Australia’s Tania Lacy makes a welcome return to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival after a 29-year absence with her new show ‘Everything’s Coming Up Roses’. The show is fresh from critically-acclaimed runs at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Adelaide Fringe.
Tania was living a carefree, expat life in Berlin.. and then the world capsized. Suddenly, life was all about more rules - “Yay, more rules” the Germans cheered. They were very happy about it. Tania, was not. And so, she packed up her family and moved home to Australia, specifically to tropical North Queensland, a place a long way from anywhere. Tania was looking forward to her rosy new life. Well… best laid plans and all that…
Surprisingly, the culture shock of returning slapped Tania about the face. Europe felt like the Garden of Eden compared to this. Now, with crocs and deadly marine life at every turn, Tania was apparently living in Jurassic Park!
If Tania had any chance of survival, she would need to look to the past, the many lucky, and some not-so-lucky, experiences she’d survived. If she could survive the menopause without spontaneously combusting and raise a teenage boy in lockdown, surely, she could survive anything. Rather like a Brazilian wax, sometimes you have to strip things back, find the garden and plant the seeds for a fulfilling future. ‘Everything’s Coming Up Roses’ is about coming full circle and the idea that, with so many good days behind her there is every chance that there are just as many in front...
Tania studied at the prestigious Victorian College of the Arts hoping to be a classical ballerina. Not so long after she was choreographing and dancing with Kylie Minogue in the Locomotion video. She was spotted dancing on Aussie TV institution Countdown and was asked to open the show. She went on to have a successful career on TV and became a household name.
Tania Lacy’s ‘Everything's Coming Up Roses’ is at Just The Tonic @ The Caves - Just The Fancy Room at 7.30pm from 3rd – 26th August (except 14TH). For tickets go to www.edfringe.com
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What is the last thing you do before you go onstage (apart from check your flies and/or check your knickers aren't sticking out of your skirt and check for spinach between your teeth)
Okay, I don’t do the things you have listed but thank you, I will now incorporate them into my pre-show ritual. The last thing I do before going on stage is stand, for 30 seconds, in my superhero pose. This is when you literally stand like a superhero; my chosen pose is hands on hips, legs akimbo. The superhero pose has been scientifically proven to increase confidence and self-esteem. I believe it works. I then say a quick prayer to God to help me do a great job. Something I also believe works. I’m not a religious nut but I do believe in a power greater than myself, which I call ‘God’ because it’s more convenient than ‘oh great and spiritual universal power’.
What irritates you?
You know when you’re on your laptop or phone and looking for something, typing stuff, looking, searching and there’s someone over your shoulder, touching your screen, pointing to the things they think you should click on. THAT! I hate that so much.
What is the most dangerous thing you have ever done?
As a 24 year old woman, I stood up to management at the TV network where I was the host of a nightly pop show. They fired me. Until this moment, I didn’t know speaking my mind was so dangerous.
What is the most stupid thing you have ever done?
‘Confident ignorance’, this is something I suffer from. It means I take risks without having adequate skills and knowledge (see previous question) and I do this on a regular basis. I do not necessarily do the most stupid thing, but I do a lot of stupid things. One of the last stupid things I did was ride an e-scooter (or a ‘death chariot’ as I like to call them) through the city of Berlin after a late-night gig. I teetered upon the scooter deck in high heels, my cocktail frock billowing in the breeze, as I rode full-pelt down an unlit back-street. The last thing I remember is is flying toward the ground, but it was like it was in slow motion. I mean, I literally had enough time to think to myself, ‘This is going to hurt.’ And it did. I knocked myself unconscious, I don’t know how long I was out because I remember nothing. I woke up in hospital… Full concussion, fractured tibia, chipped teeth, bruised face and a pitting edema on my thigh, which is basically a dent in the muscle that will never go away. It’s very attractive, especially when wearing a swimsuit. I would say I overestimated my e-scooter capabilities and after this e-scooter experience, I now believe overestimating oneself is probably the highest level of stupidity.
What has surprised you the most during your career in comedy?
How much power men have.
Interview continues here
