Aleisha McCormack is comedic gold.

Lately, I've been (slowly) in the process of putting my online port-folio together, which has meant going through all my bits of writing. A part from the fantastic trip I've been having down memory lane, I've come across some of my favourite interviews. This one in particular, I did last year for a website, Juicee Gossip. It still makes me laugh, even after reading it for the 100th time.

View the original post here. (Big thanks to the site for letting me re-post!)

Image from Aleisha's personal website: http://imdoingmybest.com/

How did you get into stand-up comedy?
Stand up was something I always wanted to try but never quite found the opportunity. In 2005 my fiancée of 8 years, called off our engagement, 5 weeks before our wedding. It was such a bad story that after a while it actually became funny. I saw an advertisement for Raw Comedy, the national stand up competition and thought ‘what better time than now?’ My act was about starting over, the horrendous job of having to call wedding vendors and why all women who work in bridal shops are called Lyn. I was super nervous but got up on stage and gave it a red hot go. I was blown away when I won the heat and went on to perform at the Grand Final during the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in front of 2000 people at the Melbourne Town Hall and ABC TV. It was my third gig. It was totally mental.

What’s the best thing about performing stand-up?
Making it off stage alive. I get really nervous before I go on stage. Spew nervous. It’s part of the ritual though; it helps me get in the zone. I convince myself that I don’t know my routine and get all worked up. I think the day I’m not nervous is the day I stop caring....sorry this was supposed to be about the positives of stand up...sometimes the venue might give you a free drink.

Is being funny something you have a natural talent for, or is it something you’ve had to work hard at?
Gee whiz. I’m an only child. I used to talk to myself a lot and make up little stories. We moved a lot...I went to 16 different primary schools (some in the UK). Being self-deprecating and ridiculous was a good way to make friends and not tread on the pretty, dumb girls turf.

Do you find it difficult to portray comedy in writing? Or again, do you find you have a natural flare for it?
When I blog I tend to just type and type, a massive verbal power chuck... then I go back and re-read and edit. When it comes to writing for 7pm Project we’ve got tight deadlines and some days it just flows, the ideas come and other days the countdown is torturous, you just hope the other dudes have written on their page more than "Aleisha McCormack" and the date.

You write for the 7pm project, but you’ve also appeared on the show, and fellow channel ten show, The Circle. Do you prefer being behind the camera, or in front of it?
I really enjoy my on air work. I started my career as TV producer. I love the process of building a story, researching, finding talent and editing. My job at the Circle has taken me to some amazing places...just last week I visited Kakadu and had a panic attack in a crocodile tank...oh yes the highs and lows (they got that on tape and it will be airing in the near future). I feel as a performer and presenter if I can be relatable and entertaining I’ve done my job. I don’t mind playing the fool. I love it and I am super grateful that I have the opportunity to work and travel with such a dynamic bunch of people.

What’s so good about working with The 7pm project? And The Circle?
The free food.

(The people and the opportunities that it has given me. I’ve met some of my heroes. Ben Elton was tops. I’ve danced in gold hotpants with cast of Glee, been hypnotised and interviewed some fascinating people)

What’s been the best thing you’ve worked on?
As old Blue Eyes said ‘The best is yet to come’.

In terms of your whole professional career, what’s been the biggest highlight?
Cripes. Probably working with people that I really admire. I grew up watching the D Gen and The Late Show and I’ve since worked with Glenn Robbins and a couple of other comedians that I really respect. It’s always a thrill.

And what’s been the biggest lowlight?
Getting an atomic camel toe after jumping off the side of a building at the Wolverine Stunt School (google it). Never again.

Were you a good student? Or a larrikin?
Bit of both. I could be a bit of a smart arse. One of my primary school teachers was convinced I would become a politician. In one of my report cards he wrote “Move over Bronwyn Bishop, Aleisha’s on her way”. That was in grade 5. Yeah well, I showed him.

What’s the worst joke you’ve ever told?
Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. Not going there again.

Who’s the funniest person you’ve worked with?
Dan Burt all the way. Check him out on twitter @trubnad you won’t regret it.

