On the Couch with Zoë Coombs Marr

zoe-coombs-marr-by-gary-heeryWho is Zoë Coombs Marr?
Oldest daughter of Linda Coombs and Peter Marr, Zoë Coombs Marr is the person answering this question in the third person.

What would you do differently to what you do now?
Well I put in a good innings for the hospitality industry, so maybe I’d try to make it in that biz. Or carpentry. Dog walking? I’m not really qualified to do much else other than my current job.

Who inspires you and why?
The real housewives of New York and Beverly Hills, who manage to be both revolting and mesmerising. It’s impressive.

What would you do to make a difference in the world?
What would I do? Like, if I could do anything? If I had superpowers? Well, our environment’s pretty screwed, the way we treat our indigenous population is pretty appalling, conservatism is rife, refugees are… ummm there’s too much to choose from. Do I get one of those time travel things that Hermione had?

Favourite holiday destination and why?
Disneyland. I spent my entire childhood wanting to go there and finally realised last year that I didn’t have to wait for my mum to take me. And then I was so overwhelmed that I cried by some bins near the car park entrance.

When friends come to town, what attraction would you take then to, and why?
The Coogee women’s baths. It’s beautiful, only 40cents, and the perfect holiday getaway for the lesbian separatist.

What are you currently reading?
Hermann Hesse’s Steppenwolf. Again. It’s one of my favourites, and perfect background for the magic theatre of death and immortals. I’m surrounded by at work at the moment.

What are you currently listening to?
The last couple of weeks has been mostly Christmas albums. (Highlights including The Chipmunks, Babs, Bing and John Waters ‘here comes fatty with his sack of shit’). Now switching between Verdi and Rihanna.

Happiness is?
A warm gun?

What does the future hold for you?
The future? right now we’re about to head into tech week at the theatre, so all I can see is long hours in a windowless room looking at lights and eating junk.

Zoë Coombs Marr grew up in Grafton where she and her best friend staged a musical instead of going to schoolies week. In 2011, her solo theatre/comedy work And That Was The Summer That Changed My Life was nominated for Best Newcomer at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and was awarded the Philip Parsons Young Playwright Award.

She has performed solo at TINA, Next Wave, Cab Sav, The Imperial Panda Festival, The Comedy Store, the Friend in Hand, The Last Tuesday Society, The Hi Fi Bar, Darwin Festival and Hot Tub With Kurt and Kristen (New York).

In 2008 Zoë completed a double degree in Performance Studies at UNSW and Fine Arts at COFA, where she was awarded the Dinosaur Designs Prize and the Art and Australia Award. Her video works and sculptures have been exhibited at a number of galleries, including First Draft, Kudos and King’s ARI. She has trained at PACT theatre (impact ensemble 2003, 2upact ensemble 2005) and Urban Theatre Projects (UTP ensemble 2005).

She is a founding member of the artist’s collective CAB SAV, and a co-director of Sydney’s Imperial Panda Festival. In 2006 Zoë won the National Poetry Slam Championships under dubious circumstances. Zoë is also a member of post – a collaborative performance ensemble based in Sydney.

Zoë will be appearing in Oedipus Schmoedipus, 9 January – 2 February 2014 at Sydney’s Belvoir Theatre. For more information, visit: www.belvoir.com.au for details.

Image: Zoë Coombs Marr by Gary Heery