Anxiety: I was so scared I did kaka in my pants

People believe the only way to deal with tragedy is to laugh at it.

It might seem like the hardest thing to do to find the 'funny side' of the disaster / calamity / misfortune going through but it helps.
You share the pain with someone else, you lessen the stress and you remove the stigma attached.

The latter is what Yiannis Koullas was thinking of when he wrote his show 'Anxiety: I was so scared I did kaka in my pants' which is part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival.

"It's a very personal show about me dealing with anxiety and related issues," explains Yiannis.

"Anxiety has been in the media a lot and there is still a stigma attached to it, so I thought what better way to remove the stigma than a comedy show?

"The concept for the title actually came from when I was work-shopping ideas and someone asked me about my scariest moment. There was no doubt - it had to be the time when I was so scared that I soiled myself!
The underlying message I aim to give is that acting quickly on any issue is the best way to deal with it, and that laughter and living life are some of the best forms of medicine."

A frequent on the Melbourne stand-up scene - he organises a weekly stand-up night at ET's Hotel in Prahran - Yiannis has loved comedy since being a youngster at home watching Fast Forward and thinking 'it was the funniest thing he'd ever seen'.

This is the first show Yiannis has had in the Melbourne Fringe Festival, although he has collaborated with other comedians for a show in the Comedy Festival in 2009.

As masters of drama, does being Greek translate and work in the world of comedy?

"I don't think my Greekness necessarily makes me funny but my Greek heritage provides me with material, with stories and situations that I can talk about. But the stories aren't uniquely Greek - I think people of all cultures can relate to them. Although I don't constantly refer to my Greek background in the show, my background is what gives the show, and my stories, context."

Yiannis Koullas is appearing at the Leveson Hotel at 46 Leveson Street, North Melbourne at 8:35pm on September 30 and October 5 and 6.

Admission $15/$12