Rose Matafeo Breaks Down Her New Stand-Up Special—And What Didn’t Make the Cut

As a fan and admirer of Rose Matafeo‘s exceptional talent, it’s truly inspiring to witness her journey from a competitor on Taskmaster to its junior version host. Her ability to create, co-write, play the lead character, and even direct episodes in Starstruck is nothing short of remarkable. It’s clear that she has a unique knack for storytelling and a keen eye for detail that makes her work resonate with audiences.

Rose Matafeo is carefully considering as she inquires from our server at London’s Soho Hotel about red wine recommendations, distinguishing between lighter and more full-bodied choices. One might wonder if Matafeo is becoming a wine expert, but she humbly states, “Absolutely not. I believe it’s all about being self-assured.” She further explains that ordering a drink is a sign of maturity, while before reaching this point, one is merely smiling and nodding along, unaware of what others are discussing.

Matafeo and I crossed paths in November, just a short while after she wrapped up two consecutive comedy performances in London. These shows have been compiled into a special called On And On And On, currently available for streaming on Max. I went to the first of the pair, which she admits wasn’t her best work. “To be honest,” she says, “I’d go as far as saying it was terrible. Most of that performance didn’t make the final cut.” Due to circumstances beyond her control, she couldn’t have given a better show. “I had laryngitis and was struggling with my voice earlier in the week. I also took steroids, which only added to my emotional turmoil. I cried several times that day, even just before going on stage. I was extremely anxious,” she admits, visibly relieved when I tell her that the audience didn’t notice any of this.

Born in New Zealand, but residing in London since her twenties due to love (with British comedian James Acaster), Matafeo is widely recognized for the series “Starstruck” which she co-wrote and acted in from 2021 to 2023. The experiences and insights gained from her relationships, particularly breakups, serve as a significant influence on her special. This show is primarily structured around a lengthy entry from Matafeo’s Notes app on her iPhone, which, at an extensive 16,000 words, she refers to as more of a manifesto than a note. She keeps most of it private, only hinting that it contains musings and revelations stemming from the dissolution of a romantic relationship. Matafeo’s special addresses themes of love, breakups (more challenging in your 30s, as people are parting ways with the genuine you), aging, and general life observations that her fellow millennials will undoubtedly resonate with.

Rose Matafeo Breaks Down Her New Stand-Up Special—And What Didn’t Make the Cut

During her performances in London, Matafeo made changes and refined her act live. After some jokes, she’d exclaim, “We’re keeping that!” as audience laughter filled the room, while other parts saw her saying, “That won’t be included.” A part that didn’t make it was about Taylor Swift. Matafeo talked about how music can help you heal after a breakup and how every song seems to relate to your situation. However, despite suggestions from friends, she showed no interest in listening to Swift. Matafeo revealed her reason for not engaging with Swift’s music was that she didn’t want to risk her life by expressing her honest feelings (Swift fans are known for their fierce defense of the singer), but added, “her music means absolutely nothing to me.

I could feel the nervous laughter of the audience around me as Matafeo quipped that she didn’t feel safe proceeding with the routine, before continuing her commentary on the “adult Swifties” who attended the Eras Tour, swapping friendship bracelets and “dressing up like pencil cases from Claire’s Accessories.” When I ask whether she really planned to edit it out for fear of the wrath of fans, she says there were other factors at play. “It was too long, and also, I like that it’s something of an Easter egg for people who saw the show live. It was basically me talking sh-t, which is most of stand-up really. I think it’s best left for the live arena, but I’m glad I did it in the live shows.”

Matafeo delved deeper into exclusive backstage information prior to the special’s premiere. She discussed the intricacies of showcasing her personal life on stage while preserving privacy, the strength derived from making bold life choices, and other topics.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

TIME: Despite the fact you were having a difficult day behind-the-scenes, you seemed confident when you came out on stage. After the set, as you returned to the stage to do extra filming bits and sit with the audience and riff, I noticed a shift. You were no longer as comfortable, and joked about the awkwardness. As a self-professed introvert, do you have to make a conscious shift of turning on the stand-up persona before stepping out to do a set?

Matafeo explained that the part following was when he had to reappear, it was truly him showing up. He found it challenging since he’s not great at thinking on his feet in those instances. He admitted feeling stage fright, in a sense. Strangely, a wave of relief swept over him because he thought, “Now that stand-up is finished.” He felt slightly more comfortable, and Matafeo confessed that he gets nervous on stage, stuttering, and talking about The Phantom of the Opera or similar topics.

As you progress with a performance over time, you discover your pace and shape the character. There’s a certain flow you can slip into when performing the same show repeatedly. Since it was my first time performing that show in that specific location, looking out at the audience made me feel quite vulnerable, which added to the fear of the performance. Fortunately, the audiences were very pleasant. During such performances, I aim to make the crowd more relaxed, but since I recognized some faces, I kept them somewhat blurred in my focus. I’m not comfortable interacting with the crowd, so I just maintain a subtle awareness of them.

The kick-starting conversation for your special revolves around a note you wrote on your iPhone Notes app. You only read out the first line. But I wonder, is there anyone on the planet that would get full access to that note in its entirety, or even just your Notes app in general?

That’s such a good question. No, I don’t think there is. Even my closest, closest friends. I wouldn’t want them to see that. It’s like reading a diary. It’s weird, the idea of something so private existing on a device that literally anyone could get into. To be honest, the note is so f-cking long it barely makes sense. Some of it is so cringe-inducing. I stand by what I said in the show—that when you go back through your notes, it’s like a stranger has hacked into your phone and written some of the most bat-sh-t crazy things. You have to know it’s part of you, though. You can’t distance yourself from it, as we all contain multitudes.

