Emily Taheny The Jesters Season 2 Interview

Emily Taheny The Jesters Season 2 Interview

The Jesters are back for another season of their now successful TV show and while they're slightly older and slightly wiser, they still have a lot to learn about show business. Their mentor and boss Dave Davies (Mick Molloy) is happy to give them a few more lessons, helped by his producer and right hand woman Kat (Emily Taheny) and Machiavellian network boss Julia (Susie Porter). From behind the scenes, Dave's long-time agent and friend, Di (Deborah Kennedy), lends a gentle but firm guiding hand, calming Dave's nerves and stroking his ego.

TV comedy legend Dave Davies introduced the four upstart would-be comedians to show business by giving them their very own TV show, The Jesters. The boys are quick learners and now, with their huge success, Dave is wondering whether he has created a monster. The Jesters' stunts become bolder, their TV show becomes more and more successful and they have already learned that, as long as they are bringing in the ratings, they can do whatever they like - almost.

Dave does his best to keep egos in check and the show on the air, but he also has is own ego to deal with - with help from Kat and Di. Alongthe way, Dave is enjoying his own success, with his hit chat show and the revival of his old Dave Davies Show making him a major showbiz player again. But he just can't stay away from The Jesters. As The Jesters become more and more successful, the new guard starts to challenge the old bull for comic supremacy. In no time Dave and The Jesters are locking horns again.

The Jesters continues to lift the skirts on the making of a TV comedy show so that everyone can have a peek. It's not always pretty but if you know where to look it's always funny. From the writers' room to the board room, from the studio floor to the cutting room floor, The Jesters continues to show that the real laughs in show business are found behind the scenes.

Interview with Emily Taheny

Emily Taheny plays Kat, the sassy producer that keeps The Jesters in line.

Question: Can you tell us about your role on The Jesters?

Emily Taheny: I play a woman called Kat who is the producer for The Jesters. Mick has left Kat in charge and that's how the first episode, begins. Kat is under Julia, who is Susie Porter's character - running the show. Although, this changes over the course of the series, slightly- I don't want to give anything away!


Question: How can you relate to your character, Kat?

Emily Taheny: To be honest, not so much personally! Kat is a very level headed, organised, determined young lady and I'm a little more flighty! The Jesters is a television show about the making of a television show and because of that we are both working in the television industry - we have that in common; Kat is behind the camera and I am in front of the camera.

I have met some great girlfriends, in this industry, that work in similar roles as producers and production assistances - so I channeled those girls, a little bit. However, Kat is a lot more serious, than my girlfriends.


Question: Do you believe The Jesters is a realistic look at the comedy industry?

Emily Taheny: It definitely is because the writers Kevin Brumpton and Angus FitzSimons have worked as writers, on many comedy shows and by their own admission they have used stories that they have seen and heard along with their own experiences in the industry. It is a really realistic look at how comedy shows are made but I suppose it is heightened a little, for comic effect.


Question: How does filming The Jesters differ from filming Comedy Inc?

Emily Taheny: It does differ because The Jesters is a narrative comedy whereas Comedy Inc is sketch. It is nice for me to be able to immerse myself in one character, in The Jesters, over seven weeks; rather than thirty characters, in seven weeks. That is not to say that the job is any easier, with Comedy Inc you had to often make really definite character choices, really quickly, the shooting schedule was very fast paced. In order to make a sketch work you have to make decisions, very quickly and sometimes your strike rate isn't that good; audiences always remember a funny sketch but they also cringe when it's a bad sketch. There are many reasons why a sketch fails but at the end of the day it's your face on the screen and you have to get the sketch over the line.

With The Jesters and narrative comedy there is more time, on set, to play with the scenes and to make sure you get it right.


Question: Is it difficult to be serious on set; being surrounded by so many comedians?

Emily Taheny: It is the biggest joy! It is so lovely and I love going to work everyday. We have become very close, especially towards the end of the first series so when the second series came we were all on the same page and now we all know what makes each other laugh; we have lots of practical jokes, on set. I spend a lot of time, with the four Jesters and we share the Green Room. Mick Molley makes me laugh, so hard- it is really fun! I'd often get the giggles and the director finds it funny, to a point and then you realise that the whole set is waiting for you to pull yourself together to finish the scene, before lunch.

Filming reminds me of school, when I was in Maths it was always really inappropriate to laugh but I'd always start laughing and was not able to stop.


