S1: From Vision Australia. This is talking vision. And now here's
S1: your host Sam Colley.
S2: Hello, everyone. It's great to be here with you. And
S2: for the next half hour we talk matters of blindness
S2: and low vision.
S3: I learnt that I could do it on my own.
S3: I could go to things, I'd watch things and I
S3: was like, why can't I do that? Why can't I
S3: be on stage telling my story? And I saw a
S3: lot of people with disability performing, and they were talking
S3: about their disabilities. And I thought, okay, that's great. Like,
S3: it's inclusive and accessible and so I'd love to be
S3: part of that. And so I've been performing ever since.
S2: Welcome to the program. This week we've got a special
S2: treat in store for you as I chat with Legally
S2: Blind comedian and vaudeville performer Jeremy Moses as he embarks
S2: on a series of shows at the Sydney and Melbourne
S2: Fringe Festivals over the coming weeks. You'll hear from him
S2: as he talks about what people can expect as they
S2: head along to check them out. We'll have a two
S2: part chat with Jeremy today, as he tells us all
S2: about his life as a performer with low vision, but
S2: also how he got into comedy and the positive messages
S2: he's hoping to share through his role as a performer
S2: to create a more safe and inclusive place for both
S2: audiences and fellow performers with disabilities. I hope you enjoy
S2: this week's episode of Talking Vision. With Jeremy Moses is
S2: a comedian with low Vision, who will be performing at
S2: the upcoming fringe festivals in Sydney and Melbourne over the
S2: coming weeks. You'll find him in Marrickville on September the
S2: 21st and 22nd, and in Melbourne at the Trades Hall
S2: festival space between October the 2nd and the sixth. To
S2: have a chat with me all about the shows and
S2: to tell us a little bit more about himself. It's
S2: my great pleasure to be joined by Jeremy now. Jeremy,
S2: welcome to Talking Vision. Thanks so much for your time.
S3: Hello, Sam. Thank you so much for having me.
S2: Let's get a bit more of an overview of yourself
S2: as a performer. Tell us a bit about yourself.
S3: Sure. So I got into comedy last year just before
S3: the Melbourne Fringe Festival. I actually signed up for the
S3: fringe before I'd even done stand up comedy, which is
S3: a daunting prospect. But, um, I had to learn on
S3: the job. And I did a show called 157 minutes
S3: of Bad slam poetry. Uh, it was based on some
S3: poetry that I wrote in lockdown. And, you know, I'd
S3: wear a pink beret and I'd blow a harmonica. Um,
S3: and I recorded, like, 100 poems in 100 days, which
S3: was a mammoth effort.
S2: Yeah, it's quite an ambition. Wow. Yeah.
S3: I had nothing better to do. Oh. Fair enough. Um, so.
S3: So I did those, and, um. And then. And then
S3: after that, I, um, turned it into a fringe show
S3: for the Melbourne fringe, uh, which is kind of my
S3: first time performing in public. Um, so I did the
S3: open mic circuit. I performed at various gigs and sort
S3: of learned the ropes on the job, and I did
S3: the Melbourne Fringe show, and it was it was really good.
S3: It was a really warmly received. I did some poetry.
S3: I wore the costume and then I'd talk about, like,
S3: my family and I'd talk about my disability. I'm legally
S3: blind and low vision, so I, um, like visually impaired.
S3: So I thought I'd talk about that. And it was
S3: really nice, like people seemed to really warm to it. Um,
S3: that kind of honest approach about living with a disability.
S3: And it did really well. So I brought it back
S3: this year, earlier this year for the Melbourne Comedy Festival,
S3: did a few shows there, and that was great and
S3: improved on that. And yeah, now I'm doing a show
S3: for the Melbourne Fringe, which is completely brand new, and
S3: it's a two hander with my friend Emily, and I'm
S3: blind and she's deaf. And so we have an amazing
S3: show coming up. All right.
S2: Well, talk about those shows in a little while, but
S2: I'm really interested to hear about how you got into comedy.
S2: As I understand, as you've said, you're quite new to
S2: the whole comedy scene. What was the thing that got
S2: you into that? What brought that about?