Describe your life in three words.
Fun, unpredictable, eventful

What advice do you have for anyone trying to break into the fields that you’ve been able to break into?
Like any job, work harder than anyone else, be in the right place at the right time and recognise that. Some of my biggest career coups have happened by chance...


A big thank you to Aleisha for taking the time to speak to Juicee Gossip.


Follow Aleisha on Twitter at @leishamccormack. Also check out her official website by clicking here.

Let's watch a movie, or three.

I have no real excuse for my recent lack of blogging, but I’m going to use one anyway. I’ve been busy (not lazy). Busy doing what, you ask. Busy watching movies to write about, for your pleasure of course. (Nice save Morgan!)

I’ll try my best not to give spoilers away, but be wary if you haven’t seen the films.

The first movie I went to see was the documentary (mockumantary?), Catfish.
Thank you $6 Mondays at Nova!
 What drew me to this, apart from the intriguing interview the three boys who star/direct/produce the film, gave on Ellen months ago, was the way it focuses on Facebook. The film, I honestly don’t know what to call it, so film seems like a winner, follows the story of Yaniv Schulman, known as Nev, his brother and best mate. Nev begins a friendship with a family on Facebook, and falls ‘in love’ with the family’s eldest daughter. Ariel Schulman (Nev’s brother) and Henry Joost (Nev’s mate) decide to film Nev, and the blossoming relationship. When the trio head across the country to meet the family, all isn’t as it seems. I’ll leave it there, but if you’ve seen the trailer, or heard anything about the film, you know something odd is about to go down.
In my opinion, what has made the film so intriguing is the debate raging over whether it is real or fake. The three boys are adamant that everything that happened is true, and the only editing the film has are the bits they added (pictures of Facebook messages, maps etc.). But, that doesn’t seem to be the whole truth, especially if you go snooping. This is my favourite site for speculation. *Please note: Only look at this if you’ve SEEN Catfish.
VeryAware.com

I’d definitely recommend going to see it. Especially if you aware of Facebook, and the dangers it creates. It is a bit obscure, but you can always watch it like a movie, not a documentary. If you read the synopsis or see the trailer and it doesn’t hold your interest—this isn’t going to be for you. Oh, and take Panadol. The handheld camera technique can cause a headache or two.
And if anyone can remember the blog URL given at the end of the film, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!

I’ve also recently seen The King’s Speech (unfortunately, paid $15 to see this one at Hoyts, pfft). Wow, wow, wow. It’s the best movie I’ve seen in a long time, take that Twilight! I really wanted to see the film, mainly because of the brilliant buzz that surrounded it, and also I was curious to see Helena Bonham Carter play a ‘normal’ role. I wasn’t sure how much I’d enjoy it though, thinking it would suit an older audience. After viewing, I still think it is targeted at an older audience, but hec it’s a good film, and if a nineteen-year-old-history-dead-brain can enjoy it, anyone can. The storyline is brilliant, and something I was completely unaware of, only having a limited knowledge of recent royalty, not the history of the blood-line. And even if the story doesn’t tickle your fancy, you can appreciate the performances. Within the first twenty minutes to half an hour, it’s clear why Colin Firth is the favourite for the Oscar. My favourite thing about the film was watching the exchanges between Colin Firth (King George) and Geoffrey Rush (Speech doctor, Lionel Logue), two brilliant actors playing two brilliant roles.
The real footage shown towards the end of the film adds a nice touch too.
This is a real winner. I’d recommend everyone see this one. Go, now. Have you gone yet? Wait, no, there’s one more movie to write about! Please keep reading, and then go.

What’s the last film? You guessed it. Black Swan. Oh, what expectations I had for you! And how I think I’m going to be shot down in flames for this. I didn’t dislike it, but well, I didn’t like it either. I can’t quite put my finger on why, but I’ll do my best. The performances outshone the story line, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but when the story line is as intriguing and perplexing as Black Swan is, it makes it difficult. Maybe I just expected more because of all the reviews raving about it? Because when you strip it back, it is a good film, just not as good as I was anticipating.