Question: What other upcoming projects do you have?

Emily Taheny: I am about to head down to Melbourne to start workshops for a show called Spontaneous Broadway, which is an improvised musical comedy. It has been going around Australia for a couple of years and has been to Edinburgh, but I'm doing Melbourne Comedy Festival.


Question: What/who was your inspiration to go into the acting industry?

Emily Taheny: I trained at the Centre for Performing Arts in Adelaide; I did a three year acting degree, I didn't get any comedy roles at Drama School, I think it was because they probably knew I had a handle on comedy and they really wanted to see me act.

Then, it was my mothers 60th birthday and my sister is Fiona O'Loughlin and her and I got up and did some funny antics and someone said "you should write a show". So we wrote the show and we performed at Melbourne Comedy Festival and Edinburgh- she really inspired me.

I used to mimic people, from when I was very little and I came from a really large family. I remember going to school thinking 'I am not going to speak in any accents today, people find it weird' and by the end of the day I had always launched into something. I always had comedy there; it was very natural to me. It was my sister, who really inspired me by saying "this is a skill, you can actually use this".


Question: What is the biggest challenge you have faced along the way to your comedy success?

Emily Taheny: Acting is a challenge in terms of the work isn't always constant. I have had a lot of down time in terms of when the work has dried up. The challenge is to stay sane and focused but you can sometimes loose the sense of entitlement. Sometimes when I am waitressing someone will ask "aren't you that girl from Comedy Inc"? The challenge is that the work is not always constant, which is really hard because the first thing that goes is your sense of humour, it is a vicious cycle.


Question: What's a typical day like, for you?

Emily Taheny: Comedy Inc was really full on because I would be shooting up to ten sketches a day. Often I would grab a coffee, then I'd have my runner pick me up and then I'd be on set in hair and makeup - it's all go. There is a little bit of waiting around on set, but that is where I'd come up with characters and I'd go to the writers and say "I've got this character, I came up with".


Episode 1: Don't Look Back
Dave turns paranoid when Di tells him that an unauthorised biography is being written about him. The book will include the usual stories of backstage tantrums and tears but Dave is more worried about one little detail in the author's juicy prop for the book - a strange rumour about a bizarre sex act involving Dave… and a gumboot. Dave and Di move heaven and earth to stop the tell-all book from happening and to make sure that this 'gumboot' rumour doesn't start to spread and turn him into another Richard Gere - although it may already be too late…

Meanwhile, Steve loves the publicity he gets after a recent very public fling with a famous American actress. However, he doesn't enjoy it when an internet list leaks out with her sex ratings of all of her former partners, giving 'Aussie Funny Guy' 2.3 out of 10. Steve insists that this is a different 'Aussie Funny Guy' but can he get anyone to believe him?

And Tony is frantically trying to write a new theme song for the show. As he showcases his various efforts, The Jesters are torn between loyalty to the team and Julia's limitless audience research.

Episode 2: The Fallout
The Jesters become national pariahs when they air a sketch called Kids Make Anything Cute that involves a seven year-old child dressed as Hitler giving a very cute Nuremberg rally speech to a group of other children dressed as Nazis. The sketch becomes a national and then international lightning rod for moral outrage. Everyone's head is on the chopping block. Who authorised the sketch? How did it get that far? Should The Jesters be cancelled? These are all questions the talkback callers and even the Prime Minister are now asking and that Julia has to scramble to invent answers for.

As this unfolds, Dave is asked to do a guest appearance on the TV doco, Australian Story. Barry Otto is the subject and Dave is to be filmed having lunch with him, but Barry has another agenda.

Meanwhile, Tony's cousin, a schoolgirl, spends the week doing work experience with The Jesters, asking questions that make them all slightly uncomfortable.

Episode 3: A Bit On The Side
Monty Python musical tour, The Jesters bring in an old Uni friend to be the temporary fill-in Jester. When the fifth Jester turns out to be incredibly funny, charming and talented, Steve finds himself in the irritating new and threatening position of being everyone's second favourite Jester.

And unbeknown to The Jesters, Dave has started submitting freelance material under a false name - but will Steve use it in the show?

Meanwhile, Dave has scored a coup for his chat show Remembering; George Clooney has agreed to appear. However, Dave soon learns that it's not a lot of fun dealing with the advance people for a major star and the restrictions they place upon the interview let-alone having the starstruckJulia, Kat and Di all behaving like giggling schoolgirls as they try to meet Mr. Clooney.

