Having settled under the Australian sun after several years on the Parisian stage, Léo Filipetti presents Australia, mon amour, a comedy show that truly reflects his personality: funny, absurd, and deeply honest. Between cultural differences, Franco-Australian love, and reflections on life far from home, the comedian shares with the audience his tender and sharp-witted take on the adventure of a Frenchman who fell in love with a country. Read our interview with Léo ahead of his shows at the Adelaide Fringe this month and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in March and April.
You will be presenting your comedy show Australia, mon amour at the Adelaide Fringe and Melbourne Comedy festivals. How would you describe this show?
It’s my first hour-long show after doing stand-up for seven years in France and Australia. It’s about my loves, my failures, my successes, taller people, where I come from, how I ended up in Australia, and my experience in a new country to date. I use offbeat, absurd, and sometimes dark humour to describe how I see the world. My goal is for people who come to see me to have a good time and laugh at their experiences with me, whether they’re weird or funny.
You left Paris for Australia after meeting your girlfriend in Darwin. What were you doing in Australia, and in Darwin, at the time?
I went to visit my old high school pen pal, who I had met in Melbourne. He’s a doctor in Darwin now. My girlfriend was traveling there at the same time in her van. I was only supposed to stay for a week, but I ended up traveling with her for two months. We traveled all along the west and south coasts together.
How long have you been doing comedy? Were you already doing comedy in France before you moved to Australia?
I started stand-up in 2019 in Paris. I performed in all the comedy clubs there (Jamel Comedy Club, Barbès Comedy Club, Golden Comedy Club, etc.). I performed my show and also performed in English in Paris and Europe.
The description of your show suggests that “whether you’re French, Australian, or any other nationality, come share a laugh you’ll never forget.” Do you write your routines for specific cultural audiences?
Not particularly. My humour works for Australians and people from all over the world. Here, I share my perspective as a foreigner in Australia through a few jokes from the show. The rest is about me and the world around me in France or elsewhere. I recount my experiences so that they remain accessible to anyone.
How do you write your sketches so that they appeal to people who don’t share the same cultural references? Do you adapt your jokes every night?
Every night, I try to test new jokes or improve the ones I already have until I’m satisfied with the laughter they generate. That’s the beauty of stand-up comedy: you don’t know who will be in the audience, and there’s no point in thinking about it because laughter is all that matters. My goal is to make everyone who comes to see me perform laugh. I have a few jokes that only work with a French audience because I talk about where I come from, and some jokes that only work with an Australian audience because they’re references that only people here would understand. But those jokes only make up 5% to 10% of the show.
Is there a joke in your show that makes French audiences laugh until they cry, but leaves Australians a little perplexed, or vice versa? What has this taught you about the two cultures?
Apart from a few cultural jokes, everything else works pretty well both ways. Since I talk about my personal experiences, it could happen to anyone. When I translate the jokes, I sometimes adapt the words, but the punchline is the same.
What is the biggest daily culture shock you have experienced here, something that still makes you think, “That would never happen in Paris”?
- Mealtimes are earlier, sometimes between 6 and 8 p.m.
- Waking up between 6 and 7 a.m. without an alarm clock—I still don’t understand how I got to this point 😂
- The parking signs, which are incomprehensible.
Conversely, what Australian habit or value have you quietly fallen in love with, even if the French part of you is a little ashamed to admit it?
I love cheap cheddar, sometimes more than Australian brie, which I find tasteless. But please don’t tell my mother.
You promise that, as a French person, you will complain about the harshness of life. What are your favorite topics to complain about on stage (bureaucracy, love, transportation, food) and why do you find it so funny and liberating to complain?
I promise to complain until the day I die. Sometimes Anglo-Saxons find it a bit depressing, but it’s our way of opening up to others. Sometimes it leads to funny misunderstandings with my girlfriend. I complain about life in general, I think that’s a precise answer, but also about love, family, friends, and weird interactions with people we meet.
After the show, you invite the audience to share camembert, wine, and the big life questions. Have these post-show conversations ever surprised you or even given you new ideas for the next version of the show?
Yes, of course! Often people will have different experiences on certain topics that can be interesting to expand on with a few jokes. But I like talking with the audience because I’m so grateful that they come to see me on stage, that I think it’s normal to have a moment of exchange to continue the moment.
Beyond the humour, what does Australia, mon amour really say about modern relationships: long-distance relationships, intercultural relationships, leaving home for love?
I think it’s a reminder that it’s never too late to change your life or try new things. I had already fallen in love with Australia in 2008 when I was in high school, then I forgot about it, and now I live here. It just goes to show that anything is possible. It’s hard to leave everything I’ve built behind—my family, friends, all my exes—but it’s doable. I’ve been here for a year now, and I already feel like it’s easier than last year. I can’t wait to see what this year has in store for me, and I’ll do everything I can to achieve my goals!
If someone going to Adelaide Fringe can’t decide between a typical Australian stand-up and Australia, mon amour, how would you describe what (s)he will experience with you that he won’t experience anywhere else??
It will be the only show with a 200% French accent 🙂
Anything else to add?
Get your tickets before there are none left!
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We thank Léo Fliipetti for this interview and can’t wait to see Australia, mon amour at Adelaide Fringe.
KEY INFO FOR AUSTRALIA, MON AMOUR
WHAT: Australia, mon amour
ADELAIDE FRINGE
WHERE AND WHEN:
Comedy Hub at ibis Bar/Restaurant – Grenfell st
- Monday 23 February 8:10pm
- Wednesday 25 February – Thursday 26 February at 8:10pm
Fringe Comedy Hub at East End Fringe @ Majestic Roof Garden Hotel
- Friday 27 February 5pm
HOW: Buy your tickets via this link
HOW MUCH: Full priced tickets cost $19. There are cheaper tickets available for midweek shows, Fringe Members, and Seniors, Students, or Health Care Card holders.
MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL
WHERE:Transcendence – Love Train
WHEN: 30-31 March, 2-7 April, 8-12 April
HOW: Buy your tickets via this link
HOW MUCH: Ticket prices cost between Les $18 and $27
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You may wish to read our other interviews with Adelaide Fringe artists:
Joshy in Paris brings gritty Parisian chaos to Perth Fringe World and Adelaide Fringe 2026
