On the case with Louis Prandolini
Louis Prandolini brings intrigue and mystery to Fringe World 2025 with a new detective comedy show, Louis Prandolini Cracks a Cold Case. Talking about mental health, relationships, and the quirks of Perth, Prandolini employs Gen Z comedy and multimodal storytelling to bring his 70s neo-noir world to life at The Cheeky Sparrow from Wednesday, January 22 to Saturday, January 25—with tickets on sale now. BEC WELDON got on the case with Louis Prandolini to find out more.
Hi Louis, thanks for joining us to talk about Louis Prandolini Cracks a Cold Case. Are you a Fringe World festival veteran or a fresh-faced debutante this year?
I’m a newbie to Fringe World! After a great run at Melbourne Fringe last year, I immediately knew I wanted to take the show to Perth. I studied here for a year back in 2023 and was blown away by the vibrancy of the festival at the time. Getting a chance to spend the year meeting and performing for the comedy scene in Perth was some of my favourite memories performing stand-up. I think audiences here really appreciate comedy.
Your show, Louis Prandolini Cracks a Cold Case, is certainly excitingly titled. Tell us about the show and what you have in store for audiences.
The show is essentially a recount of the last few months in my life, where I went around town dressed up as a detective, poking around looking for clues. It’s the definition of ‘doing it for the bit,’ until the bit is all-consuming and suddenly you’re sneaking into underground raves and accidentally grave digging. The craziest part of the show is that the stories are real, the clues are real, and at the end, we piece together said clues into a comprehensive mystery.
Comedy and crime! What was it about the mystery format that drew you to create a comedic fusion?
To be honest, I’m surprised they don’t go hand in hand more! Structurally, they’re pretty much the same—building tension, cleverly misdirecting, and finally revealing the twist in a way that still leaves the audience satisfied. They both scratch the same itch in my brain, so it was only natural to bring them together. And it’s really cool to see audiences enjoy both parts of the show equally.
Your show is set in a 70s neo-noir world. What was it about that time and setting?
A big part of the show is that it’s a collection of real things that have happened to me. While I love ‘whodunnits’ of the 1920s-1940s, I’m not exactly going to find myself in an old mansion with an eclectic group of vengeful characters. But a lot of the tropes of these funky 70s crime stories were able to come to life in the last year: a giant city where information is exchanged off the street, substances making their way around, hidden clubs and parties. For a while, my life was a 70s neo-noir world!
You yourself use a PowerPoint throughout the show. How do you take that bastion of corporate misery and invigorate it with Gen Z comedy?
I actually started doing jokey PowerPoints with my friends before ever seeing it in a corporate setting. Most of us in Gen Z have experience in doing ‘PowerPoint nights’ with our buddies, especially for those in pandemic lockdowns—mostly as a way to stay sane. It’s one of those things I still do with my friends where I think, “This would totally work onstage,” and it always does! It’s reassuring to know that audiences of all ages will usually take PowerPoint comedy at face value, instead of a satirical riff on a TED Talk.
As a self-proclaimed Gen Z comedian, technology, social media, and digital infrastructure are a huge part of the live arts landscape! How do you feel that the comedy scene has changed with the advent of these things?
I think it’s definitely brought about a lot more variety in comedy—everyone has experience with sharing humour in a way that’s more than just verbal, with social media posts, editing their own videos, etc. We’re a very funny generation because of it, and younger comics’ brains don’t immediately think of humour as being aural. In my case, I’ve definitely always relied on technology in my shows, but never as a gimmick; my brain is just used to the freedom of being able to rely on more than just words to get a joke across.
You’re a comedy veteran and a MICF Class Clowns National Finalist 2021 with no less than eight shows under your belt. What drew you to comedy as a beginner?
You’ve answered your own question by mentioning Class Clowns! I first joined the young comedy competition on a whim when I was 15, all the way back in 2019. Being on a stage and being able to make people laugh was such a special feeling. I made it to states that year, and I was hooked. The positive community these festivals provide is such an important thing for new artists, especially anxious teenagers! I’m lucky to have felt a lot of love when starting, which definitely gave me the enthusiasm to keep going.
Do you have any comedic influences or inspirations?
I try not to! It’s really easy to fall into the trap of copying another artist’s work, which is a shame because we all have something unique to share. This show is kind of a testament to just how crazy my life is. However, the work that I find the most inspiring is always by comics of my age demographic. There’s this sort of clunky ambition and rawness to young creatives that I find really endearing. The last few years of shows have had me tightening up the technical parts of the show while still acting my age and leaning into that endearing quality.
What’s the most memorable on-stage moment you’ve experienced, whether with a punter or otherwise?
Definitely the Melbourne Comedy Festival last year. I can’t spoil too much, because this show kicks off with me talking about it, but I can give some hints: walking into the venue to see a cult-like chant that went 30 minutes overtime, being made fun of live by a Twitch streamer with 2.5 million, and a tech failure so bad I had to run off into a ‘space room.’ There may be a clue or two to be found in that story…
What would you say to audiences to encourage them to see Louis Prandolini Cracks a Cold Case?
It’s funny! It’s boundary pushing and original! And mainly, it’s more than just a series of unconnected jokes. ‘Cracks a Cold Case’ really is, underneath all the 70s detective aesthetic, a story about exploring your identity in your early 20s, the practicality of trying to make your life exciting, and (like all my shows) friendship. It’s always really lovely to hear the laughs turn into a crowd of “awww” as I close the show. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll end with a warm fuzzy feeling in your chest that’ll stick around.
Louis Prandolini Cracks a Cold Case is showing at The Cheeky Sparrow from Wednesday, January 22 to Saturday, January 25, 2025. Tickets are on sale now from fringeworld.com.au