Post by Lauren on Sept 5, 2009 15:42:30 GMT 10
Lane plays ringmaster
18/Jun/2009
By Christian Wilkinson
AUSTRALIA’S biggest travelling comedy show rolls into town this week with a selection of jokers including a familiar face in an unfamiliar role.
The ringmaster of the circus that is the 2009 Melbourne Comedy Festival Roadshow will be none other than Colin Lane, half of the duo Lano and Woodley that performed their last show in 2006.
Slapstick comedy and musical numbers were the name of the game for the duo, with Lane usually filling the role of the uptight control freak to Frank Woodley’s naïve goof.
Lane said the two had an amicable split after working together for the best part of 20 years, and still caught up on a regular basis.
“The standard joke is we did have dinner the other night,” Lane said.
“Not together, but we had dinner.”
He said the former partners provided mutual support in their new ventures.
“It’s actually really nice to do something like The Mikado or other projects and then go and talk to him about how I’m actually feeling,” he said.
“I went and saw a show he was doing in Melbourne called Optimism and afterwards he said he just wanted me to laugh at him as soon as he walked out.
“I said I couldn’t laugh, I was just so nervous for you.”
Lane said each could relate to what the other was experiencing post-Lano and Woodley.
“I can really get a sense of what he’s going through and what a weird world it is coming from the free and easy self-managed comedy world into subsidised or professional theatre where you have to do as you’re told,” he said.
“That, sometimes, is somewhat difficult when you don’t agree with what the director is saying, but you’re a hired gun and you have to do the job.
“I just hate it when they say you have to be there at 10 o’clock and they’re not joking and you can’t turn up at 20 past 10, or you can’t ring from your place and say, ‘look, I slept in and I’m just leaving now, Ill be there in an hour’.”
Lane said the musicals in particular could be a lot of fun.
“I always thought it was a bit daggy but then once I started doing it, I just went ‘no, this is great fun’,” he said.
“I mean, you’ve got fantastic performers like Julie Anthony and Simon Gallagher, great music, comedy, a romantic subplot that all the girls can fall in love with”.
As well as the aforementioned Mikado, where he played Pooh Bah, Lane has performed in projects including David Williamson’s Don’s Party, a cabaret tribute to Henry Mancini, and a cabaret act I’m Not Sure About the Music at the Melbourne festival.
For this tour, Lane will put aside the songs to take on master of ceremony duties, introducing performers such as US comedian Tommy Dean, Canada’s acclaimed Glenn Wool and Australian cardigan wearer Josh Thomas.
Lane said he wasn’t averse to sucking up to get people to come to the show.
“I love WA and it is full of beautiful people who are very intelligent and witty, and I think the West Coast Eagles and the Freo Dockers are two of the finest football clubs in the country,” he said, unconvincingly.
The Melbourne Comedy Festival Roadshow runs at His Majesty’s Theatre from June 16-21.
18/Jun/2009
By Christian Wilkinson
AUSTRALIA’S biggest travelling comedy show rolls into town this week with a selection of jokers including a familiar face in an unfamiliar role.
The ringmaster of the circus that is the 2009 Melbourne Comedy Festival Roadshow will be none other than Colin Lane, half of the duo Lano and Woodley that performed their last show in 2006.
Slapstick comedy and musical numbers were the name of the game for the duo, with Lane usually filling the role of the uptight control freak to Frank Woodley’s naïve goof.
Lane said the two had an amicable split after working together for the best part of 20 years, and still caught up on a regular basis.
“The standard joke is we did have dinner the other night,” Lane said.
“Not together, but we had dinner.”
He said the former partners provided mutual support in their new ventures.
“It’s actually really nice to do something like The Mikado or other projects and then go and talk to him about how I’m actually feeling,” he said.
“I went and saw a show he was doing in Melbourne called Optimism and afterwards he said he just wanted me to laugh at him as soon as he walked out.
“I said I couldn’t laugh, I was just so nervous for you.”
Lane said each could relate to what the other was experiencing post-Lano and Woodley.
“I can really get a sense of what he’s going through and what a weird world it is coming from the free and easy self-managed comedy world into subsidised or professional theatre where you have to do as you’re told,” he said.
“That, sometimes, is somewhat difficult when you don’t agree with what the director is saying, but you’re a hired gun and you have to do the job.
“I just hate it when they say you have to be there at 10 o’clock and they’re not joking and you can’t turn up at 20 past 10, or you can’t ring from your place and say, ‘look, I slept in and I’m just leaving now, Ill be there in an hour’.”
Lane said the musicals in particular could be a lot of fun.
“I always thought it was a bit daggy but then once I started doing it, I just went ‘no, this is great fun’,” he said.
“I mean, you’ve got fantastic performers like Julie Anthony and Simon Gallagher, great music, comedy, a romantic subplot that all the girls can fall in love with”.
As well as the aforementioned Mikado, where he played Pooh Bah, Lane has performed in projects including David Williamson’s Don’s Party, a cabaret tribute to Henry Mancini, and a cabaret act I’m Not Sure About the Music at the Melbourne festival.
For this tour, Lane will put aside the songs to take on master of ceremony duties, introducing performers such as US comedian Tommy Dean, Canada’s acclaimed Glenn Wool and Australian cardigan wearer Josh Thomas.
Lane said he wasn’t averse to sucking up to get people to come to the show.
“I love WA and it is full of beautiful people who are very intelligent and witty, and I think the West Coast Eagles and the Freo Dockers are two of the finest football clubs in the country,” he said, unconvincingly.
The Melbourne Comedy Festival Roadshow runs at His Majesty’s Theatre from June 16-21.
its been 3 years...that's a long enough break from L&W isn't it??
