WHEN adventure seeking comic Lawrence Leung landed at London’s Soho Theatre, Leigh Johnston was there to find out what makes him want to fly.
If you’ve ever had a burning desire to fly a jetpack, then you’ve got something in common with Lawrence Leung.
The Australian comedian brings his enthusiasm for rocket-powered aircraft to London’s Soho Theatre this week in his aptly titled show Lawrence Leung wants a Jetpack.
When asked what the show is about, the answer was simple: “It’s about jetpacks!”
“Everyone agrees they’re awesome but where are they?” he asks. “More people have stepped foot upon the Moon than have flown one of these babies.”
In an attempt to find out why humankind’s access to jet-propelled personal aviation has been delayed, Lawrence Leung wants a Jetpack chronicles his three month quest to meet his fellow enthusiasts and convince them to let him fly these mythical contraptions.
“It’s also a show about humans who take on impossible goals, the nature of obsession, falling and picking oneself up again,” he says. “But mostly it’s about jetpacks.”
In addition to being a hilarious account of his experiences with these “true life backyard MacGyvers”, Jetpack is the latest show dedicated to one of Leung’s weird and wonderful obsessions.
“My shows are always about a single topic that I am obsessed with,” he tells me. “And I explore that from every angle. I have written hour-long shows about nerdy topics like card cheating, ghost hunting, breakdancing, love letters and Rubik’s Cubes.”
The current show is just the latest hilarious installment in the career of Leung, who is quickly proving himself to be one of Australia’s most versatile comedians. Aussie audiences would have first fallen in love with the Melbourne-based funny-man as the creator and star of ABC TV’s Lawrence Leung’s Choose Your Own Adventure, a series that saw Leung traipsing the world to live out his childhood fantasies.
As part of the show he got to meet childhood heroes such as Shabba Doo (best known for his role as ‘Ozone’ in film Breakdance 2: Electric Boogaloo), attempting pro-wrestling and solving a Rubiks Cube while skydiving as part of a world record attempt. His second TV series Lawrence Leung’s Unbelievable has recently aired back home to rave reviews.
Leung has also worked extensively on radio and even wrote sketches for The Chaser’s War on Everything, a job he says was a great experience.
“I basically had to look through the newspaper and dream up stunts that took the piss out of the absurd things that politicians or self-righteous people say,” he says.
Although a new TV series and feature film script are in the pipeline, Leung’s passion is live stand up and he’s looking forward to reacquainting himself with London audiences, who loved his previous show Lawrence Leung Learns to Breakdance.
“It went so well we had to add a couple of late shows. I lost my voice by the end!”
Whether you’re walking, driving, tubing or arriving by jetpack, don’t miss one of Australia’s premier comedians at the top of his game.
See Lawrence Leung wants a Jetpack at the Soho Theatre, 2 – 13 August.