S3: Yeah, I've always been funny and told jokes in a
S3: private setting, and I, um, I used to be a filmmaker,
S3: so I used to make short films and mini documentaries
S3: and sketches, and they were all kind of comedic and I'd,
S3: you know, perform in them and I'd edit them, which is,
S3: you know, strange for someone with a visual impairment or
S3: not strange, but perceived as strange of someone with low
S3: vision who's editing videos. And so I enjoyed that kind
S3: of juxtaposition like that, challenging norms and expectations. So I
S3: did that for a few years where I just make
S3: all these videos and then, yeah, lockdown happened and I
S3: started to kind of do these poems just as something
S3: to do put them on YouTube, put them on Twitter.
S3: And then I sort of got the performing bug a
S3: little bit. I started to watch a lot of festival shows.
S3: I went to the Melbourne Fringe Festival the year before
S3: I went to, I did mine and the website had
S3: like all these accessibility sections. So it would tell you
S3: like turn left, go down these stairs, turn right, go
S3: to the lift. And as an independent person like it
S3: helped me navigate venues. And so I learned that I
S3: could do it on my own. I could go to
S3: things and watch things, and I was like, why can't
S3: I do that? Why can't I be on stage telling
S3: my story? And I saw a lot of people with
S3: disability performing, and they were talking about their disabilities. And
S3: I thought, okay, that's great. Like, it's inclusive and accessible
S3: and so I'd love to be part of that. And
S3: so I've been performing ever since.
S2: Oh, wow. And Jeremy, tell us a little bit about
S2: your low vision. You can go into as much detail
S2: or as little as you feel comfortable with. Has that
S2: sort of impacted your comedy and I guess your life
S2: more broadly, and has that been something you've lived with
S2: since birth, or had you experienced vision loss later in life?
S3: Yeah, I was born with it. It's a syndrome called
S3: optic atrophy plus or bears syndrome. It's very rare and
S3: it's like a genetic disorder. And it's got a physical component.
S3: So I have like kind of bad balance as well
S3: bad coordination and low vision. But it's hard to quantify
S3: it like people have struggled it basically I can't read
S3: at long distance like subtitles on a movie. I struggle
S3: to read it and also close up. I need like
S3: large print font. So when I was at school, they
S3: would blow up the books into A3 and I'd carry
S3: around these massive like binders of, of, of notes and things.
S3: Oh yeah. And so it's always been there. When I
S3: was a teenager, I went to a camp for the
S3: visually impaired in New South Wales and got to hang
S3: out with a lot of people with similar vision, low
S3: vision and other disabilities, and that was great. So I've
S3: always kind of been part of it. I've never really
S3: talked about it publicly until I started doing comedy and
S3: stand up, and I find people have really warmed to it.
S3: It's great to be able to tell my lived experience,
S3: and I feel very comfortable being seen. Um, and I'm
S3: shining like a positive light on disability, which is really
S3: fun and great and nourishing.
S2: Yeah, it's quite a few of those little aspects there
S2: I can totally relate with. As somebody who's also had
S2: low vision from birth and that whole thing with the
S2: balance and the coordination, and you have to rule out
S2: riding a bike, unfortunately, which is how it is. But, um, yeah,
S2: that was one of my big things. That was sort of, oh, damn,
S2: I can't do that. But I also like to focus
S2: on what we can do. So that's the most important part,
S2: as all of this helped you sort of process various
S2: aspects of it that you've never really sort of verbalized before,
S2: and then you talk about it and you think, oh, yeah,
S2: I did feel that way. I did have that experience
S2: as that sort of helped you mentally and psychologically in
S2: that way?
S3: I think so, yeah. Like when I'd walk around and
S3: I'd kind of like shuffle around a little bit at
S3: the train stations and someone would stop me and say, like,
S3: you know, are you drunk or do you have a
S3: disability and stuff? And, and I kind of, I enjoy
S3: that now. I can say, oh, buy a ticket to
S3: my show and then you'll find out, like you'll understand. Yeah.
