Interview: Karl Chandler

By Sean Lynch
Interview with Comedian Karl Chandler
Star of "Karl Chandler Has 125 Jokes"

Karl Chandler

Karl Chandler is all about small, smart jokes. 125 of them it seems.

Whether it is telling them, or talking about them.

But mostly telling them - after all, jokes told in the form of interpretive dance have never seemed to go down well with mainstream audiences.

So, in that regard alone, he must be doing something right.

Chandler is one of the rising stars of the comedy world with appearances on Stand Up Australia and a writer on Studio A.

He is also one of the brains behind Melbourne's successful Comedy @ Spleen, and is set to tread the boards with his latest show at the 2009 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Sean Lynch caught up with this stripy jester of comedy.

You're working with your girlfriend in your new show - have you made agreements if a "groupies" situation arises or if you break up mid festival?

I am absolutely against the idea of hooking up with groupies: I've told her she's not allowed to do it.

If we DID break up mid festival, I've decided to let her have custody of the show.

The show will be retitled "Dianne Biviano has Zero Jokes" and will mostly be her standing around for an hour apologising.

The show promises "125 Jokes", can we expect any more - do you throw in a couple of extras (like getting an extra potato cake at the fish and chip shop)?

125 is already scraping the bottom of the bain-marie.

What's more, some of the jokes will prove that I haven't changed the oil in quite some time.

What's your favourite gag of the show?

My favorite jokes are always new ones... not always great ones... but I do quite like this one:

I was flicking through channels and I stopped on this movie where there was these four pirates, and they each had wooden legs.

And I thought, "They would make a scary gang!... Or... a weird table".

What's your favourite gag (yours or someone elses) of all time?

One I heard the other day that I really liked was a US comic called Jim Gaffigan saying that "hammocks were nets to catch lazy people"...

You're back on TV with a new series of Studio A on Channel 31 - are things easier this time around?

Sure.

The first season proved that we could somehow survive writing the show five minutes before airtime, so now we're pushing that to four minutes.

And we're only up against Underbelly on the other channel... and who watches that?

You are also one of the guys behind Comedy @ Spleen bar - how did that come about?

It's just a really nice weekly comedy room, and we were asked to take it over, and we could see great potential.

Then we just administered a bunch of common sense tactics that don't seem to be prevalent in running comedy rooms in Melbourne. And now it's awesome.

Every Monday, it's free, runs during the festival and has Melbourne's best comics (41 Bourke Street) in the city.

With the growing crowd numbers - you're kind of like the Michael Gudinski of comedy...

I have no plans to release albums by my allegedly talented daughter.

What's the biggest comedy "No No" you've learned over your career?

You must not stab someone in the venue, no matter how big the laugh. It's a cheap trick that gets you into bad habits.

If a train leaves Boston at 7pm, and another train leaves Perth at 2pm, what time does McDonald's Breakfast stop serving?

10.30am. That's when muffins go to bed.

Is there an art to "The Joke"?

There is. I can't tell you what it is definitively though.

There's gotta be enough surprise and relatability in it somewhere. And you must somehow mention the idea of terrorists getting 72 virgins in heaven.

Will you be trying to catch any other shows at the fest this year?

Lots of my friends and people I admire, like: Sam Simmons, David Quirk, Pete Sharkey, Celia Pacquola, Dave Thornton, Tommy Dassalo and Craig McLachlin.

Who is your harshest critic - will you win them over with "125 Jokes"?

My girlfriend. 

She's quite keen on telling me which jokes aren't funny. And she's in the show.

So as long as she keeps her mouth shut mid-show, doesn't get a job writing for The Age, and remembers she's on the payroll, we'll be fine.

Finally, finish this sentence - "Roses are Red, Violets are Blue..."

Da da da da da, da da-da da da... Orange.

Damn.

"KARL CHANDLER has 125 JOKES"
When: April 1 - April 25
Bookings: Door Only
Where: Three Degrees (1 QV Square, Cnr Swanston & Lonsdale Sts, Melbourne)
More Info: www.comedyfestival.com.au