The Listies Q&A

Kids’ show The Listies comes to The Spiegeltent with plenty of treats in store for the young of passport and the young at heart – fun for everyone!

How did you get into this business?
“Both Matt and Rich have always performed for kids. Matt was a presenter at a kids science museum and Richard is a Clown Doctor (at hospitals in Melbourne, yes, like Patch Adams!). Back in the dinosaur ages (2001) we were performing a stage adaptation of Roald Dahl’s the Twits, (Rich played Mr Twit and Matt played Mrs Twit) directed by a fabulous English director who lives in Melbourne called Lynne Ellis. She has one rule for kids shows: “don’t be boring” . In 2009, we made a list of things we wanted to see in a kids show: Everything in the kitchen put on one sandwich, a story about how all Nans are secretly Ninjas, a bit where we spew on each other, a bit where a kid operates the sound effects for a scene, a yawn-off. The show was called ‘More fun than a Wii!’ and we took it to Edinburgh and it was a hit. So we kept doing it. And now we’ve made four kids’ shows and done them all over the world.”

What’s the inspiration behind the show?
“Earworms is presented like a radio show – and is recorded too so the audience can download it after the show – so The Goons inspired us as well as old time radio stuff like Monty Python albums, kids say the darndest things, Panto, radio 4 comedy and the glamour of the Speigaltent itself.”

Why would your gig be the perfect one for people to come to who’ve got kids who’re never satisfied?
“Our shows are 100 per cent non-educational and packed with all the stuff kids really want, like fart jokes, vomiting, toilet paper guns, giant banana costumes, alien attacks and water pistols. Also the Spiegeltent is an amazing venue that kids don’t often get an opportunity to see inside (Earworms is the only kids show in the tent this year). We made the show for this exact venue in Sydney this year and will be performing in it in Melbourne later in the year and so when we step inside you never know where you are, it’s weird, it’s like the tardis but with more seagulls.”

Any brushes with fame/death?
“Rich was on Blue Peter when he was nine singing ‘Hark The Herald Angels Sing’ with his school Kessingland Primary School. He has a Blue Peter badge.”

Any unexpected talents?
Matt: “I have written the catchiest song ever. It’s sooo good. It’s about how I like bananas.”
Rich: “Matt has written the most annoying song ever. It’s soooo bad. It’s about how he likes bananas. You can hear this in the show. Come and be the judge.”

Any triumphs over adversity?
“We watched The Hobbit all the way through. Like right to the end.”

Any funny stories from being on stage?
“We have had a couple of sympathetic vomitters. A kid who ROFLSHALBOWCOed in Edinburgh (Rolling On the Floor Laughing So Hard A Little Bit Of Wee Came Out), also we performed in tropical far north Queensland and the stage was outside, the stage lights attracted a swarm of were-cicadas (large grasshoppers) the size of Penguins (the chocolate bar, not the bird) and we spent the show picking them off our faces and stuff. It was gross. Plus there was an actual crocodile in the creek next door. True. Story.”

Why do you want to work with children?
“Kids are totally random, and that’s what makes them really funny, we have a bit in the show where we interview the audience and you can really never predict what exactly is going to happen. Also they don’t lie, if they are bored, they just say they are bored, loudly, to the person on stage. So when they laugh it’s always so positive and genuine. We have the same sense of humour. And we are finished work by 3pm.”

Earworms – The Listies, The Spiegeltent, Sat 25 May – Sat 1 June, 2pm, £8/6.