Fire Away

Karl Redgen, who’s performed at the Melbourne Fringe Festival in 2012 and Adelaide Fringe in 2013 alongside his twin brother as part of the duo The Good Morning Captain, has taken on the challenge of writing and directing his own show. 

The performance follows the protagonist whose backpacking adventures and one too many viewings of Apocalypse Now have made him believe that he is stationed in a bunker in the brink of the Vietnam War while he’s on his escapades through South East Asia.

Redgen drew from his own amusing ordeals in creating this production. “The inspiration behind my show was my own experience traveling around South East Asia and the comical situations that I got myself into. Many of the stories and jokes are true stories based on my experiences in Vietnam, Thailand and Laos.” He believes that the “mixture of stand-up, storytelling, true stories and performance” is what makes this performance unique.

Redgen admits that the idea initially came from something that his brother said to him at Adelaide Fringe last year. “My brother said I talk too much when I meet new people and said that my conversation was like rapid fire, one joke after the other. I started writing a solo show with the concept that I would talk a lot and tell lots of different jokes.” Redgen altered his concept slightly after travelling to Thailand, envisioning a show based on his travels.

“I like shows that take you on an adventure and captivate you, keeping you engaged for the full hour,” says Redgen. So it goes without saying that he’s aiming to do the same thing.

Rapid Fire
Melbourne Fringe Festival, 17-28 Sep, Portland Hotel