”MY ONLY GOAL IS TO BRING JOY”

WELCOME TO BIZARRE, THE HILARIOUS AND TOTALLY UNEXPECTED WORLD OF STAND-UP WUNDERKIND DEMI LARDNER

ON DRESSING FOR WORK

My favourite thing to wear onstage is jogging shorts and socks with sandals. It doesn’t mean anything but I love it. Sometimes I hide my nose ring so people don’t think I’m trendy. My downfall will be if people ever find out that I’m secretly really fucking cool and great at intercourse.

ON NIXING A CREATIVE BLOCK

I do insane stream-of-consciousness writing that my friends swear is going to be scrawled on the walls in blood once I murder them. I set a timer and write for five minutes without stopping my hands moving, then read it back and title it. My most recent work was called “Shrieking Barbara”.

ON NOT TAKING SHIT

Of course, it’s a shitty industry for women, but I’m not in the most at-risk or vulnerable group of people in comedy, or any field. It’s usually just sexism, microaggressions, shitty assumptions about what a “female comedian” does. But I have no time for it, to be honest. I used to get angry, and now I just plainly tell people why they are 10 butts in a mask and get on with my job.

ON DEALING WITH HECKLERS

Hecklers have taught me that some people think they have important opinions that we all need to hear, even though we didn’t ask for them, and that they’re important enough to disrupt somebody else’s night. I never respond. I loudly proclaim “No” and continue my set.

ON BOMBING MID-SET

It’s simply impossible – I’m very, very good.