Anthony Kavanagh, what do you look forward to the most after a show?
It’s seeing that people laughed. I know it’s difficult to get up in Rochefort but they did it. On the second time but they did it. I’ve been performing in Europe for 25 years, 35 years in Canada, and to see that after so many years people continue to come see me and laugh at my jokes, I’m grateful. It’s the job I’ve always wanted to do since I was 14. Until I was 19 I earned my pocket money from that. So when I see them stand up at the end, what I say is even more true.
After four visits to the FIRR, can we say that there is an attachment to Rochefort?
I like this festival, it is on a human scale: the welcome, eating sausages, drinking beers with the festival-goers… Sunday, I leave at 8 a.m. so I won’t be able to party with the Rochefortois and Rochefortoises. But it’s always great to see the team again, I’m thinking of Coco who welcomes the artists. She is still there after 25 years, the four times I came she was there. She’s the boss. Knowing that it’s always full is cool.
So it wasn’t a one-night stand, Rochefort…
No, it was a four-night stand. She called me back! She still wants me. She still wants me.
Habits are established
When I left the stage I immediately went to get the famous Triple on tap. The 7.2° otherwise it’s a little too strong, it will kill me. The good thing is that I will be able to go to bed faster. I’m taking advantage of it with a collector’s glass that was made especially for the festival.
What’s also good here is that there are other representatives from other festivals who also come (Morge, VOO Rire, Comedi’Ha in Quebec, etc.). It’s always good to see these festivals encouraging each other and coming to see each other’s programming.
Who is Anthony Kavanagh in Quebec VS in Belgium?
It is the same. I spend half my time in Europe where I work, the other half in Canada where I live. I’m going to start working a lot again in Quebec in August. I will start running the Quebec version of “Happy”. I haven’t toured there yet. For each show I write a show and a half, there are big adaptations to make. The half that we adapt is for cultural differences. It’s not the same sense of humor, the same expressions, the references… You have to find equivalents that make you laugh. Music is universal, humor is intellectual.
What is your show about?
I talk about the things happy people have in common. I illustrate them in a cartoonish way.
In summary, to be happy you need…
You have to come see the show. (laughs). More seriously, you absolutely have to laugh. Of all. You have to learn to love yourself too, which is not easy. Laughter is simpler, to avoid going philosophical. Stop comparing yourself to others, that’s what I say in the show. You just do that and it changes your life. Especially in today’s society, with social networks we spend our time comparing fabricated lives to our real lives. We don’t know what’s behind it. It’s an illusion to compare yourself like that. We hurt ourselves every time. When I see someone succeed, I admire them. If he could do it, so could I.
Should we sing too?
Yes, absolutely. There is a lot of music in my show. There is music, improvisation, characters… I vary the pleasures. But it’s true that I really like music, I’ve just released a mini-album called “Finally”.
A little word to the Rochefortois?
Thank you for their loyalty. I return happy from this end of the tour. It was the last town in Belgium I passed through. I return with the fatigue of the warrior of light.
