#Twintterview: Alex Cofield

'At best, I could hang upside down from a hoop...'

Last year, Alex Cofield delighted audiences from Adelaide to Edinburgh with his wonderfully wacky, one-man epic, 'Woolly: The Morose Merino'. In August, Cofield returns to the Fringe with his highly-anticipated solo show, 'Supernova'. Fringebiscuit caught up with the talented raconteur to find out why he's ditching his woolly hat for a pair of killer shades...

Fringebiscuit: 'Supernova' is described as a 'funk-fuelled hip-hopera'. We have no idea what that is, but we're loving the concept. How did it come about?

Alex Cofield: Truth be told, I don’t really remember the exact point I decided I wanted to write a hip-hopera! I’ve always enjoyed the wordplay of rap but I love a good narrative so I wanted to try and combine both into a coherent story. I thought “if R Kelly can do it then surely so can I?!”

FB: Help! We wrote a super-successful, sheep-themed, one-man show last year, and no, wait, that was you. How do you recreate the magic the second time around?

AC: Add more spoken word segments, multiply the heartfelt comedy, and actually: subtract the amount of sheep! Woolly was a great character, but I can’t wait for an EdFringe that doesn’t require me to wear a knitted hat 24/7!

FB: Do you think you've changed as a performer since Woolly? How?

AC: Supernova asks me to be a lot more disciplined, there’s little room for error. If you flub a line in a rap you’ve lost the entire beat, so I’ve had to learn to be less improvisational and focus on being word perfect.

FB: The lights are up. You're staring at a sold-out crowd. What's the first thing that runs through your mind?

AC: This is going to be an absolute blast!

FB: Who and/or what are your biggest influences as an artist?

AC: Musically, I adore the styles of artists like Kendrick Lamar or Childish Gambino, though my writing style is more Alan Bennett so I’m trying to settle on a Bo Burnham/Tim Minchin-esque middle ground.

FB: You're a writer, performer, rapper, blogger and terrifyingly talented. What's a skill you haven't yet conquered?

AC: Anything physical! There are some horrendous photos of me trying to master aerial acrobatics during uni. At best I could hang upside down from a hoop. One day I’ll get there…

FB: Can we have your shades?

AC: I actually have several pairs for this fringe, in an assortment of colours! I’ll be sure to drop off a pair after the run!

Supernova is on at the Gilded Balloon Rose Theatre - Cabaret Bar, August 1-12 & 14-26.