S3: It's good to open up that dialogue. And a lot
S3: of people have invisible disabilities or disabilities that, you know,
S3: people don't understand. And so it's great to have that
S3: connection and be able to explain that to people. My
S3: condition is very rare. And so that's another layer of
S3: it that people will learn about that I find really
S3: like compelling. And yeah, I definitely find it. It's a
S3: relief to be able to express that in a medium
S3: and being on stage. It's very immediate. People learn about
S3: you straight away and it's hard to hide, like when
S3: I shuffle onto the stage, or the mic has to
S3: give me a hand up onto the stage to like,
S3: shake my hand because, like, I'm scared I'm going to
S3: fall over or something. All right. The audience will see
S3: that and you have like a minute or something to
S3: break that ice and explain to them. And I think
S3: that's refreshing. Like a lot of comedy that I go to.
S3: Disability can tend to be a punchline. Comedians sometimes do
S3: really mean material about disability, and I think the more
S3: people with lived experience get up and feel comfortable, the
S3: more audiences will learn. And also it helps audiences who
S3: have disabilities to feel comfortable. When I was at the
S3: comedy festival, a comedian was doing some mean material about
S3: blindness and deafness and calling a couple of people in
S3: the audience retarded and oh my God. And that really
S3: upset me.
S2: Yeah. That's terrible. What the hell? That's not okay one bit.
S3: And I you know, I'm sort of realizing as an
S3: audience member you don't want to feel bad for your disabilities.
S3: Everyone's unique. Everyone's got something, and it would be lovely
S3: if we could all go to a show and feel
S3: accepted and feel welcome. So I try and bring that
S3: to the table.
S2: Well, that's a huge point. I mean, there's so many
S2: shows out there and comedy that can be funny without
S2: punching down, and you've also been a part of that
S2: and will continue to be a part of that and
S2: giving that positivity and can do attitude to all manners
S2: of disability and inclusivity. So that's fantastic. And on that note, Jeremy,
S2: I'd love to have a chat about your upcoming shows.
S2: You're heading up to Sydney for the Fringe Comedy Festival
S2: over the 21st and 22nd, and heading back to Melbourne
S2: for the Melbourne Fringe a couple weeks later on October
S2: 2nd at Trades Hall. So let's start with your Sydney show.
S2: 157 hours of bad slam poetry. You've told us a
S2: little bit about it before, but tell us a bit
S2: about that one.
S3: Yeah. So I changed the name from 157 minutes of
S3: bad slam poetry to 157 hours of bad slam poetry,
S3: because people didn't want to sit through something they thought
S3: was 2.5 hours of poetry. So I've cleared up the confusion. Okay.
S3: And yeah, so it's a similar show to what I
S3: did at the first, you know, Melbourne Fringe last year.
S3: And then I brought it back for the comedy festival,
S3: and it's a bit more polished and I've added some
S3: things to that. The story about my experience at the
S3: camp for the visually impaired and how I met a crush,
S3: and I was attracted to a girl, and I had
S3: my first kiss there and it was lovely. So yeah.
S3: So I talk about that and I talk about a
S3: lot of the awkward situations I've been in in my life,
S3: you know, getting into the wrong cars when I was
S3: a kid or getting kicked out of a bar, you know,
S3: because the bartender thought I was drunk as an adult.
S3: So I talk about stories like that in that show.
S3: It's really great. And I do some poetry, and I
S3: wear a beret and it's very silly, but it's great. Yeah.
S3: So I'm flying to Sydney for that. That'll be on
S3: the 21st and 22nd of September at the Factory Theatre
S3: in Marrickville, which is a lovely venue. Yeah.
S2: Great spot. Marrickville. Yeah.
S3: Yeah. Unfortunately the room I'm in isn't accessible. Oh, damn.
S3: But it's fine like otherwise. Like, if anyone wants to come,
S3: they're more than welcome. It's a great show about disability.
S3: My life, my family. It's a bit of a roller
S3: coaster as well. I talk about some sad things, but
S3: it's a nourishing experience and it's very safe and like,
S3: I'm really proud of it and hopefully I can tour
S3: it around after that. So that's coming up in Sydney.
S3: I actually have to fly on my own now because
S3: my partner can't make it, and it's the first time
S3: that I'm flying on my own. And I was I
S3: was on the airline's website and you tick the box
S3: of like, you know, what do you need accessibility wise?
S3: I tick the box and I said, I'm visually impaired
S3: and I have a hidden disability as well. And then
S3: I went to check out and it said, we can't
S3: accommodate your disability on this flight. Please pick another flight.
