Serious Comedy Presents WEST IS BEST

Serious Comedy presents an online and 'home friendly' night in of western suburbs comedy, music and stories - including the behind-the-scenes secrets of what happens when you pivot in a pandemic.

West Is Best could have been the best live-on-Zoom comedy variety show ever made. If only it had been finished.

The real story is that in May last year, West Is Best received pandemic arts funding to produce a live-on-Zoom showcase of westie artists. The pitch was to recreate the 1970s TV variety show atmosphere inside a domestic house, leaning into the lockdown vibe of the time. It was technically ambitious, but achievable and definitely funny enough to try.

West Is Best! Unmissable post-television TV that transforms a domestic house into a pop-up sound stage for the best of Melbourne's inner west's talent and local stories.

Or that was the plan.

The company tried to make this show for most of last year. But after successive lockdowns, half the team moving interstate, technical disasters, funding crises, and several physical and mental health breakdowns - they couldn't finish the show.

But now it's 2021 and they will make a show!

Back in January, the company recorded the majority of segments, interviews and games. They are delightful and hilarious and include R'n'B outfit JXCKY, comedians Dane Simpson and Urvi Majumdar, filmmaker Lana Schwarcz, renowned clown Daniel Oldaker (aka Dandyman), and poet and storyteller Alan Lovett.

They look and sound far better than an online show has any right to, in large part thanks to multi-award-winning theatre director John Kachoyan, and Tony-nominated sound designer Russell Goldsmith.

The performances will be broadcasted on March 29. Yianni Agisilaou, the show's original host will be joined by Carrie Hardie and Toby Sullivan (who are usually VERY MUCH behind-the-scenes producers) to host these clips and share their frustrating, inspirational, and their all-too-2020 behind-the-scenes stories of the making and breaking of the show.

West is Best is not just a variety show. It's a peek behind the curtain, or screen, at the backstage story of how this naively ambitious 'reach-for-the-stars mega-variety, live broadcast' concept had a few fuel stops on the way to the moon.

The company is offering tickets on a 'Pay What You Can' model - you still book a ticket, but you choose to pay what you are financially able to.

There are $10, $20, $30 and $50 ticket options. Or, if money is very tight, you can book a free ticket (but please help spread the word).

Book tickets via https://seriouscomedy.eventbrite.com.au

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