White Faces and Nervous Laughter: Subversive Comedy in Australian Performance

Abstract

This thesis will examine what can be labelled subversive comedy in Australian performance—cabaret, scripted theatre, television sketch comedy, genre cinema and beyond. The period covered will be from the time of the work of Harry Vanda Sluys, aka Roy Rene, on the Vaudeville circuit until today. The thesis will examine the history and impact of various movements that can be identified within subversive comedy. These include Vaudeville Clowns, such as Rene, Graham Kennedy, 'Les Patterson' and 'Betty Grumble'; Public Subversion, featuring 'stunts' by Barry Humphries, 'Norman Gunston' and The Chaser; and Cabaret Troupes, including Cabaret Conspiracy, The Doug Anthony All Stars and Hot Brown Honey.

As indicated above, the thesis will chart a history that begins with the work of middle-aged white males and continues today in the work of women identified as feminist or “other”. This thesis is not just a history of subversive comedy: it also examines the social situations that led to these performances, their ongoing impact, and the question of how such work would be received today.