Leading with Laughter – Andrea Powell’s Creative Legacy
From the drama classroom at Santa Maria College to sold-out Fringe stages across the country, Andrea Powell (Class of 1984) has built a career on bold characters, sharp wit and fearless performance. Now a celebrated comedian and Program Leader of Comedy at Collarts, Andrea continues to delight audiences while mentoring the next generation of funny minds.
Fresh from a standout Perth Fringe World season, Andrea is proving that great comedy doesn’t just entertain, it connects, heals and brings people together.
An “Absolutely Bonkers” Fringe Success
This year, Andrea performed Ethel and Tina: Together At Last at Fringe, a collaboration with fellow comedian Wes Snelling. The show pairs Wes’s fading cabaret star Tina Del Twist with Andrea’s brilliantly cantankerous Ethel Chop in what she describes as “An absolutely bonkers piece of theatre that is largely based in clown performance and subverting expectations.”
The result? Judge’s Pick at Melbourne Fringe and a five-star review at Perth Fringe World. Not bad for a first creative partnership.
Andrea believes comedy has never been more important. “In the current state of disturbing world affairs, everyone needs a lift, some lightness, some belly laughs.”
And audiences have embraced exactly that. It’s a show that invites them to simply sit back and enjoy the fun. With Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane and Tasmania next on the tour list, Ethel and Tina are just getting started.
Comedy, Truth and the Beautifully Flawed
Over a long and varied career, Andrea has learned that laughter is far more than entertainment. “I’ve learned that humour and laughter are so important for us to function well as social beings. Laughing together binds us, brings us joy and improves our health and our cognitive functioning. It’s scientifically true!”
Her specialty is character comedy, particularly flawed, dysfunctional personalities who are blissfully unaware of their own absurdity. Yet beneath the exaggeration sits something deeper – vulnerability.
Andrea is drawn to the balance between comedic tension and emotional truth, creating characters that are ridiculous yet human, absurd yet relatable. It’s this exchange that keeps audiences invested and laughing.
“Failing Up” and Finding Your Voice
As Program Leader of Comedy at Collarts, Andrea now shapes emerging performers, helping them discover what sets them apart. “Every comedian has a unique performance style and persona. They might not know exactly what it is yet, but it’s there.”
Comedy, she says, is built on trial and error. Or as they call it ‘failing up’. “I encourage every student to fail joyfully as they improve with every performance.”
Beyond technique and stagecraft, Andrea emphasises something equally powerful -community. At Collarts, students find their people – creative, curious and a little bit wired differently. And that difference is celebrated.
She also offers practical wisdom, particularly on the art of audience participation. It may look effortless online, but Andrea is quick to remind young performers that mastery takes years. Like any craft, it demands skill, care and plenty of glorious mistakes along the way.
Courage Behind the Curtain
For someone who appears so assured on stage, Andrea is refreshingly honest about the nerves that come with live performance. Self-doubt, she says, is simply part of the job. Every show brings that familiar flutter of anxiety, the backstage questions, the quiet wondering whether the audience will connect. “Every gig, every show tests your confidence.” And then the lights go up.
The moment she steps onto the stage, everything shifts. The laughter starts, the rhythm finds its groove, and the energy in the room becomes electric. That shared experience, watching an audience relax, laugh and leave lighter than when they arrived, is what keeps her coming back.
From Santa Maria to Centre Stage
Andrea’s love of performance began here at Santa Maria, where she immersed herself in drama under the guidance of Hal Davies, whom she credits as an inspiring and encouraging influence.
While she once imagined a dramatic acting career (Lady Macbeth included), it was during her Theatre Arts studies at Curtin University that comedy found her. A formative stint performing weekly sketch comedy at the Blue Room Theatre sharpened her writing and stage instincts, before she moved to Melbourne, the nation’s comedy capital, to pursue the craft in earnest.
Life Beyond the Laughs
When she’s not performing or teaching, Andrea seeks contrast. Crime fiction, thrillers and gripping police dramas are her go-to escape, anything but comedy. She enjoys hosting dinners, talking about wine and reading both fiction and theory.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and Andrea will be performing Ethel & Tina: Together At Last alongside some of her own graduates from Collarts, presenting their first shows.
Supporting emerging comedians as they find their voice and confidence is something she’s deeply proud of.
A Legacy of Laughter
From the Santa Maria stage to national tours, Andrea has built a career grounded in creativity, courage and connection. She reminds us that laughter is powerful, not just because it entertains, but because it brings people together.
Her journey is a wonderful example of where passion, persistence and a willingness to “fail joyfully” can lead.
And as Ethel Chop would say, “If you’re not mucking up sometimes, are you even living?”
- Alumni Success Stories, Andrea Powell, Collarts Comedy Program, Ethel Chop, Featured, Fringe World Festival, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Mercy Education, Performing Arts, Santa Maria College alumni, Women in Comedy
Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation. Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world. Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.
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