You’re an actor, singer, comedian, dancer and writer. Phew. What’s an average day like for you?
That depends on whether I am in the middle of, or between, projects.
At the start of this year, I did Midsumma Festival, then Perth Fringeworld, then Adelaide Fringe and Melbourne International Comedy Festival, one after the other. During that time, I was performing shows at night, rushing between spot gigs (which are 5 – 10 minute showcases) by day, and writing material, rehearsing and publicising the next show or festival. It was exhilarating and exhausting. Then it all finishes and you’re like… hello silence my old friend… and you start doing your research and looking towards your next step or project. You start generating! During those quieter days, I write a lot, research a lot, get inspired by other people’s art, and upskill in singing and dance classes. I’m also rehearsing twice a week with my two improvisation troupes, Impromptunes and The Big HOO-HAA!
Tell us about some of your career highlights so far.
My recent season of ‘Mediawhore!’ at Adelaide fringe was a wonderful experience. I had a big tent all to myself late at night, and felt like I had run away and joined the circus. The venue conglomerate I was in, Gluttony, is full of fairy lights and old carnival style tents and furniture. It was pretty surreal that for a month, that’s where I turned up to work. During that time, opportunities kept multiplying when you are open to them, and each day was filled with unexpected and delightful challenges, like busking in train stations, late night stand up gigs, street performance, comedy battles… seriously fun. And it’s all the more satisfying that you generated it yourself.
Is it hard breaking into such a competitive industry? How do you keep your passion for performing alive?
Yeah, it is hard. But we humans are adaptable. I trained in Musical Theatre and remembered thinking my life would be over if I didn’t do musicals. Instead, I found myself in a sketch show at Edinburgh fringe shortly after graduating, did TV commercials, started performing improv, and writing my own stuff. And stagetime is stagetime is stagetime. Maybe if I’d got one of those big musicals early on I would never have discovered I could also be a comedian, or extended myself to this level. You keep your passion alive by remaining in a growth mindset, getting rid of any entitlement, avoiding jealous feelings towards other artists and instead finding inspiration in each other. And a curiosity… “can I do this? Oh gosh, I’m so proud of myself, I’m about to learn so much!” instead of “no, that’s not what I do, I’ve gotta be perfect at it before I put myself out there.” Perfection is the enemy of greatness!
What are you currently working on?
I’ve just wrapped up a season at Melbourne Cabaret Festival and am about to go overseas for three months to travel across Europe. I’m doing some stand up gigs in some European cities, like Berlin and London, then performing with my improv troupe, ‘Impromptunes’ in Edinburgh Fringe for the whole of August. This is a huge step for the company and we are beyond excited for where this will take us, in terms of exposure, skill set and life experiences!
What advice do you have for aspiring actors/singers/comedians?
I think I’ve learnt the most lessons by committing to something way too big to handle and working out all the steps along the way to get it done. But everyone is different. I think remember that if you want to get it right, and get praised on a daily basis, you are definitely better off working somewhere else, where there are infrastructures there to make you feel great and keep you on your deadlines. Thinking of yourself as an artist, a person with the power to generate something that is beyond yourself, helps rid you of a sense of self-consciousness, of lack of direction and extrinsically motivates you to use all the skills you possibly have to change the world, in your own little way. That’s how you empower yourself. You’ve gotta be your own boss and it’s hard to know when to reward yourself or crack the whip. And to define your own worth when at the start, with all the auditions and trying to get representation etc, you feel like you need others to open doors for you. Never forget to empower yourself and what your value truly can be.
Where can we stay up to date with your gigs and news?
On my website or or you can like my Facebook page, Isabella Valette. That’s where the gigs are, not my personal page. Or I’m on twitter as @IsabellaValette.
Where are your favourite places in Australia to travel to, eat at and enjoy?
I love Perth’s beaches. Whenever I’m performing there I spend all day at Cottesloe and Scarborough, they are heaven on earth. The clear blue waters and white sand are beyond comparison. In Adelaide I became obsessed with a restaurant called ‘Oggi’ – best ambience and Italian food, especially the carbonara. In Melbourne, I find the atmosphere in Fitzroy really buzzing and uplifting, and love most cafes and bars there.
