Australia’s favourite raconteur and flâneur is back in Australia for a bunch of shows in Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Darwin, Hobart and Melbourne. We had a chat with Marcel Lucont ahead of his Australian shows. Ticket links at the bottom of the article.
Who is Marcel Lucont?
Everything you want him to be and more.
You’re bringing not one but 3 of your shows to Australia. How difficult is it to have 3 different shows within the same month?
It seems rude and unnecessary to contain all my facets within the space of one hour, if only there were enough hours in the day for them all. It is not so difficult, fortunately I am a generous man, happy to share these many traits in exchange for money.
Tell us about A Chat Show.
“Marcel Lucont Etc.” is my chat show, which I have done previously at festivals, but this time is with a live band, Les Marcellites
Tell us about Cabaret Fantastique.
Cabaret Fantastique is my late-night ménagerie of acts from the outer reaches of the festival, where I get to introduce the dark, the bizarre, the avant-garde to an audience at a time of night when they should be most susceptible to such things.
Tell us about Whine List.
“Whine List” is my improvised show, working through audience members’ past gripes, whines and misdemeanours. Very few solutions are offered, it is like a group therapy experience, but one where everyone potentially leaves more depressed.
What differentiates your shows from the others on offer at the Fringe Festivals?
Mine is of a different class, for those who like to pace their entertainment like an enjoyable feast or a bottle of Chateau Margaux, rather than having their entertainment thrust or barked at them.
You don’t just do stand-up comedy either, you also sing and released an album a few years ago?
Correct. In fact I have released a new album this year, “Flâneur, Raconteur, Bon-Viveur,” the follow-up to 2013’s “Vive Lucont!” This contains five songs and five poems, covering all of the important themes – existentialism (The Only Thing That’s Real Is Me), cuisine (May Contain Traces Of Food), love advice (Fifty Actual Ways To Leave Your Lover), women and wine (Women And Wine), among others.
Your website describes you as a “flâneur, raconteur, bon viveur”. How would you describe yourself in English?
I would describe myself in the exact same way, in the hope that those who understand will be worth conversing with further and those who do not will not.
How many times have you been to Australia to perform?
Australia has been blessed by my presence so often now, my first appearance was in 2009. And, despite, the unforgiving heat and their unforgivable pronunciation of the word “croissant,” still I return…
What do French people think of your shows?
Even the French, so used to premier cultural experiences, walk away from my shows in awe. They are, of course, far more difficult to entertain than Australians, yet the reward for doing so is naturally greater for me.
Tell us about your experience studying under Philippe Gaulier at the Ecole Philippe Gaulier
Gaulier is a bastard and proud of it, there should be more like him. At least he is honest with his bastardry. If he detests something he sees on a stage, he will get it removed from the stage immediately. I imagine him watching a show at the back of a theatre and a bad performer feeling his glare even without knowing he is in there.
Why should people come to see your shows?
There are so many reasons. Perhaps for Australians they may simply wish to hear a mellifluous accent in contrast to the loud nasal tones surrounding them on a daily basis, perhaps they wish to see humanity in its greatest form, perhaps they wish to be able to brag to their friends and relatives in years to come.
If someone in Perth can only come to one of the 3 shows on offer, which one would you recommend the most?
For those who wish to relive and question their life choices, Whine List. For those who wish to see other performers reliving and questioning theirs, Etc. For those who are not afraid to stay awake when the sky goes dark, Cabaret Fantastique.
You can see Marcel Lucont at the Adelaide Fringe from 6 – 17 March (except Monday 12), in Darwin on 23 March, in Hobart on 28 March and in Melbourne for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival from 10 to 22 April (except Mondays).
