FIRST PERSON

GAVIN BASKERVILLE PERFORMER

I was happiest when ... the world wasn’t more ridiculous than any joke I could write.

You wouldn’t know it but ... my father was a funeral director. Seriously. My most embarrassing moment ... was finishing last in a school swimming competition and getting the ‘good on you’ sympathy clap from the whole school. The last time I cried was... rewatching the first five minutes of the movie Up. Oh, and Toy Story 3. Pixar has a lot to answer for. The last book I read was ... Dave O’Neil’s Summer of ‘82. My favourite films are ... Die Hard, The Exorcist III and The Merger, which I’m in! I really want to... get more sleep. My guilty pleasure is ... mainly potato chips but, being brought up Catholic, pretty much all pleasure results in guilt. Life has taught me... to, wherever possible, refuse to work with dickheads (idiots). I’m about to ... finish writing this sentence. My first job was ... loading bales of hay on the back of trucks. First and last physical labour I did. My most memorable (current job) work related moment is … meeting Weird Al Yankovic after opening for him at Wrest Point in 2007. What I enjoy most about my work is… Making people laugh and smile, which is lucky as that’s also my job description.

Gavin Baskerville is a regular MC at Jokers Comedy Club, 26 New Town Rd, New Town, where shows run every Wednesday at 8pm. jokerscomedy.com.au