Saturday August 3 2019, Cockle Bay, 11:50 AEST

Early-career comedians often have difficulties adding electronic props to their acts, due to the high cost of materials and fabrication skills required. This talk will recreate several props used in comedic performances, showing the code and components used.

Debbie Zukerman wanted to kit out her comedy shows with fancy tech but had neither the money nor the skills. In stepped Anthony Joseph, who invented some magic wands and a costume that lights up when you clap. They’re going to show you how he did it using microcontrollers and python. Anthony has re-created some common comedic props such as:

  • a magic wand,
  • a spinning bow-tie,
  • a theremin, and
  • a sound-sensitive light costume.

Debbie will talk about some of challenges early-career comedians may face, and the technologies comedians use in their acts. Anthony will also demonstrate a new tool that can be used by independent performers to organise their acts.


Watch 'Using comedy as an excuse to play with python-programmed microcontrollers' on PyCon AU's YouTube account

Anthony I. Joseph

Anthony is an Australian software engineer and mathematician. As an MBT graduate, Anthony is the technology co-founder of a property-tech startup and enjoys teaching and learning coding with the Australian startup scene.

Debbie Zukerman

Debbie Zukerman is a Sydney based clown, actor and improviser. She is co-artistic director of clown company Choo Choo Troupe, and works regularly with improv troupe Post Its, drag comedy troupe Cleo and the Kweens and sketch company The Kvetch Set Collective. Debbie has performed around Australia and appears periodically in film, TV, and despite her socialist tendencies, ads for Mega-Corp and it’s subsidiaries. As a younger and more serious person, Debbie studied many performance styles including clown at Ecole Philippe Gaulier (Paris) and Meisner at Ward Studio (NYC).