DeAnne Smith Is Tackling The Hard Topics Differently This Comedy Fest

DeAnne Smith is one of those comedians that Australia just sort of decided to claim as their own. Along with the likes of Urzila Carlson and Arj Barker, the Canadian-American stand-up has been adopted into the local scene with open arms.

“I really think the Australian comedy scene is so strong and so original,” she says. “I see things that are happening over here that I don’t see anywhere else, so it’s always really inspiring to see what Australian comics in particular are coming up with. I think I’ve been really influenced by the Australian scene, because I started coming here really early on in my career. I started coming here within two years of doing my first ever open mic, so I think my time in Australia and what I’ve been exposed to here has really come to shape my own style of comedy.

“I started with a very ‘North American’ style, you know? That set up, punchline, one laugh every ten seconds style. I think seeing what is happening in Australia has really opened me up to more long-form storytelling type pieces, as well as some truly absurd and ridiculous flights of fancy.”

In town with her new show, Epiphany, Smith remains quite secretive about what the material is actually about – though not entirely intentionally. “I know, the press release says practically nothing,” she laughs. “I feel like those come out, and I’ve not even finished writing the show yet. I honestly have no idea how people write thematic shows months in advance, the way I tend to work is that I’m not even sure what I’m obsessed with until I start writing it all out. And then from there, I start drawing out themes and seeing what’s happening. 

"I'm always aiming to be more truthful. I'm always trying for the deepest, truest thing to say."

“I don’t know how to explain the way that I write shows, and it’s definitely a problem when I do things like this. But one thing that I’m always trying to do with my work, and one thing that’s always becoming deeper and stronger, is that I’m always trying to mine my personal experience and my personal struggles in the hopes that they are then universal. My favourite type of comedy is the one that makes you cringe and feel the gut punch of how personal it is, but at the same time is so relatable to everyone. So, I’m talking about mental health stuff, I’m talking a bit about body issues, and that odd and uncomfortable experience of what it is to be human. But truthfully, I don’t really even know what my shows are about until I start running them, then all the themes become clear.”

While sincerity on stage is almost a point of principle for Smith, the comic admits the road to honesty was a tough one. “I found myself shying away from certain topics early on because I myself wasn’t comfortable with them, and I think you can see that. 

“When you go to open mics and see new comedians trying to tackle personal issues, it doesn’t always go well and it’s usually their energy or they’re trying to force it. I think now, with ten years of experience, I understand a little bit more about how to tackle those subjects. Also, I’ve had so much therapy,” she laughs.

“When I started therapy years ago, I think I spent the first six months trying to convince [my therapist] – and myself – that I didn’t need therapy. I remember one session where we only had about ten minutes left and I didn’t know what else to talk about. So, I started just going into this bit — I started doing comedy in therapy, for my therapist, and I left feeling so gross. I just went away thinking, ‘What am I doing? Why am I paying someone to listen to me sit there doing bits?’ Really, my favourite thing is being able to tackle subjects I wouldn’t have been able to even just a few years ago. I’m always aiming to be more truthful. I’m always trying for the deepest, truest thing to say.”