Post by gedankenverloren on Jun 5, 2007 17:32:40 GMT 10
Upon my usual internet trawling, I found an amusing piece on our beloved Francis. I've included the link at the bottom, where theres also a new picture of him (I think?):
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Dairy Queen friends Frank Woodley, as told to Debra Bela for STM
June 02, 2007 10:00pm
Now solo after 20 years of laughing with comedy partner Colin Lane, Frank Woodley is bringing fans a madcap 37 Shakespeare plays in 97 minutes. He spoke to Debra Bela:
I worry sometimes – a lot of comedians have these incredibly tumultuous lives like Charlie Chaplin or Spike Milligan, and write these autobiographies that are incredibly riveting. There’s poverty or conflict or mental illness. If I bring out my memoirs it’s going to be a pamphlet. There’s not much there.
There’d be a line or two about growing up in suburban Melbourne. I was the youngest of seven children and I hated school. (Former Victorian premier) Jeff Kennett tore down my old high school a few years back to build houses. I used to pray every day that someone would raze it to the ground. Then, when he actually did it, I went “You can’t do that, that was my school!”. Yet I hated it. \
I’d also write a special insert on the perils of making “Dairy Queen friends”. My family ran a milk bar in Glen Waverley and we used to have that soft-serve ice cream. Dairy Queen friends were the kids who weren’t interested in playing with me at school, but wanted to walk home with me because of the possibility of getting a free Dairy Queen ice cream.
But I’ve been lucky – I haven’t had many Dairy Queen friends through my life.
I’m very grateful to my family – they have been a priceless source of material. Every relationship you have, everything you care about, is going to be a source of material.
Mum was helping clean out her sister’s house and her sister is a very conservative Catholic and Mum isn’t at all. There was this pile of magazines that are called The Catholic, and Mum said, “Oh, look, I think it’s about time we got rid of all these Catholics”. And her sister’s like, “What are you talking about? Some sort of culling?”.
My sister is a nurse in Melbourne and was running workshops to demonstrate how to fit a catheter and had to take a male torso with detachable genitals to class. Her car broke down, and she stuffed the torso into a bag and caught a train, terrified the whole thing was going to fall out on to the floor for all to see.
She swore to me that I wasn’t allowed to use this material until she died.
I’m in touch with my feminine side in The Complete Works of Shakespeare where I play mainly the women, but I get to throw in a little Tybalt, Macduff and Henry IV so I can wear a codpiece, maybe even a fake six-pack, and figure-hugging tights.
I first saw the show at the Edinburgh Festival in 1989 while performing in the Aussie trio Found Objects (a precursor to Lano and Woodley). I loved the show. It was really enjoyable mayhem using Shakespeare as the launching pad.
One of the best things with comedy is to get the balance between territory that is emotionally telling and dramatic and then using that to get your comic leverage. Shakespeare’s plays are the perfect vehicle for this.
Damian Callinan (a fellow Melburnian) and Keith Adams (from New Zealand) and I do 37 plays in 97 minutes.
It’s a change of pace from my Lano and Woodley days – late nights at the Melbourne Comedy Festival and drinking ale at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. We disbanded last year. Colin (Lane) – aka Lano – is trying more serious acting. He was in a production of David Williamson’s Don’s Party, and a host at Channel 9. He’s got a parking space at Channel 9. He’ll be the next Eddie McGuire, for sure.
I’m just happy to keep the laughs coming. I’ve co-written and directed a short animated film and I’m developing a solo theatrical show for next year while still doing stand-up gigs.
If I was offered something serious, I’d do it . . . because that’s an experience to have. I just love comedy so much. It’s my calling. But I haven’t had any serious offers.
Maybe that’s why I’m so adamant that I’m not interested. Nobody wants me to do it.
The Complete Works of Shakespeare, Regal Theatre, June 5-10. Tickets through BOCS.
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SOURCE: www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,21838728-5005364,00.html
______________________________________________________________________
Dairy Queen friends Frank Woodley, as told to Debra Bela for STM
June 02, 2007 10:00pm
Now solo after 20 years of laughing with comedy partner Colin Lane, Frank Woodley is bringing fans a madcap 37 Shakespeare plays in 97 minutes. He spoke to Debra Bela:
I worry sometimes – a lot of comedians have these incredibly tumultuous lives like Charlie Chaplin or Spike Milligan, and write these autobiographies that are incredibly riveting. There’s poverty or conflict or mental illness. If I bring out my memoirs it’s going to be a pamphlet. There’s not much there.
There’d be a line or two about growing up in suburban Melbourne. I was the youngest of seven children and I hated school. (Former Victorian premier) Jeff Kennett tore down my old high school a few years back to build houses. I used to pray every day that someone would raze it to the ground. Then, when he actually did it, I went “You can’t do that, that was my school!”. Yet I hated it. \
I’d also write a special insert on the perils of making “Dairy Queen friends”. My family ran a milk bar in Glen Waverley and we used to have that soft-serve ice cream. Dairy Queen friends were the kids who weren’t interested in playing with me at school, but wanted to walk home with me because of the possibility of getting a free Dairy Queen ice cream.
But I’ve been lucky – I haven’t had many Dairy Queen friends through my life.
I’m very grateful to my family – they have been a priceless source of material. Every relationship you have, everything you care about, is going to be a source of material.
Mum was helping clean out her sister’s house and her sister is a very conservative Catholic and Mum isn’t at all. There was this pile of magazines that are called The Catholic, and Mum said, “Oh, look, I think it’s about time we got rid of all these Catholics”. And her sister’s like, “What are you talking about? Some sort of culling?”.
My sister is a nurse in Melbourne and was running workshops to demonstrate how to fit a catheter and had to take a male torso with detachable genitals to class. Her car broke down, and she stuffed the torso into a bag and caught a train, terrified the whole thing was going to fall out on to the floor for all to see.
She swore to me that I wasn’t allowed to use this material until she died.
I’m in touch with my feminine side in The Complete Works of Shakespeare where I play mainly the women, but I get to throw in a little Tybalt, Macduff and Henry IV so I can wear a codpiece, maybe even a fake six-pack, and figure-hugging tights.
I first saw the show at the Edinburgh Festival in 1989 while performing in the Aussie trio Found Objects (a precursor to Lano and Woodley). I loved the show. It was really enjoyable mayhem using Shakespeare as the launching pad.
One of the best things with comedy is to get the balance between territory that is emotionally telling and dramatic and then using that to get your comic leverage. Shakespeare’s plays are the perfect vehicle for this.
Damian Callinan (a fellow Melburnian) and Keith Adams (from New Zealand) and I do 37 plays in 97 minutes.
It’s a change of pace from my Lano and Woodley days – late nights at the Melbourne Comedy Festival and drinking ale at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. We disbanded last year. Colin (Lane) – aka Lano – is trying more serious acting. He was in a production of David Williamson’s Don’s Party, and a host at Channel 9. He’s got a parking space at Channel 9. He’ll be the next Eddie McGuire, for sure.
I’m just happy to keep the laughs coming. I’ve co-written and directed a short animated film and I’m developing a solo theatrical show for next year while still doing stand-up gigs.
If I was offered something serious, I’d do it . . . because that’s an experience to have. I just love comedy so much. It’s my calling. But I haven’t had any serious offers.
Maybe that’s why I’m so adamant that I’m not interested. Nobody wants me to do it.
The Complete Works of Shakespeare, Regal Theatre, June 5-10. Tickets through BOCS.
______________________________________________________________________
SOURCE: www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,21838728-5005364,00.html
