After the world’s longest lockdown, Melbourne is surely in need of some light-hearted fun. And if you’re keen for some laughs over the summer, check out the Footscray Comedy Club. Co-founder Sam Gebreselassie is a stand-up comedian who organises regular comedy events in the west that showcase a diverse range of local comedic talent.
In this Colour Box Studio interview, Sam shares with us how he went from an awkward first-ever stand-up gig in New Zealand, to later performing at over 200 open mic nights. Now an award-winning stand-up, it’s clear that Sam is a bold artist behind the mic who is not afraid to tackle “uncomfortable” topics whilst provoking some laughs at the same time. Sam’s Facebook page states: “Melbourne based Comedian. Born in Sudan. Grew up in New Zealand. Parents are Ethiopian. So please, if you want me to go back to my country, tell me which of the above countries you’re talking about.”
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
My name is Sam, and I’m a stand-up comedian based in Melbourne, Australia. I am also full-time as a Physiotherapist in a private clinic in the western suburbs.
How did you start your creative practice and why?
At Uni, I used to jot down little sketch ideas because a friend said I had really funny ideas but then I realised I could use some of the sketches as stand-up bits.
I did my first stand-up set in 2014 at a Uni bar that was hosting an open mic event for musicians. It didn’t go so well because I froze as soon as I got up on stage and faced the audience. I realized stand-up is way harder than I ever expected it to be so I gave it up and focused on my studies for the next year.
In mid 2015 I stumbled across a comedy workshop event on Facebook and decided to go to get some advice. I went for a couple of weeks, and found it really helpful discussing my jokes with comedians that had been doing it for a couple of years. They told me I needed to get back on stage, that’s the only way I’d get better, and so towards the end of 2015 I got up at a couple of open mics. The intimate setting, and low pressure of the open mics eased my nerves. I finally had an idea of how stand-up comedy worked.
In 2016 I stopped performing again because I was working in rural Victoria, and there were no open mics where I lived. I drove 3 hours once to try my luck at an open mic in the city. I remember it was a Tuesday, I travelled straight from work. I got to the open mic, put my name down but didn’t get a spot because the time ran out. I got back into my car, and drove another 3 hours home because I had work early the next morning. It was a horrible night, there was a thunderstorm and two weeks later I got two speeding tickets 5 minutes apart. I didn’t go back into the city until the end of 2016 when an open mic started on a Friday night. I would travel after work on the Friday, stay until Sunday in Melbourne then travel back to rural Victoria. This is when I decided I needed to do it more often because I was getting a few big laughs.
In 2017, I moved closer to the city, and decided I was really going to give stand-up comedy a go. That year I went to and performed at 200+ open mics. I haven’t looked back since then.
Why I do stand-up is a hard question. Growing up I always enjoyed making people laugh, and the more they laughed, the more I tried to continue making them laugh. I think stand-up is a continuation of that need to make people laugh and feel stress free even if it is for a short period.
Where did you grow up and has it influenced your comedy?
I was born in a refugee camp in Sudan, and migrated to New Zealand when I was 7 years old.
I grew up in these housing commission flats in this suburb called Newtown in the capital Wellington, New Zealand. Newtown is a melting pot of different ethnicities.
I think where I was born and where I grew up definitely influenced my comedy. In my comedy, I try to talk about my experiences in those places, and the things I learned from the ethnically diverse friends I made there. I also try to make fun of the stereotype’s society imposes on kids from these neighbourhoods/backgrounds.
Tell us about your past creative comedy projects. What has been a career highlight?
At this point I’m working on an hour of material to perform at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2023-24. I’m doing a split show at the festival with two other friends next year (2022).
A career highlight has been winning the coveted Comedy Out West Open Mic Competition twice (2017, 2019). This event was put on by the Maribyrnong City Council as part of the Comedy Festival. I particularly see this as a career highlight because the winner is determined by the audience. Which is nice to think a bunch of strangers liked my comedy so much that they voted for me.
What do you hope audiences take away from your work?
I’m figuring this out still, but if I had to say something, I would hope the audience takes away that we’re all the same regardless of ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. There are more things that unite us than there are that separates us. And it’s okay to laugh at people’s ignorance, it’s not always rooted in hate but in differing points of references as a result of limited exposure.
Although my material is sometimes divisive, I’m trying to figure out how to make the audience notice the underlying meaning of what I’m saying.
Who or what inspires you?
Dave Chappelle is my biggest inspiration. Watching him masterfully tackle the issue of race in his comedy specials inspired me to speak about race on stage.
Where do you feel most creative in terms of writing comedy?
Creativity strikes me usually when I’m washing dishes in the morning, and driving without any music playing. I also feel most creative sitting in a café in the morning.
What gets you through challenging creative/ industry times?
I find journaling helps a lot, and continuing to write joke premises if I can’t perform helps too.
Whose work are you digging at the moment?
My good friend and fellow comedian Akwasi Osei-tutu. He’s an incredible Ghanaian comedian from Perth. He’s got a few shows coming up in the next couple of weeks, and I’m very excited to open for him.
What future comedy projects/creativity are you looking forward to?
I’m looking forward to the stand-up comedy shows my friend and I are putting together through our company Footscray Comedy Club. We’ve got our last show for the year on Thursday December 16th at 8pm. We’ve also got monthly shows all in the west next year.
Tell us about the Footscray Comedy Club. Why was it important to foster comedy in Melbourne’s west?
I organise Footscray Comedy Club with my friend Jameel Rehman.
It was important to have comedy nights that represented the communities in Melbourne. We wanted to showcase the amazingly talented comedians of colour in the hopes that it inspires others to take them into the world of stand-up comedy.
There aren’t many nights like ours and people are starting to notice the importance of representation in the arts and the stories that go with them.
Where can we find and follow you online?
Instagram:
Facebook: Samuel Gebreselassie
Twitter: @blacksideshowbb
Featured image: Sam Gebreselassie, Sloth All Arts. Photo credit: Michael Reynolds. All images courtesy of the artist.