There’s something about Mary

For more than 30 years, comedian Mary Coustas has portrayed the wildly hilarious character of Effie – Australia’s favourite Greek goddess.

Unapologetically honest, occasionally inappropriate and downright infectious, Effie has become an outlet for Mary to share a part of herself without fear of judgement.

“I always liken it to putting on my favourite pair of Ugg boots – that’s what it’s like to slip into character,” she said.

“I’ve just never loved her more. I know that by playing Effie, I can say all the things I really want to say in a way that makes it okay for other people to listen to.

“People appreciate how honest she is, and even though she’s talking about herself most of the time, she’s really the mouthpiece for many people.

“She’s the ultimate working-class hero. She’s uneducated, self-made, she’s a wog, she’s up herself… she’s not going to apologise for not being able to tick all the boxes society says you have to in order to be a woman.”

This is certainly true of Effie in Mary’s newest show, Effie in Love Me Tinder.

Centring the challenges of digital dating, Effie – who wore her chastity belt up until the night of her honeymoon with husband Shane Bradley Cooper – falls victim to the “seven-month itch”.

The urge to swipe right is tempting, and introspective questions arise for the now sexually curious Effie.

“With all my shows, I like to talk about the issues we all battle with every day. Identity, gender, class, love, relationships, fidelity, infidelity.

“Effie was a virgin until the night of her honeymoon, and that night everything changed for her. Sex is such a big deal – this beast has been awakened in the Southern Hemisphere, and she’d always been very Northern Hemisphere prior to that night.

“She loves her husband but she’s curious to what else is out there, and she’s now hoping that the curiosity isn’t going to be her undoing.”

Mary said while choosing to dive into the vexed world of 21st century dating to adapt her show was exciting at first, the information she uncovered was “a little depressing”.

“Some people meet the love of their life on Tinder, but it’s usually a sexual opportunity. Maybe women are different to men, maybe they think ‘if I have a good sexual experience it could translate into something else’. Men are a lot more black and white about where they go for what.

“In a way, it (online dating) lobotomises the sympathetic in us, especially young people who haven’t had really strong relationships yet. It’s just one aspect of how we meet people, and I worry about that.”

Mary, who studied in Geelong to obtain her Bachelor of Arts (majoring in performing arts) at Deakin University, was a resident of Torquay, Grovedale and Newtown throughout her time in the region.

Her performance at Geelong Arts Centre this April will be her first in the city.

“I can’t believe I’ve never performed in Geelong before. I have a history with Geelong, and I have such a soft spot for it too,” she said.

About 30 minutes of the show is unscripted, with much of Effie in Love Me Tinder improvised. She said the audience played a “huge part” in the storyline’s unravelling.

“It’s really the high wire act of the show where nothing is scripted for half an hour; you really get to know who’s in the audience.

“I don’t randomly pick people, anyone who puts their hand up becomes involved.

“This show is certainly a message about love and how do we honour the things that matter to us, and how do we not sabotage the gift that we finally get. As much as it sounds lofty, it’s the ultimate battle for all of us.”

Laugh out loud to Effie’s live Tinder tales on April 4 at 7pm.

Tickets are available now via geelongartscentre.org.au. For full tour dates and more information, head to maryandeffie.com/tour.