Natalie Portman is good as troubled ballerina Nina Sayers, and Mila Kunas is good as rival/friend Lily, but there wasn’t enough of her. And I don’t question her nomination for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar, but I will question a little if she wins. For me, the highlight performance came from Barbara Hershey, who plays Nina’s mother, Erica. Oh, and a (small) surprising performance by Winona Ryder as ‘old’ ballerina, Beth. I only say surprising, because whenever I think of Ryder, I think of Mr Deeds. I know, I’m a bad person.
The film does keep you guessing until the end, but I only really got into it about half an hour from the end, and before I knew it, it was over. It’s worth sitting through, just to get to the end though, because wow, what an ending.
It’s a film you can appreciate even if you don’t like ballet, but there is A LOT of ballet, not enough crazy, for me anyway. Worth a view, but only so you can say you’ve seen it. It wasn’t for me, but it could be the film of the year for you. The Oscar’s certainly seem to think so.

Now that’s over, what to do know? I have a real urge to go and see 127 hours. Where did I put my car keys?

The extra (boring) info:


CATFISH (2010): Directed by Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost. Rated PG 13. Run time: 87 mins. Trailer.

THE KING’S SEECH (2010): Directed by Tom Hooper. Screenplay written by David Siedler. Rated R (For strong language) Run time: 118 mins. Trailer.

BLACK SWAN (2010): Directed by Darren Aronofsky. Rated R (For sexual content, disturbing violent images, language and some drug use) Run time: 108 mins. Trailer.

Hey Mother Nature, settle down.

I've been crazily lazy over the holidays with my little piece of joy (aka this lovely blog). But truth be told, after having a relaxing Christmas period and finally deciding to get stuck into some work, I couldn't, because my eyes have been glued to the TV.
The recent floods have just been devastating. I'm heart-broken, and I'm sitting safely in Melbourne. I cannot begin to imagine the pain that these poor people must be feeling. Words just fail me, which doesn't tend to happen very often.



Image URL: http://www.abc.net.au/

I know it has been drummed into everyone, but we need to donate, donate, donate. Skip that morning coffee for a week or two, and give it to the people that don't have a home anymore.
Go here for how you can donate.
A personal favourite of mine though, is something that local Vic/Melbournians can help with. Onya magazine are running Onya Aid on Australia Day, at Honey Bar in South Melbourne. Check it out.

But now, country Victoria is in danger of flooding? Come on, Mother Nature. Give us a break.




ImageURL:http://www.abc.net.au/

To keep up to date with the Victorian floods, keen an eye on the Vic Gov website.

And, although I say, give and give and give to our family and friends that are struggling in QLD. I urge you to remember, something that happened in our backyard not that long ago, something that is still effecting people, and I talk of Black Saturday.
There are families who still don't have a home, who are still struggling with their grief, who are still reliving their trauma like it happened yesterday.
Don't forget them.



What a contrast! Image URL:http://www.kidsolo.com/

http://www.blacksaturday.com.au/

They say Australians are known for sticking together in the tough times, helping out when it's needed. Prove them right.

Hope you are all happy and safe.



Wanted: Christmas spirit.

Last night as I was sitting in the car, staring at all the non-existent Christmas lights, I turned to my Dad and stated, 'It just doesn't feel like Christmas.'

It usually doesn't take much to get me in the festive spirit, I love present shopping, and if you sing me a carol, it'll be in my head for days. I love the Christmas period, otherwise known as December. I love seeing a Santa everywhere I go, I love those annoying tunes, I love those crappy movies, and I love the 'togetherness' and seeing all those people you haven't seen for months at the annual Christmas parties.

There's something about this year, it's just not right. I don't like the fact that basically everything is open on Christmas day, I don't like the fact that I walked around Highpoint the other day for six hours and only heard two carols, and I definitely don't like the fact that I feel like a scrooge.

Maybe I'm just in an awkward period, too old to really get into it, not old enough to have kids to help leave out Santa cookies and milk (or as tradition in the Stewart household, Beer and BBQ shapes).
Whatever it is, I have eight days to shake it, and I'm determined for next year to be bigger and better. I think I'd cry the day I felt too old for Christmas.

Although, this morning, this did brighten my day. Thank you Sandi Sieger.

Does anyone feel the same? Do you think people are beginning to take Christmas for granted?

I'm nineteen, and my parents pay my rent.