S3: Oh my God. Yeah, I know, but it still let
S3: me check out. So as I'm talking to you now,
S3: I'm not sure whether I am or am not going
S3: to be helped like at the airport. So that's a
S3: little terrifying finding my gate. And yeah, I don't know
S3: how that's going to go, but.
S2: Yeah, that'll be interesting. We'll have to have a follow
S2: up chat and see how that's all gone. Because you know,
S2: that's that's that. Yeah, that's an experience. Unfortunately a lot
S2: of people out there can relate to.
S3: I was very surprised. Like, yeah you can't accommodate that
S3: on all flights. You know I understand if they can't,
S3: you know, have the extra staff there or something. But
S3: you know, you can't get someone to the end of
S3: the checkout saying, oh okay, I'm going to get supported.
S3: That's like a right of mine as a person with
S3: a disability. And then you get to the checkout and
S3: it says, oh, we can't accommodate that. That's not right. Mhm. Um,
S3: but yeah. So I'll stop complaining.
S2: That's all. It's not complaining and it shouldn't feel like complaining.
S2: It should feel like advocating. I think that's the word
S2: we're going for here because it is important.
S3: To be able to get around.
S2: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah.
S3: That'll be fun. So hopefully if that all goes well,
S3: then I'll fly home and I won't get stuck at
S3: the airport. No.
S2: We'll see how it goes. Yeah. I'm Sam Culley and
S2: you're listening to Talking Vision on Vision Australia Radio, Associated
S2: Stations of Reading Radio and the Community Radio Network. I
S2: hope you enjoyed part one of my conversation today with
S2: low vision performer Jeremy Moses. If you missed any part
S2: of my conversation with Jeremy today or you'd love to
S2: hear it again, Talking Vision is available on the podcast
S2: app of your choice or through the Vision Australia Library.
S2: You can also find the program on the Vision Australia
S2: Radio website at RVA radio.org. That's RVA radio all one word.org.
S2: But now back to part two of my conversation with Jeremy.
S2: I'm here today with comedian Jeremy Moses, heading off very
S2: shortly to the Sydney Fringe Festival and then back in
S2: Melbourne for the fringe in early October. Now, Jeremy, before
S2: the break, you mentioned accessible venues there and your show
S2: at the Melbourne Fringe. You're in a venue that has
S2: met those requirements for you and the audience, but it
S2: must be a little bit frustrating for you and no
S2: doubt other performers who've gone through the same thing with
S2: the Sydney Fringe, which is in a venue that's not
S2: as Accessible as it could be, so I'm keen to
S2: get your thoughts about that.
S3: Yeah, I sort of understand why it's hard to accommodate
S3: that in Sydney, where the Factory Theatre in Marrickville, which
S3: is a lovely venue and there are a lot of
S3: performance spaces and I think a couple of them are accessible,
S3: but it's just, you know, when you're curating a festival
S3: and you're in an old building, it's it's hard to
S3: accommodate everyone and it's a curated festival. So it was
S3: a little bit more tricky to kind of organise a
S3: separate venue that was elsewhere. But there are some great
S3: shows at the Sydney Fringe for accessibility and disabled performers performing.
S3: There's some amazing stuff coming up that I'm going to
S3: go and try and see as well. Yeah, it's a
S3: shame that those two shows that I'm doing in Sydney
S3: aren't step free, but otherwise I'm going to try and
S3: make it as like inclusive as possible. And I'd love
S3: people to feel comfortable and it's got steps to get
S3: to the venue, but it's hopefully other than that, it's okay. Yeah,
S3: the Melbourne Fringe is definitely amazing that they're doing all
S3: these accessible sessions and the gigs that I did, the
S3: shows that I did for Melbourne Fringe last year, I
S3: had an accessible venue and we had a matinee as well,
S3: and for the comedy festival as well in Melbourne, you know,
S3: I understand it's hard to to get every venue accessible,
S3: but I'm glad to be part of it anyway. And
S3: Sydney Fringe is amazing and they're really nice to have
S3: me there and I'm excited to do it.
