Lynn Ruth Miller isn't your typical grandma. The 82-year-old stand up comedian is the oldest among her peers on this year's Melbourne International Comedy Festival bill, and yet she consistently appears onstage with a body full of energy and a brain full of wit.
Lynn pursued comedy 11 years ago, telling us that it was born out of an idea while writing an article about San Francisco Comedy College. She took the class and did so well that she decided to try and do it again, what followed was numerous appearances on stages worldwide. Amongst her career highlights, she even managed to make the stern-faced Simon Cowell laugh during her Britain's Got Talent audition back in 2012.
Despite her fame, Lynn doesn't think she's unusual, believing there are millions of people her age that are just as active and just as interested in life.
With a stamina like someone half her age, Lynn is currently taking over Melbourne stages for ‘This Is Your Future from the 23rd March, telling hilarious stories that are bound to delight and hopefully teach audiences not to be afraid of life's never ending surprises.
“In this show I trace my ridiculous beginning to my outrageous present… comedy is just another adventure in a long list of mishaps and unexpected pleasures. It is these very disasters and surprises that I talk about in this show; a combination of jokes and stories that show you how to turn the bad advice you are given, the stupid decisions you shouldn't have made and the rain that falls on every life into a lot of laughter and even more fun. It all happened to me....and a lot of it will happen to you. Be prepared.”
When asking Lynn about her upcoming show, she told us that This Is Your Future embraces topics on what it's like to be in your 30s and 40s; Lynn recounting tales about the clothes she wore, the way she learned to drive and the confusion that surrounded her wedding night. In equal measure to her hilarious pasts are the comparisons she makes to today's generation of online dating and the kind of things young people do. “I make fun of them because of course that's ridiculous to imagine an old person doing Tinder.”
Despite the many tips on how to tickle a crowd, Lynn admits that being a stand up comedian is not always smooth sailing job. A perfect example is the kind of impact a ‘set show’ like This Is Your Future brings to audiences. Compared to a regular comedy show, an hour of stand up show is not as flexible. Surprisingly, a lot of audiences swear by its unique capacity to make them burst into laughter.
“Australians love comedy and they catch-on to the jokes. I always wanna lock the door and do the whole set over again because it is so rewarding to get that kind of laughter,” Lynn spills.
Lynn is a woman of many talents, aside from her skills as a comedian she was also an author, professor, newspaper columnist, and a TV writer. She has two Master's degrees, one in Creative Arts for Children and one in Communication from Stanford University. With so many feathers to her cap, there's really not a lot she can't do!
For almost three decades now, Melbourne International Comedy Festival continues to bring audiences a multitude of voices and hard laughs. Now celebrating its 30th year, it's that time again to witness the best local and international acts converge on the city for a series of shows.
Be sure to catch Lynn at The Butterfly Club until 17th April before she goes back to Brighton for her regulars and the upcoming Brighton's Fringe and Wandsworth Art Fringe.
Post a comment