10 Quick Qs – Max & Ivan
1. Describe your show Twitter-style, 140 characters or less!
See #TheReunion: @maxandivan’s glorious coming-of-age tale of love and loss, hitting @MICFestival #2014. #loadsofjokes #poignant
2. Who’s the biggest celebrity you’ve ever been ignored by?
David Attenborough once refused – quite rightly – to respond to a tentative e-mail in which we asked him to provide an erotic voiceover for a section of our last show. There are no hard feelings; if anything, we’re ashamed at having wasted his time.
3. I’m sure you’re excited to be visiting Melbourne for the comedy festival. Tell us what you hate most about Sydney.
Our love for Melbourne is so profound that we’ve never been to Sydney. In fact, if Sydney wanted to book us – by contacting our agent at Dawn Sedgwick Management and discussing the possibilities of us performing in 2015 – we’d almost certainly say no.
4. What was the most challenging aspect about preparing your show?
Creating characters from scratch is always challenging – luckily, this show is based on our respective experiences at school, so literally all the characters are real. So, if you went to either Priory or Birkenhead schools, circa 1998 – 2003, we probably owe you an apology/some money.
5. You can choose to have anything named after yourself: a planet, stadium, street, whatever. How would you immortalise yourself?
We’d like to have the complete works of Monty Python named after us. BOOM. Legacy cemented.
6. What’s your favourite strategy for eviscerating a heckler?
Firstly, establish and maintain eye contact. Then, slowly approach them, unblinkingly. Raise your leg, and spray them with scent, secreted from your exocrine gland. Thus, you establish dominance.
7. Why would someone not want to come see your show?
If work’s been getting a bit much and they just want a quiet night in? If a family member is struggling with illness? If the traffic is looking hellish and it might be nicer to just sit in with a takeaway? If Prince is doing an impromptu gig and your mate has managed to blag two tickets? The list of reasons is, frankly, endless. Having said that, our show is well-worth overcoming all of the above obstacles in order to attend*.
*except the Prince gig, obviously.
8. Describe to us your ideal breakfast.
Last time we were in Melbourne, our daily routine was breakfast at the Queen Street Rescue with David O’Doherty, whose digestive patterns somehow fell perfectly in-sync with ours over the course of the month. It became such an ingrained habit that if this time around our days don’t begin with dukkah eggs (no longer on the menu, but still available if you order them with conviction), a flat white, an orange juice and the lilting tones of a wise Irishman, we’ll be furious.
9. What is the biggest accolade you’ve received from one of your shows?
Though we were extraordinarily fortunate enough to be nominated for a Barry last year, Ivan is still holding out for the ultimate accolade; his mum no-longer phoning him twice a month and demanding that he get a real job.
10. What other MICF show are you most excited to catch up with?
Sara Pascoe, Ronnie Chieng, Lessons With Luis, Tim Key, Des Bishop, the Boy With Tape on His Face, Joe Lycett, Xavier Michelides, Fan Fiction, Doc Brown, John Kearns, Asher Treleaven, Paul Foot Bane, Mel Buttle, Jimmy McGhie, John Conway, Bryony Kimmings, Milton Jones, Dave Quirk, David O’Doherty, Michael Workman, James Acaster, KelFi & FiKel, Late Night Gimp Fight, Luke McGregor, Matt Okine, Nish Kumar, Red Bastard, Rhys Nicholson, Hannah G.
