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Frankie McNair is used to make people’s lives a little bit colourful through her comedy. Before COVID, the Canberran had moved to Melbourne to help build her comedy career. When the pandemic hit, McNair had been in Victoria for about a year and had just got into the flow of of gigging and making new friends. “It was pretty peachy. We were just finishing up a beautiful summer. It was like really lovely. And then there was a very big change of pace,” she said. McNair stayed in Melbourne during the first lockdown, but when the second wave hit, she made the last minute decision to head back to Canberra. She had just six hours between Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews making the announcement and the second lockdown coming into effect, to pack a bag and get across the border. After spending two weeks in quarantine in Canberra, she emerged to find just how lucky the capital had been during the pandemic. “It was like, there was nothing different. There were hand sanitisers everywhere, and that was it. And gigs were still happening,” McNair said. “It felt like – my brother was describing it – it felt like Canberra was like a giant speakeasy. Everything else was shut down but for some reason Canberra was still going. “And it was weird. It took me a hot second to adjust and I’ve spoken to people from Melbourne about it too. They’re like, “I’m having panic attacks on public transport”. And I was like, “Yeah, dude. Me too. It’s weird”. It was just bizarre.” After a couple of weeks of adjusting, McNair found that what the capital brought her was time where she could work on projects that previously she didn’t have time to do. READ MORE: Not only was she able to go out and do comedy gigs in Canberra and help start a new open mic night in the capital, but she started developing a web series – a goal which she had been wanting to do since beginning her career in comedy. The time also allowed her to continue her podcast, Worst Gigs, which she began during lockdown. It sees her talk to other performers about the worst and weirdest gigs they’ve had. For McNair, her hometown became her creative safe haven, while her life in Melbourne had been put on hold. “I’m planning on going back Boxing Day. I don’t know what it’s going to look like when I go back, but I feel like I didn’t get a chance to give it a good go there,” she said. “It takes so long to settle in anywhere new and I feel like I was just starting to get that. So I’m nervous and excited to go back. “But also Canberra has been the best place to be during this. If I had to be stuck anywhere, I’m so glad it’s here. I felt awful. I can’t I can’t imagine what everyone in Melbourne went through. So I’m super lucky.”
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Frankie McNair is used to make people’s lives a little bit colourful through her comedy.
Before COVID, the Canberran had moved to Melbourne to help build her comedy career. When the pandemic hit, McNair had been in Victoria for about a year and had just got into the flow of of gigging and making new friends.
“It was pretty peachy. We were just finishing up a beautiful summer. It was like really lovely. And then there was a very big change of pace,” she said.
McNair stayed in Melbourne during the first lockdown, but when the second wave hit, she made the last minute decision to head back to Canberra.
She had just six hours between Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews making the announcement and the second lockdown coming into effect, to pack a bag and get across the border.
Comedian Frankie McNair left Melbourne to return to her hometown of Canberra during COVID. Picture: Karleen Minney
After spending two weeks in quarantine in Canberra, she emerged to find just how lucky the capital had been during the pandemic.
“It was like, there was nothing different. There were hand sanitisers everywhere, and that was it. And gigs were still happening,” McNair said.
“It felt like – my brother was describing it – it felt like Canberra was like a giant speakeasy. Everything else was shut down but for some reason Canberra was still going.
“And it was weird. It took me a hot second to adjust and I’ve spoken to people from Melbourne about it too. They’re like, “I’m having panic attacks on public transport”. And I was like, “Yeah, dude. Me too. It’s weird”. It was just bizarre.”
After a couple of weeks of adjusting, McNair found that what the capital brought her was time where she could work on projects that previously she didn’t have time to do.
Not only was she able to go out and do comedy gigs in Canberra and help start a new open mic night in the capital, but she started developing a web series – a goal which she had been wanting to do since beginning her career in comedy.
The time also allowed her to continue her podcast, Worst Gigs, which she began during lockdown. It sees her talk to other performers about the worst and weirdest gigs they’ve had.
For McNair, her hometown became her creative safe haven, while her life in Melbourne had been put on hold.
Comedian Frankie McNair left Melbourne to return to her hometown of Canberra during COVID. Picture: Karleen Minney
“I’m planning on going back Boxing Day. I don’t know what it’s going to look like when I go back, but I feel like I didn’t get a chance to give it a good go there,” she said.
“It takes so long to settle in anywhere new and I feel like I was just starting to get that. So I’m nervous and excited to go back.
“But also Canberra has been the best place to be during this. If I had to be stuck anywhere, I’m so glad it’s here. I felt awful. I can’t I can’t imagine what everyone in Melbourne went through. So I’m super lucky.”
- This article is part of the Displaced Artists Project. The Canberra Times has reached out to artists in different fields to see how COVID-19 has impacted them.
