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[title]If you live in Melbourne and you have an internet connection, chances are you’ve encountered one of Julian O’Shea’s viral TikToks, which tend to take deep dives into things we’ve all seen, but probably don’t understand. On the day of our chat, he was working on one about the grooves in escalators, and to be honest, we never realised we didn’t know what they were for.
As a university lecturer with a background in design and engineering, O’Shea is brilliant at getting into the nitty gritty of how our fine city actually works. Now, he’s bringing his online content IRL by turning his hand to comedy. We chatted about his upcoming Melbourne International Comedy Festival show, his favourite (and least favourite) things about the city and his rather unusual ticket pricing model.
How would you describe what you do?
I make videos about design, cities and the way the world works, with a big focus on my home city of Melbourne. I’ve got a thing that most people have, where they’re just curious about something. The difference is, that I often take that extra step to go and find out. Once you know a fact, you feel like you should tell it. So, I try to explain things that people can see, but might not understand.
What’s your favourite thing about Melbourne?
I love the fact that there are so many interesting arts and cultural events on all the time. I love the Comedy Festival! It’s a month of the best time of the year. Then Fringe rolls around and it’s another month. I love that every day of the year, there’s a lot going on that’s interesting.
I also love the daily quality of lifestyle, the ability to jump on a tram to get spectacular food and coffee, to just be in the city and find it really pleasant, rather than overwhelming or hard. It's just a great place, with a great day-to-day quality of life.
What’s your least favourite thing about Melbourne?
I would love it if Melbourne was more vibrant in the evenings and on the streets. I want to see more food trucks and more things open late. I want to be able to get a coffee at 5.30pm!
What can you tell us about your show at Melbourne International Comedy Festival?
I’ve been making these videos, but there’s something really special about doing it face-to-face – it’s strangely more powerful. It’s more emotive to get a response from 100 people in a room than 100,000 numbers on a screen. So [this show] is about doing this in person and making it real.
The show is called M is for Melbourne: The World’s Mostly* Liveable City. I go from A to Z and explain stories about the city, the quirky things, and the things I like and don’t like. I’ll be sharing my experience in the city and the best and worst that Melbourne has to offer.
If you’re a Melbourne nerd, whether you love Melbourne or hate Melbourne, this is the show for you.
What’s the deal with your pricing model for tickets?
I’ve got a real interest in making Melbourne a livable, sustainable city and a big part of that is the way we move. I’m a huge advocate for walking, cycling and public transport – a tram lover too. I’m opposed to filling the city with polluting cars and dangerous vehicles.
My pricing model tries to reflect that. You get a discount of $1 or so if you take the tram or train, or if you’re a pedestrian or a cyclist. You get a very harsh penalty if you drive things that I think shouldn’t exist at all, being those oversized truckzillas known as Dodge Rams. The price for those is $150, plus booking fee.
It’s a simple idea. If you want there to be more things, you make it cheaper. If you want there to be less of things, you put a price on it.
I don’t normally get to set the price of things – I’m not a shopkeeper or a government. This is the one time I get a chance, so let’s take it.
M is for Melbourne: The World’s Mostly* Liveable City is playing at DoubleTree By Hilton from March 27 until April 7. Read our listing for more details and be sure to choose your mode of transport wisely.