Josh Thomas - Surprise

Comedians are nature's sloths. While we journalists are up at the crack of dawn, industriously weaving sentence-webs out of sweet, sweet word-nectar, comics are evidently lounging in their beds and barely deigning to so much as poke their head out for a phone interview.

"I'm not even wearing clothes," yawns Josh Thomas. "Is it weird that I told you that I'm not wearing any clothes? I'm wearing a doona: it's too cold. I'm just too scared to get out – I can't make the commitment to get from the bed to the clothes. I should turn this heater on." He pauses for a moment. "Yes, I've got a pretty rad job."

Hold on: isn't Thomas the fresh-faced future of Australian comedy? Shouldn't the star of Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation be up doing millions of things, or at least wearing pants?

"That's the thing: I'm not busy at all. People get the impression that I'm busy. You know why? Because as soon as you get on television, everybody knows about it when you do something. But most of the time I have a very intense napping schedule."

That schedule's about to be interrupted by his upcoming Sydney run for 'Surprise!', his Melbourne Comedy Festival Award-winning...

"I was nominated, but I didn't win."

...his Melbourne Comedy Festival Award-losing show, which is happening at the Opera House this month.

"It's annoying because I'm going to be reminded for a few years that I didn't win," he sighs. "Is that good marketing, to let everyone know ‘this is not the best show at the Melbourne Comedy Festival'? It's like seeing a four-star review on my poster, which just seems like it's saying 'it's pretty good.'"

Well, maybe that's the way forward: "catch Josh Thomas' tolerably funny new show 'Surprise!'"...

"Honestly though, anybody that has five stars is a bit shit because it means it's just too arty," he declares. "They've got five stars, so they're breaking new ground – which is never actually entertaining. The reviewer thinks that because they didn't enjoy it too much then it must be really great."

Which brings us to the show itself, which is a long-form narrative piece about Josh's first serious relationship. The 'Surprise!' of the title is that said relationship was with a chap; specifically, fellow comedian (and Triple J radio star) Tom Ballard.

"Well, I've got to change the show now because it's not me and Tom going out," he sighs. "During my Melbourne show we were going out and we broke up and we got back together, but now we've broken up again, which is narratively difficult. I don't want to end my show on a sad note. I'll work it out before I get there."

That's pretty thoughtless of him, knowing that you have this show all rehearsed...

"Well, I broke up with him."

That was just plain silly: you knew you were doing these shows, so surely that was just making things more difficult for yourself?

"I know, I know – do you think I should just call him and get back together? The Opera House run's just two weeks."

Possibly, although hell hath no fury like a comedian scorned – especially if they're the basis for a national touring comedy show.

"He's fine with it – he's a comedian, so he understands. But yes, I'm pretty sure he'll get back at me next year with his show ‘Tom Ballard dispenses with Josh Thomas, that Big Fat Idiot Cunt'."

That's a Melbourne Comedy Festival Award-winning title if ever there was one. Andrew P Street