Leung chooses his own escape plan

Lawrence Leung’s childhood obsession with Harry Houdini formed part of the inspiration for his new show The Escapist.

But unlike the great illusionist, Leung will keep his grand escapes to a purely metaphoric level.

“I’m not doing any Houdini-like escapes in the show - my manager said it would be a public liability nightmare if something went wrong,” he says. “It’s a true-blue stand up comedy show all the way through.”

The Escapist, which debuted at the recent Melbourne Comedy Festival, is described as Leung’s ode to unsung heroes and embarrassing encounters.

“It is stories of all kinds of embarrassing situations I effectively need to escape out of, whether they be social situations or awkward situations I put myself into,” he says.

“I’m at that point in my life where I often look back at my past and think what I would have been if I had done something else, and have I just been holding myself back. This is all about trying to escape from all those expectations you have on yourself or what other people have of you.”

For Leung, who is performing his show at the Perth Comedy Festival for one night only, the performance is a return to his roots.

The 37-year-old Melbournian has risen to fame on his own TV shows including Unbelievable, Choose your Own Adventure and more recently Maximum Choppage.

“I’ve been doing a lot of TV lately, but it’s really great to go back stand up,” he says.

“Often when you think of jokes in front of your computer screen when you’re writing it is never as good as when you stand up in front of an audience and just tell it.

“That’s the beauty of stand up - the whole idea of jumping up in front of the audience and seeing what flies. After making Maximum Choppage last year, it is so good to finally be able to get back on stage.”

Lawrence Leung performs at UWA’s Octagon Theatre this Friday, May 1. Details: perthcomedyfest.com.