Lesbian comedian Zoe Coombs Marr on why queer culture is rich for comedy
The lesbian comedian on funerals, LGBTI culture, and her very real and serious marriage to Rhys Nicholson.
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When did you first realise you had a knack for making people laugh?
I don鈥檛 think it was ever a realisation or a 鈥榢nack鈥�, more an inability to take things seriously. If I may use the inspirational words of the Barenaked Ladies, I鈥檇 say 鈥淚鈥檓 the kinda guy who laughs at a funeral鈥�. Well okay not really, but I suppose it depends on the funeral doesn鈥檛 it?
If you weren’t a comic right now, what do you think you would be instead?
Well I couldn鈥檛 be an undertaker, could I?
How has your sexuality played a role in your comedy?
It hasn鈥檛 always been easy. Sometimes comedy is about being 鈥榬elatable鈥� or finding the status quo, and I was always pretty rubbish at that. But the comedy I like is about finding things that people haven鈥檛 thought of before, locating the unsaid or taboo or unarticulated.
I think queer people exist on that plane all the time, and that area is so rich for comedy. It鈥檚 like the 鈥楿pside Down鈥� in Stranger Things except instead of demigorgons we have drag queens and wimmin’s poetry nights.
Two years ago you and Rhys Nicholson were ‘married’ in a mock ceremony to highlight marriage inequality. How important is comedy in raising political issues?
Mock?! I鈥檓 not sure what you mean. Our wedding was a serious commitment to each other and the sacred institution of marriage.
Some people would say that comedy is perfectly placed to highlight political absurdities, and so SOME people got the impression that we were marrying each other as some sort of 鈥榮tatement鈥� about the ridiculous idea that we couldn鈥檛 marry who we wanted… for instance, our partners. But those people are wrong. I鈥檒l have you know Rhys and I are very happy in our heterosexual union. Everyone knows that, just ask Rhys鈥� very good friend and housemate Kyran.
Do you think queer comedy can help audiences connect with and understand LGBTI people better?
I think comedy is essentially about connection. So the more that happens, the more we understand each other, the better. That said, it鈥檚 okay for people to be different, and I don鈥檛 know if we all need to 鈥榰nderstand鈥� each other in order to respect each other. Like do you really need to hear someone make a funny joke to accept they鈥檙e a human?
I don鈥檛 think LGBTI culture is for everyone. It鈥檚 not a product, and the endpoint isn鈥檛 actually about straight people at all. I mean, some of my best friends are straight, but those guys can sort themselves out.
What has been your career highlight to date?
Oh I can鈥檛 pick a favourite! I鈥檝e been such a lucky little idiot and I鈥檝e been allowed to do some amazing things. The Wedding was incredible: somehow getting Judith, Denise, and Celia to do a ribbon dance to 鈥淭rue Colours鈥� as sung by Ofa Fotu from Hot Brown Honey before Hannah Gadsby smashed a sugar glass bottle over my head and Rhys vomited on me was pretty good.
But also crying into a bush with a mouthful of Hungry Jacks at the end of a rough festival was bordering on the sublime too. It鈥檚 all relative.
What message would you send our current government, in relation to LGBTI issues?
Oh those numbnuts… buck up or butt out buddies. And leave those kids alone. Seriously. They鈥檙e with us.
Zoe Coombs Marr will be performing at Midsumma Extravaganza on Tuesday 29 January at 8pm, Hamer Hall. For more information visit: .
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