Categories: Lifestyle

UK debut for Australian comedian Luke McGregor at Soho Theatre

So, your soulmate is out of your league – who have you been eyeing off?

Charlize Theron, and 1990’s Gillian Anderson. Also current Gillian Anderson.

You were named Best New Comer at this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival, surely that’s a title that helps pull the chicks?

I haven’t tried announcing it as I walked into a bar yet, but I’ll do it tonight and report back before I send off this questionnaire…

Postscript: It didn’t go great.

Is it that you grew up in Tasmania that’s putting off the ladies? You haven’t got an extra limb have you?

I don’t have an extra limb, but if I did I’d choose a third arm and use it to nail drum solos. Hopefully growing up in Tasmania doesn’t hurt my chances, in fact males who grow up in Tasmania are usually very good at sex – ask any Tasmanian male and don’t Google it.

Never mind about the love life, let’s talk business. You’re about to begin a stint at Soho Theatre, what does it mean to you to perform on a stage frequented by Australia’s favourite comedians?

I’m really looking forward to it, it’s an honour to be able to perform there. It’ll also be the first time I’ve performed my show overseas (it’s the first time I’ve been overseas to be honest). I hope audiences outside Australia enjoy it, if not I have a backup plan – cry on the flight home and tell everyone at my school reunion that it went brilliantly and I got a role on Doctor Who.

You’re up there for an hour — to avoid a parched throat what will be your drink of choice to have on-hand?

Beer. Or a milkshake if I can organise it.

In the show you talk about your fear of failure — is it important to do as mum always said and try anyway?

I think so, unless someone yells out ‘I need a doctor over here!’ and you’ve got no medical training. If you’ve got a smart phone though I guess you could look up the symptoms and see how you go, plus tweet the outcome.

You’ve got 2,201 (at last count) Twitter followers yet you’ve tweeted less than 50 times (I’ve really done my research). Are you saving your jokes for the paying audience?

Most of my jokes are over 140 characters long. If Twitter ever gave me 141 characters though – it would be like a dam breaking that spews out pure comedy gold.

Go on then, give the show a plug…

It’s on at 7:30pm at Soho Theatre – 5 August to 17 August (not on Sundays, I’ll be doing touristy stuff that day, like eating jellied eels – which my friend told me is a thing).

Luke McGregor is performing My Soulmate is Out of My League at Soho Theatre from Aug 5-17. Previews Mon-Wed £10, Full Price £15. See www.sohotheatre.com for details.

Michaela Gray

Michaela Gray is a journalist hailing from New South Wales, now living in the UK. She began her career in commercial radio while completing a journalism degree at the University of Technology, Sydney. Michaela crossed into television, reporting and presenting on the WIN News network. She has come to London to expand her journalism repertoire, travel and enjoy the remaining years of her youth in a vibrant and dynamic city. Follow her thoughts and adventures at @graymichaela.