The elegant Alan Pentland meets me at the Melbourne Bar, “Workshop”, to talk about the MSW poetry prize, comedy and the meaning of spoken word. There seems to be no prototype to achieve this, right now I’m going to non-poetry gigs and open mics — like music gigs. Fast Forward is an Australian commercial television sketch comedy show that ran for 90 episodes from 12 April 1989 to 26 November 1992. “Race Call,” the piece I did at the MSW Prize is very exciting to perform because it’s technically difficult, a rollercoaster ride for both me and the audience, or a juggling act. It was the most high-pressure job I have ever experienced. About Mylene Pentland. Cast. The story of the residents in the Dalkeith Retirement Home who obtain a greyhound. Also drives the tractor. Melbourne Spoken Word to host spoken word festival online in 2020, The 2020 XYZ Prize for Innovation in Spoken Word Winners : Eloise Grills and Jaslyn Robertson, Thabani Tshuma – No Strings (MSW Prize 2019). Individual free speech liberty protected under party or category name for democratic creativity. Alan Pentland has had poetry published poetry at school, is a pioneer of early cabaret and comedy in Melbourne, was a writer/performer on tv comedy Fast Forward, writer of computer manuals, video maker, now writes very short stories… that sometimes rhyme. Australia is a country of climatic and geographic extremes and Australian comedy often manifests itself as a comedy of extremes. What’s your first love, page or performance poetry? With Ray Barrett, Gus Mercurio, Judy Banks, Esme Melville. In my personal experience, it’s like riding a tiger. The power comes from expressing authenticity and emotion. We’ve got a layer of civilisation that is a thin veneer over our basic brutality. When I’ve performed on non-spoken word open mics, I find people pay attention when they hear someone doing something clever with words. But it seemed intimidating to me compared to comedy, so the poetry went into abeyance. After raising our family we moved to the bush. “Hey, these poets are organised enough to run a festival!”. Yes there was (is) a bogan dance. In my humble opinion, there is no theory which has more ramifications for mankind than the theory of evolution. The level you can improve your performance is infinite, you can never stop getting better. Alan is an architect who became a comedy writer/poet. 04/11/1991. I like listening, I really like the live event. When I started in comedy in the 70s in Melbourne, the scene was non-existent — the opposite of a career choice. Alan,Alan, Alan, Alan, Alan, Ow, Ow, Steve, Steve, Steve...Hey, Hey, Hey... BBC Alan is incredibly talented and passionate in his creative abilities. There is so much to be disappointed about, yet I’m aware it has never been a better time to be a human being. We started supporting rock and roll bands, like AC/DC and Little River Band before they got big. How do you think spoken word differs from comedy as an art Form? Off-stage she’s vague and freshly introverted.On-stage, she’s the poetical analogue of a heavy metal karaoke. Born in Dorset, family favourite Alan Carr moved to Northamptonshire at a young age and grew up here. The festival is a great beginning, it gives the artform a stamp of approval and credibility. I’ve been part of the poetry scene for about two years. My friend and I used to self-publish a poetry newsletter in the days when you had to “roneo” them, you had to type the poems up on a stencil then run it through a machine to make copies. Written-By – Alan Pentland, Andrew Knight, Brendan Luno*, David Marshall (5), Geoff Brooks, Gordon Badham, Jane Hopkins (2), Jane Turner (2), Kevin Carlin, Magda Szubanski, Marg Downey, Max Dann, Michael Veitch, Peter Moon, Peter Nicholson, Rod Quantock, Steve Blackburn*, Steve Vizard, Tim … From the winner of Slamalamadingdong for March, Alan Penland performs ‘Navigator’ at Slamalamadingdong, March 30, 2017. So after all that wonderful experience, you’ve returned to poetry and spoken word. I developed great respect for brevity. When I finally retired, I realised that in the intervening years, I was always a writer: comedy writer, technical writer, film, communications expert, copy writing and editor. We love the peace and quiet of our home, and love to … Right after this interview, he retreated to his country estate to fix up a problem with a water tank. He takes his work (of being humorous) very seriously and has been recognised by many in … William E Pentland. You gotta be prepared to go off script sometimes. Still, I feel like there are forces that we will never be in control of. Alan Pentland