Hilbert school teacher by day and stand-up comedian by night, Zac Gomes is gearing up to take the stage for his debut Fringe World show later this month, a milestone he says is equal parts thrilling and nerve-wracking.
With only days to go, Gomes says the butterflies are real, but so is his confidence.
“I think I’ve got a great set and I can’t wait to show people,” he said.
His show with Melville-based Molly Kerr, People Pleasers, blends humour with heartfelt reflection, tracing his journey from adventurous traveller to parenthood.
A father himself, Gomes said his set explores both the chaos and joy of parenting, alongside the mishaps of his life before kids.
“It’s about life before kids, the adventures I had and the funny things that happened,” he said.
“Hopefully there’s some relatable things other parents will get on board with.”
Although comedy has been part of his life for about a decade, Gomes admits he only became serious about it in recent years.
By trade, he’s a high school teacher. A role which sees him encouraging Year 12 students to challenge themselves and take risks.
But when it came to Fringe, he wasn’t following his own advice.
“I’ve been delaying Fringe for a while, thinking I don’t have enough material,” he said.
“If I told myself ‘Next year’ again, it would’ve been the third year in a row I’d put it off.”
Last July, he finally backed himself – signing up, writing more, booking extra gigs and refining his craft.
What began as a hobby, a “dopamine hit” as he puts it, has now become a serious creative pursuit.
The show’s title reflects the version of himself Gomes says he used to be.
“I didn’t want to put myself out there and I didn’t want to be a burden on people,” he said.
He said that mindset began to shift years ago when he accepted a job overseas in a country where he didn’t speak the language.
It was daunting but life-changing.
“The opportunity came up and it was never going to come up again,” he said.
“That was a catalyst. If I say yes to this, what will I say no to from now on?”
His cultural missteps, language blunders and early struggles in France would later become his prime comedy material.
“I’ve definitely been laughed at. Not because they’re attacking me but because anyone would laugh in that position,” he said.
“So, I went ‘Let’s lean into this and do a stand-up comedy and have a laugh about myself.”
Gomes says the Perth comedy scene helped him stick with it.
“The Perth stand-up community is incredibly supportive,” he said.
Despite the spotlight, Gomes doesn’t see himself as a performer when he steps on stage.
Instead, he treats every set like a conversation.
“But you do need the comedy craft of rule of threes (or) pausing before a punch line.”
“There is a bit of craft to comedy which I have to make look natural. I think that’s the challenge.”
People Pleasers will be showing on January 22, 23 and February 13 at the Windmill Comedy Club with tickets available for purchase on the Fringe World website.
