Dave WARNEK
Breaker
of
records
Dave Warneke made history last Sunday as he and
fellow Melbourne based comedian Adam Knox broke
the Guinness world record for longest Variety show.
One would think that 14 hours would not suffice but the
previous record clocked in at 12 hours and there is a
reason why. It’s bloody hard work.
Warneke has been on the Melbourne comedy scene
for around 5 years now and in that time has become
an established part of the late night game show scene
during the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. It is
important to know that before Warneke, this category was
relatively non-existent.
In this regards, Warneke is an innovator as well as a
producer and a very funny performer. His star rises my
virtue of the fact that he carves out a niche that previously
didn’t exist in the scene. His love of comedy is very
pronounced. Host of ‘Facty Fact’, a trivia game show,
as well as being a regular fixture in the stand-up circuit,
he is also the host of podcasts such as ‘Persuasion’. A
live show in which he and fellow Melbourne comedian
Neil Sinclair ask comedians to convince them to believe
an argument put to them: topics include ‘Why we should
wear our school uniform for the rest of our lives’.
The podcast picked up speed until the protagonist, Sinclair
made in roads to Paris to study clowning. Warneke
maintains that he loves the podcasting format and wants
to return to it at some point.
The effect of the World record achievement is another
feather in the cap for Dave Warneke but it remains to be
seen what the effect of being a world record holder will do
for his career. It makes sense that for however long this
record stands, people in the industry should recognise the
blood sweat and tears that go into pulling off such a feat.
Performed for the Melbourne Fringe Festival 2014, the
variety show world record attempt was a micro festival in
and of itself, with 85 acts in total over a whole day, each
performer doing 5 minutes each while Knox and Warneke
oversaw the entire process. Warneke makes the cover
of this issue because he encompasses the spirit of the
Fringe. Dave can be viewed online on the ‘Stupid Old
Channel with his show, Facty Fact.