In a festival overflowing with stand-up comedians, seasoned stage and screen performer Mike McLeish is mixing it up with his brand-spanking new one-man show, Pensive Like a Fox, at The Butterfly Club, from 24 March 2025.
A blend of satirical wit and idio(syncra)tic musical storytelling, Mike takes the audience on a chaotic ride of stand-up, storytelling and original songs, covering everything from practising French on the toilet to the joys of ageing and long-term relationships; from needing stitches after a pillow fight to what it means to think like a fox (because that’s in the title don’t you know?).
“Cabaret’s a different beast. It’s more theatrical and – for my money – more audience-focused,” said Mike. “And there are songs! Cabaret is better than comedy. There, I said it. But I’m addicted to performing comedy and cabaret because we’re all in it together; the audience and the performer. It’s a genuinely shared experience; a conversation happening in the moment. And it’s different every single night.”
Pensive Like a Fox will be directed by Mike’s 21-year-old daughter Finn, who has been cutting her teeth in stage management, working for companies including Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre and the Melbourne Theatre Company.
“This is a show for whoever wants to take a break from middle-aged white men performing stand-up in a comedy festival to come and watch a middle-aged white man performing CABARET in a comedy festival instead,” said Finn.
Mike McLeish: Pensive Like A Fox
The Butterfly Club, 5 Carson Place, Melbourne
Season: 24 March – 20 April 2025
Bookings: www.comedyfestival.com.au
For more information, visit: www.thebutterflyclub.com for details.
Image: Mike McLeish stars in Pensive Like A Fox (supplied)