Blake Freeman: ‘It was pretty fucking wild’
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21.03.2023

Blake Freeman: ‘It was pretty fucking wild’

Blake Freeman Killah review
Words by Ben Lamb

Fire alarms, big venues, and his new hour, Killah.

Blake Freeman’s rise in the comedy world has seen him win prestigious awards, hit the stage at Just For Laughs, and play sell-out crowds across the country, making him a must-see performer at this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Getting to share your work with crowds across the world is a bucket list item for many comedians, with festivals creating events to showcase that, such as Just For Laughs’ New Faces. Blake notes the experience and stories behind performing at last year’s New Faces in Montreal.

Explore Melbourne’s latest arts and stage events, exhibitions, productions and performances here.

 “It was pretty fucking wild,” Blake says. “Right before the show’s about to take off, everyone’s literally sitting backstage, and then an alarm goes off.

“I was like, ‘Oh that must be the ‘show’s about to start’ alarm’. Then the stage manager runs back and says ‘There’s a fire in the building we have to get out.’ They had to evacuate the whole show. No one was hurt or anything, which is good, it was just a wild experience.

“Then we did the show the next night, and it was mad to be on the other side of the world to do this.”

A comedian’s task is arguably the most difficult in the creative world. For most, each year, there’s a need to come up with a brand new hour of hilarious material. Blake notes the process behind his new hour, called Killah.

“It came from stuff that I was writing throughout the year, and then as I was slowly starting to piece it together, I realised that this show – to me anyways, is sort of loosely about, and not in like a pretentious way – identity.”

“I’ve been looking at the people from my childhood that shaped my personality and how that’s playing out in situations like relationships.

“That’s what I was writing, and then sort of seeing that natural through-line. I was like, ‘Oh, I think there’s like a bigger story to the show, which is kind of fun, because I’ve never really done a show that has not a narrative, but a theme, which is exciting. I’m so keen to give it a crack.”

After recent Comedy Festival performances at venues like The Swiss Club, Blake Freeman will be performing Killah at the Mantra on Russell. Many stand-ups change their delivery based on room size, Blake noting the relationship between venue sizes and delivery, and how being comfortable in the room is part of the process.

“I remember last year after the Comedy Festival, for the Comedy Festival Roadshow, there was a crew of us who got to go to Queensland to do shows up there.

“All the shows were in really big theatres and it was awesome to do longer sets in a big theatre environment. But then I’d come back, like the next week, and I’d be in a show with maybe 25 people. I realised halfway through, I’m trying to be a bit bigger and a bit louder,” Blake adds with a laugh.

“I guess with the MICF, where you’ve got the same space for 22 or 23 shows, I always like to spend as much time in the room before the show as I can, that way I can sort of mentally prepare.

“But if it’s just a spot around town, I’m usually pretty sweet to just rock up. You can just sort it out during the set. Having said that, I also like getting to shows early and just watching the people before and the people after and all that.

“It’s interesting and genuine. I would say it’s almost like my most personal show. But I also think it’ll get real silly. There are some real silly bits in it that I feel like anyone could get on board with.”

Blake Freeman’s Killah will be at the Mantra on Russell from March 30 until April 23 as part of Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Buy tickets here.

This article was made in partnership with Junkyard.