Michael starts writing a newspaper opinion column which proves to be a lot harder than he thought - even with Zak's help. And Steve is not enjoying his first outside Jesters venture - hosting a comedy blooper clip show called Boob Tube.

Episode 4: The Reunion
Nostalgia and possible huge ratings are in the air with The Dave Davies Show Reunion. After 20 years, the original gang is getting together for a one-off live special featuring all Dave's beloved comedy characters from yesteryear (except for his old Indian character, Rammadammabig-dong). Behind the scenes, it's just like old times, which is not a good thing with old wounds opening up between the old team. To make matters worse, Dave insists on reprising his camp flight attendant character, despite protests from a gay rights activist.

Meanwhile, Zak is asked to be the cover boy for gay magazine The Advocate, to the astonishment of Steve who thinks that if anyone is naturally attractive to gay men, it's him. Steve decides to do whatever it takes to become a gay pin-up and stop Zak from becoming a gay icon. And Michael's new serious girlfriend is causing her own set of troubles for The Jesters; quickly becoming nicknamed 'Yoko'.

Episode 5: Staged
The Jesters have taken up a lucrative offer to do their own live stage version of The Jesters. The boys all find there's a whole new list of things to argue and fight about when you've only got one take in front of a huge, live, paying audience. Julia offers to broadcast one of the Jesters' stage shows as part of her desperate scramble to find content for the network's brand new digital channel Yeah!

Zak receives another visit from Agent Smith, this time asking Zak to start a conspiracy that could help the US Government. And Michael is being sued for defamation for a sketch heperformed about a politician.

Meanwhile, Dave is delighted to be back playing Wally Nongan in the feature film Gum Tree, now being directed by Baz Luhrmann. But Dave is not so delighted when he finds the new draftof the script involves him in a rather explicit sex scene.

Episode 6: Weekend at Davies
Dave has invited The Jesters, Di, Kat and Julia to spend the weekend at his farm.The weekend doesn't start well, with Tony being hit by an errant golf ball. And Michael is thrown when he reads an internal network marketing research report that shows he is the least popular and least recognised of all The Jesters.

The evening's dinner, prepared by Di, turns into a boozy and dangerously frank affair. Kat and her new boyfriend make Steve see green. Michael has a meltdown and a good spray at Steve and all his colleagues. Julia has a little too much to drink and starts outrageously flirting with Zak; who is not sure whether she is joking. All this is witnessed by Dave's party guest, Kerri-Anne Kennerley, who doesn't escape unscathed. There will be tears before bedtime - and beyond.

Episode 7: Stunted
A Jesters rip-off show - Stunted - featuring a new group of comics and celebrities has started on another network and the gang find themselves in the awkward position of being on the receiving end of pranks & stunts from their new rivals.

Michael is appearing on Dancing with the Stars, something he agreed to do "for charity" but now finds that he is increasingly enjoying. As support for him grows, he becomes more and more obsessed with winning. However, he is shocked to read some nasty comments about himself on internet blogs and sets about to remedy this situation and restore balance by blogging under various fake names. But starting a blog and Twitter war may not be the best idea from someone in the public eye.

Meanwhile, Steve is attending rehearsals for his new play but finds he doesn't enjoy dealing with temperamental, difficult performers instead of being one.

Episode 8: Go for the Gold
There is tension in the air as Dave and Steve are both nominated for the Gold Logie. With the end of the season drawing nigh, Michael is representing the team in contract and pay negotiations with the network, and he and Julia become involved in an increasingly vicious game of bargaining, threats and double bluff that continues through Logies Night. Michael also fields other offers, including one to join Hamish and Andy as a sidekick. Michael enjoys using the offers as a bargaining chip - but is he using them or are they using him?

Dave is surprised and hurt when Di announces her intention to retire and sets about trying to make her change her mind. Di wants her final deal for Dave to be a triumph. She plans to sell his hugely successful Remembering chat show to the highest bidder - whether Dave wants to or not. Kat is surprised when Steve makes a serious pitch to her for them to have a try at a proper relationship. Now Kat has to decide between her job, Steve and Dave.

Meanwhile, the feature film Gum Tree has its international premiere on Logies Night and Dave has to decide whether or not to read or believe the previews. It's right down to the wire as everyone goes for gold on Logies Night.

Interview by Brooke Hunter