Comedy is more than just gags and punchlines—it's about connection and carving out a space in an ever-evolving industry. For Collarts Comedy Program Leader Andrea Powell, this journey has been anything but ordinary. From earning laughs on Perth’s indie stages to starring as her iconic character Ethel Chop on Spicks and Specks, Andrea's career is a testament to the power of persistence, creativity and the magic of making people laugh.
While I was studying Theatre Arts at uni, I performed a character comedy piece that received more laughs and attention than anything I’d done in 2 years. It was then I started to think, “Hey, making people laugh feels pretty good! Maybe this comedy lark is something I should explore.” I later joined a sketch group writing and performing new pieces every week at the Blue Room Theatre in Perth. It became very popular and because we had a regular audience we couldn’t repeat any sketches. It was a great time.
It’s definitely more diverse than when I started out. It was not very inclusive and while I admire a lot of male comedians, those voices really dominated the industry and it was very repetitive. Now you have diverse genders, ethnicities and a much wider variety of styles and platforms to see comedy. Comedy, like humanity, is constantly emerging. It’s actually very exciting!
Ethel Chop is an amalgam of elderly people I knew growing up, and mostly influenced by my grandmother’s best friend, Wynn Burne. Wynn was a grumpy, negative nelly with a gravelly voice and a kind of catchphrase she bellowed at the end of every complaint, “Oh Polly, it was awful!” Even as a little kid I found Wynn’s negativity fascinating and I loved imitating her and making my siblings laugh.
The full characterisation really took off when I finished uni and started putting her in front of an audience - wig, glasses, poorly applied lipstick, the lot. It became apparent that audiences loved Ethel. As awful as she is, she’s rendered harmless by being ridiculous - a type of grotesque clown really - and she has a particular Australian vernacular that is recognisable to audiences here and overseas.
As she evolved over the years I softened some of her interactions so that audience members wouldn’t be too scared to engage with her, as audience chat is one of my favourite ways to perform. Once I had their trust, I could say something atrocious and they’d find it funny. As I like to say, “Make them laugh; then you can shiv them in the kidneys”. Meaning if you can get people on side you can suspend their disbelief quite easily, and even get them to open their minds around a topic.
I was approached by one of the producers, who I've known for many years, to see if my character Ethel Chop would make an appearance on the show. So of course I told them to go to hell. No, I said yes please! They had a script which I “Ethelised” and a week before filming they told me that Anthony Albanese was going to be on the panel. Hilarious.
My biggest advice here is to be friendly and professional with EVERYONE. They don’t have to be your friends, but you never know who might be in a position to offer you a job, a set, a performance venue or an audition in the future. So no matter what, be polite.
Comedy doesn’t thrive in a vacuum, so see if you can find a couple of funny folk like you that you can go to gigs with and who can give you kind and honest feedback on your material.
Finally don’t hang out with hacks, comics that consistently punch down or belittle minorities or mean people. Always be polite but don’t let them poison your waters. Stay positive, stay engaged with industry and commit to your passion of telling unique, funny stories. Just go for it!