Last year Rose Matafeo just wanted to be our Sassy Best Friend, at this year’s Edinburgh having kissed nearly 10 men (and counting) she has realised she’s a total horndog and has decided to investigate this in her new Edinburgh show, Horndog, asking “what is horniness? Is it that intangible essence of excitement and opportunity? A fire that flickers in the beating heart of every human being? Or is it simply wanting to bone everyone, all the time?” Funny Women editor Kate Stone caught up with Rose to talk about her show, starting out in comedy and why society is still squeamish about women wanking…
Kate Stone: Tell us about your show Horndog.
Rose Matafeo: If I had to give you a proper spiel, I’d say it’s a show about the parallel trajectories of all the people I’ve kissed -nine, but hoping to get those numbers up – and all the things I’ve really been into in my life. I think horniness is a concept that captures the excitement of being really, really into something, and not necessarily in a sexual way. It’s such a stupid idea for a show but I’m sort of stuck with it now.
KS: Do you think society is still uncomfortable with the idea of women talking about sexual desire?
RM: I didn’t think they did until once after a show, a comedian told me I was “brave” for talking about wanking. Pretty stoked my oversharing is being mistaken for bravery though, I’m just going to go with it. I think I live in a very liberal bubble so I’m excited to see how the older Scottish men vibe with masturbation material in Edinburgh. I have a feeling they will love it and be very open-minded.
KS: You started performing comedy as a teenager, what attracted you to it then?
RM: I was always a fan of comedy, and I guess it was the perfect creative outlet for me at that age. I really enjoy making things and stand-up was a pretty cool and rare opportunity for a teenager to say what they wanted to at that particular moment in time A.K.A post-internet, pre-Twitter, peak Neopets era.
KS: Did you expect comedy to become your career when you started?
RM: Definitely not. I’m quite shocked that I’m still doing stand up to be honest, I had such ambition as a teenager. What went so wrong? Maybe I kept doing it because I thought it would open doors to the other great things I want to do, but I always seem to come back to doing stand up because it’s so immediate and fast and completely in my control. And fun! I forgot to say fun.
KS: Do you think there’s much difference in the UK and NZ comedy scenes?
RM: For sure. It seems you can sort of make a living from stand up in the UK, whereas in NZ you usually supplement that with a day job. The UK is a much bigger country with a far larger desire for comedy I think, but then I reckon that’s what makes the NZ community so great – everyone knows each other and there is a wealth of talent for what is a relatively small scene. Also the accents. I should have said that up top.
KS: Who are your favourite funny women?
RM: My contemporary inspirations are: Emma Sidi, Lolly Adefope, Mae Martin, Alice Snedden, Tash and Ellie, Lazy Susan, Anne Edmonds, Felicity Ward, Kate Berlant, Catherine Cohen, Patti Harrison.
Rose Matafeo: Horndog is at the Pleasance Courtyard – Pleasance Above from 1st-26th August (not 14th) at 6.20pm. For tickets and more information click here!