Living in my own little bubble for the last week (and how heavenly that week was...) has meant a serious lack of blog reading and media interaction. This morning, I woke up, blew the dust off my laptop, and got ready to read everything I'd missed (oh, and avoid the ninety-odd emails waiting for me). This little beauty of an opinion piece, and its five hundred comments, is what caught my eye.

http://www.mamamia.com.au/weblog/2010/12/im-23-i-live-at-home-and-heres-why.html

                        I was trying to put the actual piece on this post, but blogger is being a pain-in-the-arse

So, apparently Lucy is lazy, spoilt, ungrateful and a whole bunch of other names which basically translates into a no-hope-Gen Y-leach-on-society.
Guess what? She's not.

I'm nineteen and I live at home, most of the time. At home, I live with my Mum, my Dad, and occasionally my twenty-one-year-old brother. When I live at home, Mum or Dad cook dinner, Mum does my washing, and if I want to go out for dinner with the girls and have a few drinks, Dad will drive me. I don't pay board, but I can stack a dishwasher and I can follow a recipe.
I usually have a hectic Monday-Friday uni schedule, so I also live in a small, two (kind-of-three) bedroom, flat about five minutes away from uni during the week, with my brother (who pretty much lives there full-time). And, my parents pay the rent.

No, I don't come from an insanely rich family.
No, I don't demand money from parents. It's actually the opposite. The number of times I've started to pack my car to drive up to house #2 for the week only to have a fight with my Mum about the groceries she's bought for us, is off the scale.

I'm in a crappy $14 an hour job that I've had since the end of school. I come home on weekends to work, AND to see my parents, because let's face it, I have the best relationship with both of them. I've tried to get a better job, to help my parents out with money, but no-one wants to hire a basically unavailable uni student who lives in two places.
My brother earned (he doesn't have a job at the moment) quite a bit more than me, so is able to help my parents out with bills, and he also gets rental assistance from the Government, money which goes to my parents.

I'm not stupid, I do realise how lucky I am. But, do not call me spoilt, ungrateful or a "typical Gen Y".

I come from a close-knit family on both sides, and it was a natural instinct for my parents to offer all the help they're giving their children. They don't live in poverty whilst my brother and I live in 'luxury'. We ALL live comfortably.

We live in 2010- an era where people are so different and unique that you can't stereotype them to their generations. So what if my parents what to help me and my brother have the best start to adult life as we possibly can? It's their choice and they're happy to do it. I'm driven, I work hard, and I'm determined about the path I want to take, so why can't I accept the help my parents want to offer me, without being labelled something I'm not?

When uni is over, when I have a hex debt that will make me ill, when I have a career, when I fully move out, when I become an adult, I have no doubt my parents will be by my side, ready to help. When will that be? It could be in a few years, it could be in ten years. But nobody is pushing me, especially my parents, who are happy to take it as it comes.

So before you go to call me spoilt and naive, and you continue to hassle Lucy, how about you don't? Because you're not us, you're not our parents, and you don't decide how we live our lives, just like we don't decide (or judge) yours.

Now, I'm going to sip Martini's beside my insanely huge pool and light a cigarette with a $100 note, all whilst my parents clean my room and do my laundry.
*If you don't realise that last statement is sarcasm, you have to get out more.

Hairspray (The Musical!) Review

Last night— after getting lost because of Melbourne CBD’s ridiculous street signage to find cheap parking— I saw Hairspray. The musical is being performed at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre, which isn’t my favourite theatre, but it gets the job done.


After a spot of shopping at South Wharf and a bite to eat in Chinatown, S and I were ready to take out (uncomfortable— one of the reasons I’m not a fan on the Princess) seats and enjoy the show.

I haven’t seen the original 1988 movie, but I’ve seen the 2007 re-make and I know all the music (even the ones they annoyingly decided to leave out of the re-make).

I was really excited for the show, and as it was a Tuesday night, I was expecting an understudy or two, but we were lucky enough to be treated to the full regular cast. But as the curtain call ended and everyone started to leave, S and I turned to each other, both of us left incredibly underwhelmed.

