Gig Preview: Wild Wogs at The Italian Club

I know almost immediately that I have made a mistake after I ask comedian George Kapiniaris about his upcoming performance in Wog Boy.

Kapiniaris quickly picks me up on this before I am able to correct myself.

For the record, Kapiniaris will perform in Bunbury next month in Wild Wogs alongside comedians Gabriel Rossi, Tahir Bilgiç and Ashley Fils-Aime.

"It has nothing to do with (Nick) Giannopoulos, (Vince) Colosimo, or (Alex) Dimitriades," he says.

"We have got a bunch of guys who do stand-up at least two to three times a week.

"We don't come back with rehashed material from 20 years ago. We are constantly refreshing our material, updating our material and playing in front of audiences ranging from 100 people to 2000 people."

Somewhat appropriately, but apparently coincidentally, they will perform at the South West Italian Club on December 3 for the first of three shows in WA.

Kapiniaris promises they won't just rely on ethic jokes from the past but will tap into the performers' real lives.

He points out he has a pretty normal life to draw gags from - he is 53, has a young child and is butting his head with his in-laws.

"I just draw from experience," he says. "I can't remember my jokes from 10 years ago, I have forgotten them already.

"And when I try, I get it all wrong. For me it is better to refresh because I like to live in the moment rather than draw from the past."

I am interviewing Kapiniaris over the phone as he drives from Melbourne to Shepparton for his latest stand-up gig.

Apart from Wild Wogs, Kapiniaris also performs in a musical, Nice Work If You Can Get it, and a one-man-show titled Zorba The Greek.

Despite this variety, he is most famous for his portrayal of Greek waiter Memo in the television sitcom Acropolis Now.

The show, which was based around a Greek cafe in Melbourne, tapped into the comedic value of making fun of the differences between Australian and "Wog" communities.

Kapiniaris admits it is hard to escape from the shadow of Memo, despite the show ending 23 years ago

"But you know what, I really don't mind because at the end of the show I sell the box-sets," he says.

"I make a bundle out of that so I don't mind - they can have me as their Memo if they want."

Looking back at Kapiniaris' 31-year career as a performer on film, television and stage, he explains he is a natural at "playing the fool".

He doesn't mind people laughing at him as he makes fun of himself and his culture but he draws the line at hecklers.

"They say it is better to be a foolish wit than a wit that is taken as a fool," he says.

"That is where stand-up comes in, you have to be someone who is funny.

"But every now and again if you make a biting remark or something where someone says 'oh I learnt something from that', that is when you are doing a good job."

Kapiniaris admits he has no idea how long he can keep performing but says he is getting better at stand-up comedy.

"Maybe when I am 60 that is my expiry date, I have no idea," he says. "But I can't do anything else - that's the thing."