You talk through a variety of topics in your special, from how it’s much harder to deal with being dumped in your 30s to how you turned to online relationship coaches at your lowest, or funny realizations about your high school years. Do you ever give the real-life people you talk about a heads-up ahead of time?

I prefer making the context general and relatable so that others can easily understand it. I believe this is a beneficial approach as it allows for wider connection to similar situations. Essentially, it’s about preserving my personal information as well.

It’s interesting you mention privacy. We live in a world where people don’t just watch and listen to things anymore, they become online sleuths. The Baby Reindeer experience was a prime example of that. Armchair detectives took over, attempting to uncover the real-life identities of certain characters…

It’s f-cking dire. So much of what is good about stand-up is speaking from personal experience and being real and truthful. But that sucks because of the parasocial nature of fandom now. I grew up in the Internet culture of sleuthing things out, but it’s really strange when it becomes about you. It definitely makes me think harder about how I talk about myself. I did a podcast with my friend Alice [Sneeden] and it was so real, almost like private conversations. But there came a point when I was like, “I don’t know if I want people to know everything about me.” It feels like a bit of a shame but also a sign of maturation.

I found it really refreshing during your special when you spoke about the moment when you realized that rather than asking yourself, “Should I have children?” you should instead ask yourself, “Do I want to have children?” It then brought you to the realization that you don’t. How has it been opening up about that in front of an audience?

After the performances, some individuals have shared with me that they experienced an unexpected surge of emotions upon hearing what I had shared. It’s heartening for me to know that many women have openly discussed similar topics, and it brings joy to learn that my efforts seem to resonate with others, helping them connect to my experiences.

I’ve had conversations in my own life about whether or not I want children. Oftentimes, when I say I’m not sure and that I might not, I notice that it’s the other person who feels the most uncomfortable. They feel as though they have to fix it or say, “You might change your mind!” Is that something you’ve encountered?

Both teams are courting you for recruitment. In the past, when asked about having kids, I’d say, “I don’t believe I want them.” Over time, it became more straightforward to simply say “I don’t,” as it represented a firm stance for me. However, it’s important to remember that people can always change their minds. It’s not like signing a contract. The most challenging part is the notion that someone else’s lifestyle choice could somehow jeopardize another person’s life. This isn’t an attack on those who do choose to have children. However, I feel there’s a subtle pressure, even politically, suggesting that my decision not to have kids might be detrimental to others.

It’s very much in the air politically. There were conversations in the U.S. earlier this year, after comments made by J.D. Vance—in which he expressed that people who have children should have more voting power than those who don’t—resurfaced ahead of the presidential election. The idea being that people have less of an impact on the future and thus should have less of a voice because they’re not procreating.

You uncover the underlying intentions behind people’s words and actions, revealing a truth that often contrasts with their surface-level statements. In essence, someone has led me to understand that my purpose on this earth is to bear children, which they define as the essence of womanhood. As a Pisces, I struggle to make decisions, but in this case, I find myself confident and content with my choice. The fact that it angers those who are narrow-minded is an unexpected advantage.

I’m interested in how you approach addressing politics and world issues as a stand-up comedian. We have people in the public eye talking out matters such as women’s rights and the Israel-Hamas war, the very topics that are on people’s minds. Do you think about such things when writing or do you want to make your show an escape from politics?

I openly hold political beliefs, and while they may not always be the main focus of my performances, they’re never avoided. Instead, they tend to seep into my work unconsciously. Given their gravity, I aim to express them honestly, as I don’t want to appear flippant or insincere. My stand-up often involves commenting on the world around me, which inevitably includes political topics. The challenge is to find the humor in those subjects, and I strive to do just that.

Away from your stand-up, you’re now portraying the Taskmaster on the junior version of the game show, which is a full-circle moment after you were a competitor on the main series in 2019. I was unsure at first when I heard about the junior reiteration, wondering how children would deal with the pressure, but they seem to deal with it better than the adults!

They truly excel at it. Their mutual support is remarkable, and they display an outstanding sportsmanship during competition. It’s quite inspiring, frankly making grown-ups seem less mature. [Laughs] It was simply delightful to observe them. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Taskmaster and participating in it. When I visited the U.S. for the third series of Starstruck, everyone wanted to know about Taskmaster. It seems even Seth Meyers is a fan. During my appearance on his show, the writers showed interest in the series.

Rose Matafeo Breaks Down Her New Stand-Up Special—And What Didn’t Make the Cut

Speaking of Starstruck, it’s rare to get that level of control on a project—to be able to create a series, co-write it, play the lead character, and even direct some of the episodes. How do you feel looking back on that experience?

That experience left a profound and positive impact on me, one that’s difficult to describe in words. It was nothing short of extraordinary, a moment that required an incredible alignment of circumstances. I consider myself fortunate to have been supported by the right individuals throughout this journey. Being a person who often feels self-conscious, it’s a delight to reflect on something I can genuinely be proud of. Such moments are quite uncommon for me to acknowledge.

You joke in your stand-up special that you’re famously not good at endings. But things were wonderfully wrapped up in the third series of Starstruck when it aired in 2023. We witnessed your character Jessie get some much-needed closure. You’ve previously said that character is the closest you think you’ll ever get to playing yourself, so do you think you’ll return to her some day?

I find it wonderful how we concluded that story, and a trilogy is particularly dear to me. Some series I revisit don’t seem as compelling as they once did, but I believe Starstruck still shines. The transformation between the character I portrayed in the first season compared to the third is simply astounding, serving as a fascinating time capsule that I’m grateful to be part of. As I approach the age my character is in the third series of Starstruck, it’s remarkable how similar real-life events, such as friends getting married and having babies, mirror what happened on the show. It’s quite eerie! At this moment, there are no plans for another season, unless a significant amount of money is offered to revive it – I value my principles too much for that.

2024-12-19 18:06

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