Gillian Cosgriff: This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things

Following the success of her debut show, Waitressing...and Other Things I Do Well, Gillian Cosgriff is doing less waitressing, and a lot more of the other things, which may include - the media release tells us - drinking, procrastinating, voicemail messages, love, sex, dreams, humiliation, grammar, hangovers, and Band-Aids.

She’s also been busy writing the songs for her new show called This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, songs that are ‘touching, hilarious and will make you glad these things haven't happened to you’.

Gillian is performing her new show at the 2013 Melbourne Fringe, and explained a little more about how her latest songs came about.

“When I wrote my first show, Waitressing, and Other Things I Do Well,” Gillian told Stage Whispers. “I was just out of university and spent about four or five months slogging away writing new songs for it. I was lucky enough to go on to tour that show to a number of festivals for the next year and a half, but when I finished that I found myself at a bit of a loose end. I decided I wanted to travel for a bit and so I booked some flights overseas – especially to go to the Edinburgh Fringe and see as much different stuff as I could (I managed to see 40 shows in 14 days!).

“I knew I wanted to do some kind of writing project before I left so I came up with the idea that I would write a song every week until the week before I was leaving. Those songs became a show of sorts called, “8 Songs in 8 Weeks”. I had only intended it as a fun little project but it turned out to be hugely rewarding – mainly because I’m a terrible procrastinator and wouldn’t ordinarily finish eight songs in a year! It really forced me to get stuff done. So, earlier this year I set myself the same challenge and did 8 Songs in 8 Weeks: Volume 2.

“The new show, This Is Why We Can’t Have Things, contains a lot of the songs from the 8 Songs in 8 Weeks projects, as well as a few new ones. Most of the content in the new show is true stories that have happened to me – they vary from ‘mildly-cringe-worthy-embarrassment,’ right up to, ‘oh-God-I-want-to-disappear-humiliation’.”

This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things is a saying that's been trotted out by mothers for generations when somebody's stupidity or carelessness ruins something valuable. You buy a new phone, you get drunk and smash it. You treat yourself to expensive nail polish, it spills all through your handbag. You go on a date with a lovely attractive person, but then get drunk and booty call them at 2am. This is why we can't have nice things.

The new show is about trying to improve yourself, to become a better person, but constantly struggling against your true nature. Through her songs, described as ‘touching, hilarious and will make you glad these things haven't happened to you’ Gillian asks: How can you define yourself when you're still trying to figure out who you are? How can you have nice things when your nature is to be clumsy and careless?

After graduating from WAAPA in 2010 with a Bachelor of Music Theatre, Gillian wrote her debut show, Waitressing...And Other Things I Do Well, which played at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Melbourne Cabaret Festival, QPACs 12 Acts of Cabaret, Adelaide Fringe and Melbourne International Comedy Festival. She also recorded an EP of original songs from the show with Luckiest Records, which was released on iTunes in 2011.

Gillian also performs regularly with improvised musical company Spontaneous Broadway and has recently finished a season of their childrens improv show Random Musical at the Sydney Opera House. Her television appearances include Offspring and House Husbands and she was a backing vocalist for Kate Miller-Heidke's most recent album, Nightflight.

This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things

VENUE

Fringe Hub - The Loft, Lithuanian Club

44 Errol St

North Melbourne, Victoria 3051

DATES: 28-29 Sept and 1-5 Oct

TIME: 8.00pm, Sun 7.00pm (60min)

TICKETS

Full: $25

Concession: $20

Tightarse Tuesday: $15

Group: $18

TO BOOK visit melbournefringe.com.au or call (03) 9660 9666