LAWRENCE MOONEY

What happens when an inveterate city slicker decides to up and move to the country? Aussie comedy veteran Lawrence Mooney has a few thoughts on the topic that he’s ready to share in his hilarious new show, Dead Set Country. 

Rita Horanyi sat down with the acclaimed comic for a yarn about ride-on mowers, finding community, and learning at long last when to shut up.

So, your latest show is about a city bloke finding himself in the country. 
It’s about a fish out of water, Rita. 

What inspired you to write a show about that? 
So, I have moved to the country, and I was a city boy born and bred. I grew up in Melbourne and spent the first 54 years of my life there, then got a job on radio in Sydney. And then my wife said, "Why don't I go and have a look at the Southern Highlands?”. Of course, women being five years ahead of men in the planning, she had designs and said, "Why don't we go and have a look at some houses?". 

... And then next thing you know, we're here. And then it's all about, you know, learning about community. It's kind of slowing down … People are slower. You get up earlier, you do a lot more, and I'm in this beautiful position where I get to live in the country and my bus stop, if you will, is Canberra Airport. And so that's where I travel from to do comedy all over the country. 

Sounds wonderful. 
Yeah, it’s pretty good. 

What’s your favourite thing about living in the country? 
Oh, I think probably my ride-on mower, which I spent most of yesterday on … I love that thing more than life itself … And next to that, it'd be the kangaroos and the wombats. Though I've got to toughen up a bit, you know. I still get a little bit choked up when I see one dead on the side of the road, and people who have lived here for a while go, "Mate, it's the country. You need to stop getting so emotionally involved”. But I can't help it! 

Fair enough! What’s been the most challenging thing about living in the country, besides the roadkill? 
You’ve got to learn the rules. Country people don't like rabbits, so don’t speak up on their behalf … Also, you know, folk aren't big fans of wombats either. You can't be too affectionate about a wombat. In fact, country folk don't like much about the country. They hate cockatoos, they hate gum trees … And politics, always best to avoid it. 

You know, my dad used to say never discuss sex, politics or religion at the dinner table, and it took me a long time to realise what that actually meant. What it means is, you're never going to change somebody else's opinion … As a bolshie 20 or 30 something, I was all about my opinions, but now … learning to be silent is a skill that I have acquired in the country … God, it saves you some trouble, Rita. 

... There's an AFL coach that used to have this great saying that's like, if you argue with a f-cking idiot, pretty soon nobody can tell the difference. 

[Laughs] That’s a pretty good saying. 
I like it, ‘cause it's so true. 

What do you love the most about performing stand-up? 
It's the immediate rapport with the audience … You've got, first of all, the great privilege of somebody having paid for a ticket with your name on it. So, they're actually, you know, planned to have you in their life for some weeks … Plus, even though it's a show I've done many times, every one's like a fingerprint. It's very unique … Nothing's ever certain with live performance … anything's possible. 

What are you looking forward to the most about heading to Darwin? 
Well, Darwin is always a very unique audience … It's like people that go to live in Darwin are looking for something that can't be found anywhere else in Australia. So, there's a freedom, there's a different kind of angle on life. 

... As a kid, my first connection with Darwin came in 1974, ‘cause in Christmas 1974, I got a transistor radio off Santa. So, I was up, like any kid, at four in the morning, switched on my trannie, and the news comes through that Cyclone Tracy had hit Darwin. And I was riveted … and I followed the news … and when I was up in Darwin last time, I went to the Cyclone Tracy exhibit at the museum, and I was fascinated. So, yeah, I've got this connection with the wild and crazy town that is Darwin … There’s this great kind of melting pot of cultures and ideas, and I love going there. 

Lawrence Mooney - Dead Set Country 
WHEN WED 19 NOV | 8PM 
AT AANT CENTRE 
COST $60 | $56 MEMB/CONC 
INFO yourcentre.com.au

_{Image: Monica Pronk}