t.
Are there any subjects that are not suitable for comedy?
Yes and no. There are some subjects that are inherently not funny, but in the right hands and with the right angle can be made funny. If ‘shock’ is the angle, I doubt it is the right hands.
Have you ever gone too far?
Show me a male open mic comic who at some point started out hasn’t mistaken a risky hot take for comedy gold and I’ll show you a liar. Watching an audience be actually offended by something you’ve said hurts, and it feels bad, and it should and hopefully it makes you a better comedian.
Looking back over your time as a comedian, tell me about the best gig of your career.
Early in my time back home in Melbourne I won a competition and got to do a opening spot for Jimoin in front of around 400 people. I don’t think I’ve ever been that excited before or after a gig.