is known for his work on Full Frontal(1993), Bligh(1992) and Get a Life(1997). Working with all these diverse people was terrific training as well. There are no upcoming events at this time. We create institutions that provide governance and moderating influence over our basic nature — but you can never stop being vigilant. It would also help to get the backing of an officially recognised institution, like the Wheeler’s Centre. Issuu is a digital publishing platform that makes it simple to publish magazines, catalogs, newspapers, books, and more online. When I joined the Fast Forward team it was very professional, a lot of very clever people trying out different things. It was all the rage in 1975. Comedy. You don’t write in words, you write in syllables. The child was given over for adoption. Mylene is a marriage celebrant with extensive experience in the hospitality industry. I was aware of the poetry scene in Melbourne in the 70s. It sorts people out: the pressure is so intense there is no allowance for weakness. Resides in Spokane, WA. I ran the first stand-up comedy venue in Melbourne in the 70s. Matt Smith On one hand, I think we are so lucky, on the other hand I get depressed about all the contradictions of our situation. It got to a stage where I wouldn’t pick up a pen unless someone was paying me. Just keep performing. Person. You can find out more about Waffle Irongirl at www.waffleirongirl.com, on Nice To Know We Are Alive: Interview with Alan Pentland, Tenda McFly / A list of things I want to talk about. Many skits are still done in other shows that the performers from this show have gone on to do. Alan Pentland When stand up arrived from America, it started to take off because it was much cheaper to put on than the large ensemble pieces in vogue back then. Various Characters (89 episodes, 1989-1992) Gina Riley. It was something I also really enjoyed. I wonder if this is what we really wanted? I won an award for poetry from school. Alan qualified as an architect and became a comedian. His work has won awards at three international film festivals. Hit TV comedy shows such as Australia You’re Standing In It (1983-84) were performed and written by comedians Rod Quantock, Mary Kenneally (BA(Hons), LLB 1972, St Mary’s College), Steve Blackburn and Alan Pentland (BArch 1978), all from the School of Architecture’s famous Archi Revue. Jane Turner (2) Performer, Written-By. Hi Alan. A lot of what I see on the scene is driven by vulnerability and emotionality. Your online connection to spoken word & poetry in Melbourne, Waffle Irongirl regularly sets out to write poetry in the venerable tradition of Dickenson and Whitman. Pentland Hills: Local Attraction - See 166 traveler reviews, 261 candid photos, and great deals for Edinburgh, UK, at Tripadvisor. "When were/are they on?" He ran Melbourne’s first stand up club, worked with Daryl Somers and was a key player in the TV comedy hit Fast Forward. She's released a chapbook, broken bodies, and two spoken word albums, Duel Power with Santo Cazzati and The World Doesn't Make Sense EP. A group of us started performing, we all wanted to do something that was good, that had quality, that fostered equality. I felt terrific for about a week, then I got the feeling, “What do I do now?” This felt like a watershed moment, a huge step. Name Character Magda Szubanski Various Characters Alan’s father Graham Carr is an associate director for Northampton Town F.C. It doesn’t have to have a joke every ten seconds, in fact it doesn’t have to contain jokes at all, which appeals to me immensely right now. I was surprised to have walked away with the prize, there were so many amazing performances! I would like to be part of the wisdom that leads it in the good rather than bad direction. It’s exciting when a performer takes an audience down a path, then suddenly changes direction. I only decide to learn something by heart after doing it in front of an audience a few times and deciding it is good enough. Whether you liked it or not, you needed people you could depend on. All sorts of people would contribute, people you wouldn’t imagine writing poetry. How did you get your start in poetry? The combination worked really well and also we learnt to deal with tough crowds. She grew up in Western Sydney before calling Melbourne home in 2008, where she's performed since 2010 around Melbourne's regular spoken word and poetry nights including Passionate Tongues, The Dan Poets, Voices in the Attic and House of Bricks as well as the NGV and White Night. Includes Address(5) Phone(1) See Results. 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