Sunanda Sachatrakul is a comedian, writer and producer based in Naarm, who this year received a Best Newcomer nomination at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival with their show Sunanda Loves Britney. And lucky for us, the show will be presented again at the upcoming Melbourne Fringe Festival.
Sunanda is a multidimensional global creative with Punjabi heritage who was raised in Bangkok, lived in the US and moved to Melbourne for love. Sunanda’s work draws on themes of identity, Queerness, pop culture (aka Britney!), and experiences living and working in multiple cities around the world. In this Colour Box Studio interview, Sunanda discusses the journey from producing to improv to stand-up; a new TV pilot in development; and determinedly looking inwards for creative inspiration.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do.
I’m a comedian and a writer conceived in New Delhi, corrupted in Bangkok, came out in New York and then came out (again) as a comedian in Los Angeles. I went to an international school so I have the general American TV Accent and weirdly love Thanksgiving because we celebrated it every year at my clearly American imperialised ‘international’ school in Bangkok. I mean, there’s food and lots of it, so… that’s the part I’m into. Not so much the colonising and violent wiping out of indigenous people in the United States or anywhere for that matter.
I’m queer and Punjabi, so I identify as a Poonjabber.
I love meeting new people, I really like the beach and swimming in the ocean, even in cold Melbourne and I guess I have a knack for making these introduce yourself things sound like a dating profile. Maybe because I used to be on the apps… ALL OF THEM… but I’m in a very satisfactory long term relationship now. Let’s say satisfactory because well, let’s not curse the best relationship I’ve ever had that happens to be with the love of my life. That’s also the reason I moved to Melbourne!
How did you start your creative practice and why?
I was a producer for so much of my work-life. About 10+ years into producing, I was working with a photographer friend who would take pictures mostly of beautiful models in lacy lingerie (wow, real shocked I loved working with her) in natural light or took other photos that look like blissful perfume ads. I always wanted her to ‘make it funny!’ or ‘tell a story!!’ so one day, she said something along the lines of “fuck off and go find your own creative practice and stop giving me unsolicited input.” It was the best thing anyone ever said to me. And in 2016 I took my first improv class and then entered my first amateur stand up competition. I was always scared to do it because I thought it wasn’t for me since I didn’t see anyone like me in front of the camera. I guess you have to be the change. Thanks, Gandhi. But Gandhi is mad problematic.
Where did you grow up and has it influenced what you create?
I grew up in Bangkok and went to an international school and almost everything I do is inspired by my experiences. Of course it really really influences the stories I tell. I am currently working on a concept that would take place in Bangkok because I’ve never seen it on screen in western media at least in the way I know it. I haven’t seen it in Thai media the way I know it. Because no one knows Bangkok the way I know Bangkok. Wow, I rep my hometown pretty damn hard. Yes, the short answer is yes, very much it influences what I create.
Tell us about your past creative projects. What has been your most treasured creation so far?
I’m currently doing a second run of my MICF Best Newcomer nominated show, Sunanda Loves Britney. I guess the newest thing I do is the most treasured because that’s what I’m learning from and growing because of the most! I try to up the ante and challenge myself with each new pursuit. I’m very lucky to have been working with the incredible Candy Bowers who is my dramaturg on my show and also my director. No one has ever pushed me so hard and no one has ever been so invested in my project like Candy has. I’m so glad to have her expertise and generosity and I don’t think I can ever work on a that show without a director again. I don’t want to. Getting a Best Newcomer nomination for that work was great, but really, the thing I’m most proud of is how much I was pushed and how I reached out for help from a creative I really respect and adore and have grown so much. We have edited the script yet again because to be better, you have to try and improve each and every time you do a show. So that’s what I most treasure, the process we’ve been going through on this show.
Tell us about your current project?
I’ve also just started working on a TV Pilot and show within the Impact Australia program. I can’t say too much about it but it’s definitely, like all my other work, very directly inspired by my experience going through the world identified as a brown, queer, masc, gender non-conforming afab, living in the places I lived in.
Who or what inspires your practice?
I don’t want to sound like I have a huge ego, because that is genuinely not the reason I say this, but I want to keep inspiring myself. It took me so long to get in front of the camera and on the stage and to write my stories, I want to remember that I should make things for a younger version of myself. I want to the be the adult that my child self always needed and that’s my inspiration. Also, I am inspired by so many comics, especially the ones who use a lot of physical comedy and get really dumb. Like Rowan Atkinson, aka Mr. Bean. He’s a genius. I wonder what other Mr. Bean types we’ve missed in the world because there wasn’t room for or focus on anyone who wasn’t a cis het white man.
What do you hope audiences take from your work?
I hope my audience leaves in pain from laughing, perhaps some tears cuz they can relate to something I shared, and hopefully also feeling a little bit uncomfortable by something I said or did or both and then wonder why they feel so uncomfortable. We never grow in comfort.
Whose work are you digging at the moment?
Locally in Melbourne, I think Vidya Rajan is just genius. So funny and intelligent and fresh and she is really repping the Indians and Hindus (they need repping here, not in India… everything is contextual!) and just the experience of being a young millennial or Gen Z? I don’t know the difference.
Also love love Lou Wall. I think they are so incredible and such a natural and wildly talented as well!
Where can we find and follow you online?
You can find me online at youknowsunanda.com, on Insta and TikTok at @youknowsunanda and on facebook.com/youknowsunanda however, I’m counting down the days till I delete Facebook. It really ages me. lol.
Sunanda Loves Britney features at the Melbourne Fringe Festival 6-14 October. Bookings: click here.