Colin Lane and Frank Woodley.
Camera IconColin Lane and Frank Woodley. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Lano and Woodley Fly high in comeback show at Regal Theatre

Tanya MacNaughtonEastern Reporter

AUSTRALIAN comedy duo Lano and Woodley do not like to blow their own trumpet but think their first show back together in 12 years, Fly, may be their best one yet.

“Has there ever been a rock band where they’ve broken up, got back together to make a new album and it’s been their best album?” Frank Woodley said.

“I can’t imagine it happening and that’s making me feel quite proud of us.”

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They went their separate ways after a Good Bye tour in 2006, with Woodley forging on in solo comedy, while Colin Lane said he was “too gutless to do that and became an actor waiting for the phone to ring”.

Not realising what they missed until it was gone, it took until the 30th Melbourne International Comedy Festival Birthday Gala in 2016 when festival director Susan Provan invited them to reunite for a successful performance that the seed was sown to do more.

“In generic terms we’ve been saying that we did that spot and it was so much fun and after that there were a few eyebrow movements,” Lane said.

“But I don’t know who raised the first eyebrow and said ‘What do you reckon?’.”

Whoever it was, the result was Fly, created by Lane, Woodley and comedian Bob Franklin which centres on the story of Orville and Wilbur Wright, where Lano wants to present a piece of serious theatre while Woodley tries to sabotage it.

“It only occurred to me after doing the first few shows that I’ve been nervous for the last 12 years going on stage,” Lane said.

“Whereas with Frank I’m never nervous and know exactly what’s going on and if it doesn’t go on, then the chaotic result will be the same, if not better than we planned.”

Woodley said there was something about their chemistry on stage where each picked up the other’s performance weaknesses.

“Together we make a single confident performer,” Woodley said.

“You can’t teach it, you can’t do a course in it and you can’t really describe the mechanics of it to anybody,” Lane said.

“There’s no formula. We met and we were in a trio and then the other guy left and we decided to try being a duo.

“You could never franchise Lano and Woodley. People would read the script and go ‘How did you make that funny? You want one guy to be continuously obnoxious and then just get to the point where you don’t know if Col is just acting like he’s angry or is he really angry?’. It’s a fluke and we’re very lucky to now be doing it after all these years.”

THE ESSENTIALS

What: Lano and Woodley – Fly

Where: Regal Theatre

When: May 22 to 27

Tickets: www.ticketek.com.au