Building a following in comedy

In a recent interview with ArtsHub, veteran comic Damien Power reflected that television spots were once the be all and end all to a comedy career. Now, Power explained, there are multiple online paths that up-and-comers can take to elevate their career.

His festival show this year, Teenage Dream, spans both threads of his career, featuring autobiographical stand-up and a special appearance by his character “Carly”. ‘It’s mostly about trying to find a creative outlet that resonates with you,’ he says. ‘Growing up, I was always a strange kid; I was very observant and loved creative things, but I couldn’t find anything that didn’t make me feel like an outsider. It all clicked when I realised I was weird because I wanted to make people laugh. It’s the story of figuring that out, but also with the fun added element of one of my characters opening the show for me.’