S2: And from your personal perspective, what's the most useful, accessible
S2: features for you in particular, when you're asking for venues
S2: that accommodate the needs you have, what's been the most
S2: helpful things, and how have you gone getting those features
S2: in the past over the couple of years that you've
S2: been in comedy now?
S3: Yeah, I think if you can pick your own venue,
S3: then you should be looking for accessible venues for yourself
S3: and for the audience. For me, I struggled to kind
S3: of get up on a high stage. Like if the
S3: stage is too high, the MC will have to like
S3: give me a hand up onto the stage or, you know,
S3: I'll have to, you know, find some stairs or use
S3: a cane to jump up on the stage or something.
S3: So for me, stage height is a big issue like
S3: anxiety point. But you know, I can make it work
S3: if it's not low to the ground. As far as
S3: for the audience, I would love it if every gig
S3: that I did was an accessible, wheelchair accessible show. I'd
S3: love it if there was, you know, wheelchair accessible bathrooms
S3: and it was all up to up to code. Um, unfortunately,
S3: a lot of venues everywhere don't have enough accessible spaces.
S3: But yeah, when, when I when I'm able to pick
S3: my own venue, which, which I did last year and
S3: this year for the two festivals I did, um, we
S3: made sure to get an accessible venue and, and we
S3: had a visually impaired person in the audience. We had
S3: a wheelchair. Audience member for the Melbourne Comedy Festival. We
S3: had a comedian with a disability opening up one of
S3: my shows last year, Oliver Hunter, who's like this amazing comedian.
S3: And because the venue was accessible and we had a
S3: ramp to the stage, and so he was able to
S3: get up on the stage and perform. Usually when I
S3: see him, he's, you know, at a venue where he's
S3: parked in front of the stage because it's not accessible.
S3: And a lot of his gigs are limited because of accessibility. Um,
S3: so yeah, I would love to be performing exclusively in
S3: accessible venues, and God willing, that'll be the way things
S3: go then. I'm in Melbourne. That's it. The Melbourne Fringe.
S2: With your other show, Emily Bigger and Jeremy Moses here.
S2: See No Evil. So that's at the festival hub of
S2: a few days in early October, so that'll be pretty cool.
S2: Tell us a bit about that.
S3: Yeah, it's a it's a new show. It's very vaudeville.
S3: It's very old fashioned comedy. We have costume changes and
S3: we sing and we dance and we act and and
S3: we miscommunicate because she's hearing impaired and I'm low vision.
S3: And so we, um, we fight with each other and,
S3: and and we steal each other's spotlight and we try
S3: and put on the best show possible. I love that.
S3: And yeah. So that's going to be October 2nd to
S3: October 6th at the Trades Hall Festival Hub. It's in Carlton.
S3: It's going to be a lot of fun. And we've
S3: got some accessible sessions as well. And the venue is
S3: accessible this time, which I'm really excited about.
S2: That's fantastic news. Yeah. Okay. Well, you've told us about
S2: the conceptions of both of those shows, but how long
S2: have those ideas sort of been there? I mean, a
S2: lot of it's, you know, life experience and things you've
S2: always known about and had experiences of and then putting
S2: that into comedy, as you've said a lot more recently.
S2: Was that sort of how it came about?
S3: Yeah, for my solo show, it was more just like
S3: an itch to be able to explain my disability if
S3: someone asked. But in like a more concise and, you know,
S3: funny way. Um, and it took me researching the disability
S3: a bit more and figuring out the origins of it.
S3: And then I was like, that's a show. And I'll
S3: use the the poetry as a way to frame that. Um,
S3: so that's my solo show. Yeah, that's where that came from.
S3: And the poetry that I did in lockdown with the
S3: Hear No Evil show, basically, when I was doing open
S3: mic nights in the lead up to the festivals, I
S3: met Emily. She's an amazing comedian, deaf, hard of hearing.
S3: She's a regular in the Melbourne comedy scene. Emily Bigger.
S3: She's brilliant and we hit it off straight away. She's
S3: really funny and she talks a lot about her disability.
S3: And we have like a fun chemistry where she can't
S3: hear everything I say and I can't see everything that
S3: she gestures. But we, we, we sort of come together
S3: in like, this really beautiful way. And it's a great
S3: show and we support each other and it's really fun. Yeah,
S3: it's a lot of, um, you know, sound cues and
S3: lighting and dramatic scenes, and we go on a little
S3: journey together. It's really good fun. I'm really enjoying.
