by Adrian Miller
Having been nominated for best comedy in the Perth Fringe 2023 means that there is something going on with Get In The Boot we need to know about! The Clothesline contacts presenter Katie Currie and began by asking her about Bits Akimbo and how long they have worked together as a team?
“Bits Akimbo is the brain-baby of Melbourne-based comedians Max Paton, Katie Currie, and Douglas Rintoul. With our powers combined we’ve created a totally unique brand of silly-goosery that invites the audience to get down and goof with us. We’ve been Bits Akimbo™ officially for three years but have been working together some way or another for longer than that!”
You presented Get In The Boot previously at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2023. How did it go down and has the show changed over time?
“Yes we did! Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2023 was a real ‘wow, people really like this!’ kind of moment for us. It felt like a true celebration of who we are as individuals and a group, and of our various talents and strengths. We’ve had a bunch of people say it was one of their favourite shows, which is an honour in a festival like that. Coming into Adelaide we’ve had more time to edit and refine it, and the show is better (and bootier) than it’s ever been.”
This show is a series of comedy sketches rather than a fixed narrative or stand-up comedy? Any improv moments?”
If there’s one thing Bits Akimbo loves to do more than anything, it’s surprise and delight. This show has no narrative, but we put heaps of effort into the overall flow and transitions – the result is that we are out of one sketch and into the next before you know it. We love to get playful with the audience, and have found that crowds love it when we mess with each other, too. As for improvising, we’ve got a couple of sketches that are almost completely unscripted – see if you can guess which!
Do you work on all the sketches together or each bring ideas in individually?
“A combination of both – usually we’ll each come to rehearsals with ideas (even if we don’t really know what they are yet) and then we’ll jump up and play around with them. Sometimes you don’t really get anywhere, but more often than not we find something fun! We mostly chase after whatever makes us laugh the most, so rehearsals become a game of trying to get a reaction out of the other two. Then of course we have to actually write, edit, find sounds, practise – and pray that everybody finds it as funny as we do!”
It sounds like a high energy show. Will we need to be fit to keep up?
“You’d better start doing some serious cardio if you wanna keep up with this lightning-fast rollercoaster-ride. Water provided, but BYO sweatband ’cause it gets messy in there… nah, we’re just playin’ with ya! It’s basically just a big party where we throw ourselves around the stage for your enjoyment like medieval jesters, and you just get to sit there and drink it all in.”
Are any members of the audience sacrificed in the name of audience participation? Does anyone actually get put in the boot?
“Not to toot our own boot here, but I think we have some of the best audience participation around. We really care about the experience of everybody who comes to see us and want them to always know that they’re safe in our sweaty hands. There are some really fun and silly moments of audience interaction, but nothing that demands much. As for if anyone actually gets put IN the boot, well… you’ll have to come to find out.”
Your show is rated M15+. So you cover some slightly racy material?
“We like to think that our brand is sexy-silly comedy – it’s a bit raunchy, but we’re never taking ourselves seriously. Never. No spoilers on exactly what we do though – we don’t give out those secrets for free, so you’ll have to take us to dinner first????”
What do you think people will enjoy most about Get In The Boot?
“Everyone seems to have a different favourite sketch, and we think that’s the best part of it – there’s something for pretty much everyone (who enjoys sketch comedy). Overall, we think people will love our energy the most – we like to call it “precision nonsense” because it’s often absolute chaos, but we always know what we’re doing… about 80% of the time. Alright, you got us, 60%, but that’s as low as we’ll go (or is it?).”
Is there anything you wish to add to encourage people to come along to see Get In The Boot?
“It’s our first time in this festival and we’d absolutely love to have you along! Adelaide Fringe audiences are some of the best in the world, and we’re so excited to share it with you guys. Bring your boots, and let’s get in ’em!”
Bits Akimbo – Get In The Boot performs at Dom Polski Dwa at Dom Polski from 9pm from Mon 4 Mar until Sun 10 Mar.
Book at FringeTIX and adelaidefringe.com.au. Click HERE to purchase your tickets:
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