When you think of classical pianists, you automatically think of stand-up comedy, right?
It might seem like an unusual combination, but I can personally attest that in the right hands it works very well! Earlier this year I saw Louis Nicoll perform his show Lisztomania as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and now he’s back at it for Melbourne Fringe Festival until Sunday 19 October.
Louis took the time to reflect on his first-ever solo comedy outing and the process of creating the show, exclusively for Fever Pitch Magazine!
Have you ever done a classical piano degree? Have you ever done two? Have you ever done two and wondered what to do next? Have you ever written an article and tried to hook people in with a question that’s way, way too specific? Well, believe it or not, I have done all of those, and after finishing my classical piano degree(s) I decided to write and put on a CLASSICAL PIANO AND COMEDY EXTRAVAGANZA all about composer FRANZ LISZT at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival!!!
I did my undergraduate classical piano degree at Melbourne conservatorium – I had a great time, and was quite set on the whole classical piano thing while I was studying. I won a few competitions and prizes and things, but around the time that I graduated I wasn’t totally sure what I wanted to do and whether or not I actually wanted to continue with it. I had always had an interest in comedy and started to dabble in it – I did improv classes at TIC, and was involved with a few sketch comedy groups at Melbourne University when lockdowns started. I eventually moved to Sydney to pursue a masters’ degree at the Sydney Conservatorium in 2021, and set myself the goal of performing stand-up comedy; I finally did it in 2022. And it Went Okay, which is really all that can be asked of your first ever attempt at doing stand-up.
I had Had A Dream (that is, it had been on my to do list since like 2019) to put on my own solo comedy hour that involved both piano and comedy, combined into one shambling Frankensteinian monster. And over the years it sort of trickled down my to-do-list, as dreams sometimes do, and I wasn’t sure if it was something that I would ever actually seriously go after. But I was lucky to be involved with Marcel Blanch deWilt’s wonderful CWG (Comedy Writers’ Group) for a while, and Marcel even asked me to play piano for his MICF 2024 show Let Me Eat Cake. With my artists’ pass in hand, I saw a great many shows, ranging from the very very good, to the kinds of shows that make you realise that you, too, can do a comedy show. I booked a space on the CWG’s 2024 Winter Writers’ retreat, and there received lots of love, encouragement, and support from a lovely bunch of comedians. Then I submitted, and was accepted to perform, a 30-minute spot at Awkward Giraffe’s Festival of Critical Comedy in 2024, and then I found a venue and paid a registration fee for Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2025 and all of a sudden,
It was On.
And I was Worried.
I spent months complaining constantly to everyone around me that I didn’t know what I was doing, that I was stressed out, that I had only ever performed comedy in 5 or 10-minute chunks to strangers in a pub and how would I ever be able to write 45 MINUTES of comedy, and REMEMBER it, let alone actually get people to come see the show. What if no one came? What if people came and it was really weird, and bad? What if no one came to see it, and it was really weird and bad???
That last one would actually have been ok and they would have cancelled each other out, when you think about it.
Anyway, I’ll admit that it was very difficult to write this silly show – I had no idea what I was doing, what would work and what wouldn’t. And I would often find myself overwhelmed by negative thoughts, that it would be a disaster, and that it would be better if I didn’t do it, I should cancel the show and not do this stupid crazy thing and embarrass myself in front of everyone.
I think that what helped me to push through that mental barrier was taking an attitude that I’m not just doing the show for myself, but for the people who come along. Doing the show for myself and myself alone wasn’t a strong enough motivation; doing the show to give a loving gift to the people who are kind enough to choose to come along and see it was a strong motivation to make the show as good as I could. If even one person came to see the show and had their otherwise miserable and empty life enriched, then it would be a success.
Just kidding about that last part! Many more than one miserable empty person has to come see the show for it to be successful. But I do believe that shifting my perspective from I’m Doing This To Prove Something And To Feel Good About Myself to I’m Doing This Because I Want The People Who Come To Have Fun And Be Happy was a very useful mindset shift that helped me break through my writers’ block and write and complete the show.
So the time of the first performance rolled around – I was obviously very nervous. But there was a big lovely supportive crowd, so the show went well and I had lots of fun trying out various new bits. You forget that you know all the jokes but for (most) of the audience it’s their first time seeing it, so the punchlines surprise them, then they laugh. Then they’re quiet again until the next time to laugh. That’s showbiz, baby!
The second performance was the hardest of the run. The venue that I performed at didn’t have a licence to sell alcohol, so everyone was sober. If there’s only one tidbit of information you take away from this article, let it be this – comedy is hard when everyone is sober, and easier when people drink a little bit of alcohol. After this second performance, we decided to give everyone a free glass of wine or beer with their ticket, which we were legally allowed to do; after that, during the 3rd show, the punchlines really soared! Unfortunately, in the fourth and final show we did make the mistake of going overboard and spiking everyone’s drinks with 2CB, LSD, and Tylenol. If there’s only two tidbits of information that you take away from this, let it be alcohol is good but there is a limit, and you should always enjoy responsibly.
The last two performances did go really well – the advantage of my show is they have a drink and they’re laughing for the first half, then around the 45-minute mark they start getting tired and getting that glazy look in their eyes, and BAM, you hit ‘em with the piano playing. That’s showbiz, baby!
I of course could never have achieved anything without the help of people around me, most of all Sara, my director Penny Greenhalgh, and my Friend Who Understands The Comedy World Conor Lynch. Much thanks and love to all of you! I’m proud to say as well that the show will be going ahead AGAIN at the Fringe Festival this year, at the exciting new venue the Moonee Ponds Clocktower. Buy a ticket PLEASE! No hard drugs included!!!
Fever Pitch Magazine 