UNLIKE the name of her new show Loser, Auckland-based comedian Urzila Carlson was a winner at the 2019 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
Not only was she the first female comedian to perform a full run at Melbourne Town Hall’s Main Hall, but she sold the most tickets at the Festival and took home the People’s Choice Award.
“It’s insane where something like 30,000 people came and saw my show in Melbourne,” Carlson said.
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READ NOW“It didn’t even dawn on me that was a thing to achieve and I was blown away at the end when they said I would get an award for it as well.
“Isn’t it an award enough that people came to the show?”
Perth audiences will find out what the laughter was about when Carlson brings Loser to Crown Theatre Perth on June 6 and 7.
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The South African-born comedian said it was based around the idea the only time losing anything is ever seen as a positive is when someone loses weight.
“If you lose anything else it will be negative – you lose your mind, lose your dad, lose your car keys,” she said.
“If you tell a stranger in a coffee shop that you’ve lost half a kilo that week, they’ll give you a high five and say ‘good on ya’.
“I find that staggering because there are far bigger losers in our lives than fat people.
“I think people who don’t thank you when you do nice things for them are bigger losers or people who you greet in the office in the morning that don’t say ‘morning’ back.
“Why aren’t we ripping them apart and making a show about them and calling that The Biggest Loser?”
Carlson said her Australian tour was giving her the chance to explore the country with her tour manager.
“It was going to be just a big golf tour where everywhere we went we’d play some golf, but then he went ahead and broke his ankle,” she said.
“He did offer to just drive the golf cart but it’s not as much fun, so we’re going to do the touristy thing instead.”
THE ESSENTIALS
What: Urzila Carlson – Loser
Where: Crown Theatre Perth
When: June 6 and 7
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.com.au