Julian Clary: quite contrary
As he prepares to wow Sydney with his new show, comedy's 'Mincing Machine' talks to Andrew Georgiou about being fabulous at 50
Julian, it's been six years since you last toured Australia. That’s a long time between drinks. What’s kept you from our shores?
Well I kept myself away from performing for a while. Not intentionally; I was writing books actually and then I moved to the countryside and became a rustic person. It was my 50th birthday last year, and that was my motivation to go back on the road and see if people still remember me.
We won’t take it personally then. Did you miss performing in that time or was it a break that you needed?
I did but I also did other things. I did the Boy George musical Taboo, I played the MC in Cabaret so the performing urge was satisfied. But it’s not the same as doing my own thing, which I find quite liberating.
Is there anything you consider off limits in your routine?
It's quite hard to shock people I find now days and the whole gay aspect of my act has been demystified for everyone, so I don’t feel I’m on any great crusade [to shock] anymore.
Would you say that you broke people in as far as the whole gay-in-your-face comedy routine was concerned?
I was part of that, yes, I was part of that whole time when things were evolving but I’m more interested in making people laugh now; that’s really my motivation.
As a novelist you’ve been described as the bent Agatha Christie of our time what does your writing process involve?
I don’t ever plan my books out. I never know how the plot will result so when I get halfway through I think, oh dear, who should I kill off now and who did it? I’ve learnt to trust to the inspiration of the moment and then work it out later, which is an unconventional way to write.
You’re unashamedly 50. What’s your view on the pro and cons of maturing as a gay man in the world today?
The pros are that you’re wiser and happier than you were in your 20s and all the worries about, the expectations you have of yourself have either been fulfilled or they haven’t, so you’re kind of content.
The cons are there’s no where to go and show everyone how fabulous you are, you’re kind of a bit ignored socially, I find. But never mind that. I moved to the country, and thought, I’ll just go and feed my chickens. I don’t really want to go hanging round discos just at the time of life when no one wants me to, so it's quite neat in a way.
Are you a swinging bachelor at the moment or is your dance card full?
Well there’s always space on my dance card.
That’s a very diplomatic response. Have you found it difficult to tell when a gentleman caller was genuinely interested in you or whether it was a case of “I snogged Julian Clary"?
It is tricky, that’s why I always like foreigners really; a nice dusky skinned Italian who doesn’t…
Have a television set?
That’s ideal! You do need to feel desired for yourself really but I think you wise up to things and you can sniff out a golddigger as you get older.
We both come from the generation that preceded online cruising. Do you think that the internet has retarded gay men’s ability to cruise in the real world or is it just another chapter in our evolution?
It’s another form of cruising but I think its fraught with difficulties because you might like the photo of someone but you can’t actually get a sniff of their pheromones or whatever it is that you really need to connect. A lot of gay bars are finding it difficult to survive because of people ordering a man over the internet like you do a pizza, and who can blame them really?
Sticky Moments was such an extraordinary success. How much creative freedom you were afforded with that show?
Loads actually. I don’t think it would happen now but back then Channel Four were very trusting and they just left it to us. It had the element of anarchy, which I think suited me.
Can you talk us through your touring show Lord of the Mince?
Well it’s very much a one-man show. The first half is me chatting about being 50 and all, it’s like a tribute show to myself by myself, and I talk about all the things I’ve achieved in my 50 years - the mistakes I’ve made, living in the country and relationships and so on. The second half I reveal a new psychic ability that I’ve discovered and I do some psychic experiments with the audience and I sing a few songs, throw a bit of confetti around; actually a lot.
The Lord of the Mince State Theatre, Tue 20 Apr. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.au
