'God's Favourite' is Scout's most ambitious show yet. As part of a new gen of comics proactively protecting their mental health, the show aptly tells a true story about a stranded Scout who is left without their mood-stabilising medication for the first time in 12 years.
It's darkly funny, manic, and honest. In the process of this wild experience, throughout the show, Scout imagines life in the middle ages, trawls the strange crevices of the internet, makes peace with their own mediocrity, and (briefly) surrenders to God.
The show has already received praise in its work-in-progress form at Melbourne Fringe in 2024 – even scoring a nomination for Best Comedy. It was described by judges as 'hilarious', 'poignant' and 'captivating'.
Before Scout takes to the Adelaide Fringe stage with 'God's Favourite', we sat down with them to reflect on a not-so-great past year, turning lemons into lemonade, and what drives them to keep making audiences laugh.
You’re playing Adelaide Fringe. What’s your favourite thing about this festival?
How much non-comedy stuff I get to see. Last year I saw Kevin Quantum do live magic for the first time and it broke my brain. Just a Scottish man sweating absolute buckets in an unventilated big top tent, pure gold entertainment. Never seen anyone commit to the bit that hard. I went in a skeptic and came out a full-on magic convert.
You’ve had quite the tumultuous last year or so. Despite the chaos of it all. . . To focus on some positivity. . . What are you most proud of yourself for?
In spite of a truly buck wild year, I am very proud of myself for:
1. Getting my licence. I'm on my Ls and can only go up to fourth gear so far, but it's been a humbling experience learning to drive at 30.
2. Deadlifting 100 kilos. I've been strength training for a year, I'm on the creatine and my goal is to be impossibly huge, absolutely rippling with muscles.
3. Performing a solo show to a sold out 300-seat theatre in Melbourne. After so many professional setbacks, bringing home all my best material to Max Watts was a dream come true.
When did you discover that A) stand-up comedy was a thing, and B) that you wanted to get into it?
I fell into comedy sideways. I was planning to be an early modern English theatre scholar (Shakespeare, Marlow) and joined Soothplayers Completely Improvised Shakespeare. Then I got an artist pass to see Zoe Coombs Marr at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, whose show 'Dave' won the Barry Award for best show that year. I was obsessed. The year after that, I tried out for Raw Comedy and the rest is their-story.
If you had to pin down one thing, or one feeling, that keeps you hitting the stage to do this. . . What would it be?
That moment of anticipation when you're behind the curtain, the lights go down and you can hear the audience shifting in their seats, whispering to each other, wondering what they're about to see. Doesn't matter if it's a stadium or a Spiegeltent or an RSL, that moment before the show is like crack cocaine, I swear to Christ.
What’s the most important thing to consider when it comes to turning negative experiences into a routine with the purpose of entertaining a crowd?!
If you're putting anything traumatic or disturbing or dark on stage, you have to have processed and fully integrated it beforehand. Going in raw is a risky move and very few pull it off (eg. Tig Notaro's infamous cancer set in 2012). When Michelle Brasier was directing my second show, which covered some dicey stuff, she said, "You get to have one indulgent sad moment per show. The rest of the show, you have to be brave and smile". I live by that.
You’re quoted as saying 'one of the worst years of my life has produced my best show yet’. Why do you think this can sometimes make for the best, most funny material?
When you come out the other side of a f...ed time, you have a degree of focus and clarity. I think people write their best material when they can safely locate and excise whatever shame they've been harbouring and this past year has been one massive shame spiral for me honestly. Plus, being forced to take time off performing (due to burnout and then COVID) has made me hungry and grateful for stage time again.
Earlier this year you opened up about suffering burnout and looking out for your mental health. What advice do you have for up-and-coming comedians who are looking to get their break in the stand-up world?
No one cares about your career more than you, which is a good and a bad thing. It's a bad thing because it means that you cannot trust anyone to advocate for you as effectively as you would advocate for yourself. But it's also a good thing because you're not under nearly as much professional scrutiny as you think. You can take breaks, change your mind about things, shift your practice, take your time. No one's monitoring or keeping track of your career. No one's going to hold up a list of all the gigs you had to turn down or things you couldn't afford and say, "You don't want it enough". People are too wrapped up in their own sh.t, so just keep plugging away and things will come through.
If you could have a dinner with three people in the field of comedy/stand-up (living or dead), who would you choose and why?
1. Sarah Squirm aka Sarah Sherman of 'Saturday Night Live'. She's the queen of gore and body horror comedy (I do not recommend her 'Sarah Vaccine' short clip if you're squeamish) and her work is so far away from what I do. I just want to know what's going on in that sick and twisted little brain.
2. Billy Connelly circa 1997. My first comedy crush. My first boy crush. He'll have to arrive near the end of the meal because when he does, I'll combust.
3. Kate Berlant & John Early. Technically two people but to me they are comedic and platonic twin flames, a single entity split into two bodies. Unfortunately I would be too afraid to speak in front of either of them.
All things going well (as they should!), what’s next for Scout Boxall?
I am a big believer in the power of manifestation. This is what I recite to myself in the mirror every morning: "I will sell out my Adelaide/Melbourne/Sydney tour. I will attract an anonymous benefactor, who will offer to bankroll a trip to the Edinburgh Fringe. I will grow another four inches in height. I will charm the air hostess into a business class upgrade. I will perform to sold-out crowds and receive critical acclaim. I will be cast in 'Bluey'. I will receive a DM from Chappell Roan asking if we can collab. I will be invited to be a VIP guest at the Australian Grand Prix. I will deadlift 150 kilograms. I will become a Chemist Warehouse fragrance ambassador."
Scout Boxall plays Circulating Library at The Courtyard of Curiosities at the Migration Museum (Adelaide Fringe) 20 February-2 March.
This story originally appeared on our sister site, scenestr.
