Mary Coustas on Effie: 'One hour with her is like a million therapy sessions'
Big hair, big personality: Effie is an Australian icon. Jo Laidlaw goes behind the wig to talk to her creator, Mary Coustas, about Effie – Frigid To Feral, a brand-new show premiering at Adelaide Fringe
Effie debuted on the sitcom Acropolis Now, which ended in 1992. It’s unusual for sitcom characters to have a life beyond their show, let alone one that lasts for over 30 years. What’s Effie’s secret?
Effie became an instant hit because she stands up for herself, is confident, life-affirming, funny and outspoken. And an accidental feminist: so many women come up to me and say, ‘Effie was the first Australian feminist we fell in love with.’ Effie was fighting the good fight in in the best way possible, so she became bigger than I expected. But I was with friends recently and they were talking about Acropolis Now and I said I hadn't seen it since way back then: I don’t luxuriate in the past. I want to stay relevant, stay in the present and get excited about the future. I always feel like the best times are ahead.
So this isn’t a tribute show based on Effie’s past glories?
Totally not! I would never risk not being in love with Effie, because she’s dependent on my oxygen and my point of view to be glorious. And performing is one of the big loves of my life – I don't want to not enjoy it. I want to keep the audience growing with me, which they have, because they find something in what I do. It’s always been issue-based: it started off with race, I’ve spoken to gender issues, class issues, being outside the majority. People that feel minimised or alienated or alone look to Effie as one of them, which is fantastic.
Does Effie enjoy the Fringe?
She does! And not just because she’s a hairdresser and into all haircuts. You know, I discovered Adelaide Fringe way too late, I’d always done shows outside of festivals and the first time I did the Fringe I thought ‘why haven’t I been doing this for decades?’ This is the best place because it brings everybody out. Everyone's excited, not only to see people that they know and love, but to discover new performers. It’s a great atmosphere, not only for the audience but for performers that can finish their show then jump into a spiegeltent to watch somebody else. And the people in Adelaide just love, love, love their festivals. It doesn't get better than that.
So tell me what they can expect from your new show?
It’s all about our relationships with ourselves and understanding the extremes of who we are. I always say, in a game of rock, paper, scissors, the body always wins. There is no arguing with what your body needs to do. But it’s such a mystery – we live in it, and we still don’t understand exactly how it works. Effie was estranged from her sexuality because she wanted to be a virgin when she got married, then on the night of her honeymoon the beast was released and she finally understood what all the fuss was about. So she went from frigid to feral. But now her body's starting to change, her lusciousness is starting to dry up and she’s seeing changes she doesn’t understand. She doesn’t want to lose her love of the world, but she’s going through a personal climate change.
Is it a classic stand-up show?
It’s comedy from a theatrical point of view. Effie with a microphone, a one-hour deep dive into all things human. With lots of audience interaction: a portion of my show is improvised every night. I want to know about my audience, what they're struggling with or what they're celebrating. So does Effie – it’s hilarious and such a highlight. I think this show is really needed. I want people to come out, have a great night and discover things, hear an illuminating point of view and feel seen. One hour with Effie is like a million therapy sessions plus a great abs workout because you’ll laugh so much. It’s truly celebratory.
Effie: Frigid To Feral, The Garden Of Unearthly Delights, Thursday 19-Sunday 22 February, 8.30pm.