S2: It. You've spoken about the importance of having comedy that
S2: includes everyone, and comedy that makes everybody feel included and
S2: safe and like they're not going to get attacked when
S2: they're in the audience and all that sort of thing.
S2: That's a huge thing for people to have that safe place,
S2: I guess you'd call it. So. Was that the primary
S2: motivation for that sort of thing, or were there some
S2: other positive messages that you also wanted to get across
S2: to people?
S3: Oh, accessibility is definitely at the heart of both shows,
S3: like being inclusive and accessible and diverse. It's very, very
S3: important and I would love more productions to do that.
S3: I would love more websites to have accessibility information because
S3: that helps us navigate the world. Knowing where to go.
S3: And it's great. And I think there is progress happening.
S3: I think, you know, in comedy, disability isn't as much
S3: of a punchline anymore since me and Emily and people
S3: with lived experience have gotten up and, you know, sort
S3: of changed the scene a bit. Comedy is more diverse now,
S3: and I think comedians are less mean than they were
S3: when I started, or at least rooms are more diverse.
S3: And I've seen a change which I hope continues, and
S3: it's great to be part of it. I'm really proud
S3: to be part of that change. Yeah, it's definitely a
S3: big part of what we do. And with the Melbourne
S3: show and we're at the Trades Hall, which is fully
S3: accessible and we're doing a sensory friendly matinee on the Saturday.
S3: It's going to be relaxed and sensory friendly, so the
S3: Houselights will be on for the whole show. The stage
S3: lights will be lower, people can come and go, people
S3: can use their phones, there's a quiet room and there's
S3: more staff. We're just trying to make it very inclusive
S3: and there are a few shows that the Melbourne fringe
S3: that are also doing that Saturday matinee, which is an
S3: amazing initiative and power to the fringe for doing it.
S3: So that's great. And then we're doing an Auslan interpreted
S3: session on the Sunday to cater to Emily's crowd, you know,
S3: people who need Auslan interpreting. And so it's great. Yeah,
S3: we're trying to be as inclusive and accessible as possible.
S2: And if people would love to head along or find
S2: out a little bit more about both of your shows, Jeremy,
S2: what's the best way for them to do that? Do
S2: you have some contact details that you'd like to let
S2: people know about?
S3: Yeah, so I'm in Sydney at Sydney Fringe Comedy, which
S3: is like a subset of the Sydney Fringe Festival. So
S3: you can get tickets at Fringe Comedy. Com.au and you
S3: just search for Jeremy Moses and it'll come up with
S3: my 157 hours of bad slam poetry show. And yeah,
S3: that's on the 21st and 22nd of September. It'll be
S3: a lot of fun. Please come along. You'll laugh, you'll cry.
S3: It'll be great. And then, um, back in Melbourne, I'm
S3: doing here. See? No evil with Emily. And so if
S3: you want tickets to that, go to Melbourne Fringe. Com.au
S3: or call 96609666 and you can get tickets to that
S3: as well. And you please come. It'll be a lot
S3: of fun. And we've got those accessible sessions and we'd
S3: love to have you.
S2: I've been speaking today with Jeremy Moses, comedian, heading off
S2: to the Sydney Fringe Festival later in the month, but
S2: you'll also catch up with him back in Melbourne in
S2: early October at the Melbourne Fringe. Jeremy, thanks so much
S2: for your time today. Great to catch up with you
S2: and hear all about your shows.
S3: Thanks so much, Sam.
S2: And that's all the time we have for today. You've
S2: been listening to Talking Vision. Talking vision is a Vision
S2: Australia radio production. Thanks to all involved with putting the
S2: show together every week. And remember, we love hearing from you.
S2: So please get in touch any time on our email
S2: at Talking Vision. At Vision australia.org. That's talking vision or
S2: one word at Vision australia.org. But until next week it's
S2: Sam Colley saying bye for now.
S1: You can contact Vision Australia by phoning us anytime during
S1: business hours on 1300 847 406. That's one (300) 847-4106 or by visiting
S1: Vision australia.org. That's Vision australia.org.