The opening number, Good Morning Baltimore, is supposed to be big, loud and set the scene. Unfortunately, it does none of the above. Jaz Flowers, who plays Tracy Turnblad, has a booming voice, and looks great on stage, but was stiff in the opening number. At first I put this to the fact she is a relative newcomer to the stage, but as the play progressed, I became more and more disappointed with the choreography. I was really excited to see (Hairspray choreographer) Jason Coleman work his magic, but well, he didn’t. There was a lot of standing still, but in saying that, there were some moments that were ‘wow’, like You can’t stop the beat.

The setting (those who are familiar with the Princess Theatre will understand) was displayed on backing screens; there wasn’t actually a ‘set’ per se. It was also cartoonish, which worked to a certain extent because of the fun, up-beat nature of the musical. However, after a while, it just gave me a headache. In my opinion, the backing screens mixed with tangible setting pieces would have worked much better.

A major positive for the musical was the casting. They all worked well and cohesively, as you would expect, but my absolute favourite was Esther Hannaford who plays Penny Pingleton. She is a breath of fresh air, and absolutely hilarious. Trevor Ashley (Edna Turnblad) and Grant Piro (Wilbur Turnblad) are also stand outs, and the Tuesday November 23 audience were treated to something a bit special from these two. During (You’re) Timeless To Me, this two ran into a bit of trouble. I’m not completely sure if one of them forgot a line, or a move of some-sort, but at one stage Ashley turned his back on the audience trying to hold back his laughter, the two over came it well however, and involved the audience. There are also a few familiar faces in the cast. Jack Chambers, winner of SYTYCD 2008, plays Link Larkin. He isn’t any Zac Efron, but the boy can dance and sing. Motormouth Maybelle is played by Cle Morgan, a top twelve contestant from the first season of Australian Idol (She was good, but not as boisterous as Maybelle needed to be). I also spotted another SYTYCD finalist, Heath Keating, in the chorus. Although, I kept a close eye on him whilst he was dancing and showing off his amazing technique, I couldn’t help but worry he was going to break his ankle again!

The Without Love number was a big disappointment, again I look at the (lack of?) choreography to be the reason why. But, the thing that shattered me the most, the thing that I was looking forward to was (Come So Far) Got So Far To Go, which wasn’t played. In the 2007 film version, the song is played during the credits, so I was expecting them to do it for curtain call. And it would have been a perfect song for curtain call. S and I were shattered!

What sums up the show most was during curtain call. Piro was trying to get the audience on their feet; a few jumped up enthusiastically, a few stood up reluctantly, a few stood up because now they couldn’t see, and many remained seated.

Hairspray is worth seeing, the highs do outweigh the lows, however, don’t set your sights too high, or you will leave disappointed.

It’s okay though; S and I drove home pumping Hairspray tunes with the windows down, and had an extra loud sing-a-long to (Come So Far) Got So Far To Go.

This, is why I had cornflakes for dinner.

I had cornflakes for dinner tonight. Apart from the fact I forgot about the whole if you drink a glass of wine you can’t drive thing, I’m broke. And I blame the twenty year old bubbly blonde girl who was in front of Myer today.


I went shopping today with a uni lovely to celebrate the end of the year, and to spend the cash I don’t exactly have. It was all going swimmingly; I’d brought clothes, shoes and jewellery. But then, we got hi-jacked. She jumped out from her little stall like a three year old on crack, and grabbed our hands, telling me I have beautiful nails (C’mon, I’m a nineteen year old girl; I never tire of going to a manicurist and having them rabbit on about how ‘beautiful’ my nails are). From that moment, I was pretty much hers.

Because this girl (woman, maybe. Nope, I’m going to stick with girl) had us eating out of the palm of her hand, and she “liked” (yes, I’m using DOUBLE talking marks) us, she offered a deal.

We got three of these little beauties for $100. They’re usually one for $70, but she offered us two for $100 and then decided to throw a third one in “free”.

They are pretty nifty; they include a nail buffer, nail file, cuticle oil and lotion. And they make my nails really shiny.

I’m a sucker for bargains, most of the time I can’t justify spending money on something that isn't on sale. Today, something evil happened. I’m excited to use the stuff, it smells fantastic, and the couple of nails that the (very good) sales girl demonstrated on, look awesome. But, I still can’t believe I spent so much on this little baby. It’s for the good of my nails though, right?



Please help me justify having to have cornflakes for dinner because of this baby. Please?