Will Erimya interviews Axel Cobretti, his undercover alter ego coming to Sydney Comedy Festival

It’s Axel Cobretti Undercover is the Sydney Comedy Festival story of the funniest and slickest undercover super detective you’ve ever seen. Of course, to be truly undercover, a detective must change their identity so significantly as to be unrecognisable to their friends and family. So who better to interview Axel Cobretti himself than the actor Will Erimya, who you might just recognise when Axel steps onstage this month at Giant Dwarf…

Will: First off, it’s an honour and privilege to sit down and interview you, Mr Axel Cobretti. I’m a big fan of your work.

Axel: Thank you.

You’ve had many heroic adventures, which one stands out as your all time favourite?

I was working security at an ice hockey arena, it was during the Stanley Cup finals, when a group of ex-CIA had taken the whole stadium hostage including the Vice President, they threatened to blow the whole stadium up, fortunately for everyone there, including the Vice President, I saved the day.

Wow, that’s amazing.

Let me tell you about another adventure. I had taken a job as a chef on a battleship, I’d retired at this point and wanted to try something new. So this rock band comes on board, I think nothing of it, the ship is doing its last voyage, turns out this rock band is a group of mercenaries, ex-CIA by the way, trying to steal the nuclear arsenal. I stabbed a guy in the head, threat over.

OK, that sounds like the plot of Under Siege.

I’ll give you one more. It was Christmas and my parents had left me by myself and I had to stop a burglary ring on my own. Alone.

Alright, let’s change gears. You have acquired an impressive set of skills. If you could please list some of them for the readers that may not know?

I am a jack of all trades and master of all. I’m proficient in all the animal styles of kung fu, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, aikido, boxing, Muay Thai, pencak Silat, capoeira, eskrima, cravate, Greco-Roman wrestling, ballistic weaponry, bomb defusing, safe cracking, swords, puzzle solving, break dancing through laser security systems and tactical driving.

You’re like a human Swiss Army knife. Any skills that aren’t violent?

Well I’m a very keen molecular gastronomist.

Heston Blumenthal eat your heart out.

Who’s that?

Doesn’t matter. Well Mr Cobretti, it’s been an absolute pleasure chatting with you.

Pleasure is all mine.

It’s Axel Cobretti Undercover plays at Giant Dwarf on Saturday April 29.

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