After living the dream in West Hollywood, winning Celebrity Apprentice 2011 and becoming what some would say ‘the women who has it all’ Lady Julia Morris is back with her new show No Judgement.
Morris has spent that last 26 years giving Australia the opportunity to enjoy her quick comedic tongue, while giving them open court to judge her accordingly. Last year during her tour she decided that from here on in she was going to stop judging people. An idea whichdissolved all of 11 minutes after it had been conceived. ’I’ve been full of judgement this year and it’s been fantastic’, she told me, explaining how much fun judging people is, even children. ‘Everyone liked to hear what arseholes other people’s children are!’ We all secretly enjoy judging people, whether it’s people you know, people walking down the street, or that weird couple sitting at the other side of the pub and Julia is not afraid to say it.
After leaving school Morris came back from enjoying the South Pacific as part of Club Med to be encouraged to do stand up at the Comedy Store. 57 paying friends came her first night to support her and from there she was a regular. She’s now been touring for longer than some of the up and coming comedians have been able to talk and she loves it more than ever. It seems that Lady J-Mo has all of the boxes in her life ticked; the job that everyone has secretly wanted at one point, a supportive husband, and two beautiful, head strong children, one of whom recently explained to Julia that she would appreciated it if she wasn’t spoken to like that. I mentioned her motto ‘Dementis Pro Is’ the Latin for Mad For It, asking her why, ‘Well why wouldn’t you be?’ she replied, giving me a taste of her warming and comforting laugh. And her family are all the same. ‘We’re a party of four, kind of conservative mental patients’.
Her new role in Chanel Nine’s House Husbands has already been named a success with the debut night winning the ‘nights most watched’ show prize. Talking about the show and the cast I was told that everyone was so much fun that Julia had given herself self-imposed restrictions to not go out with the cast as she just can’t control herself. ‘I’m all… Let’s have Margarita’s!’ Still recovering from the wrap party on Friday night she said it was amazing to work with people who are so funny, interesting and such talented actors.
While Julia attended drama school, she doesn’t feel she’s up to the standard of the people she’s working with, even after two years of extra training in Hollywood.When asked if she preferred stage or screen, she explained that they’re completely different, ‘With acting, the gratification is delayed and with comedy if something goes wrong; you can correct it then and there’.
No Judgement has sold better than any of her previous shows, which she puts down to her success in Celebrity Apprentice. Three shows on the tour have already sold out and she says she thinks she’ll have more fun on this tour than before. ‘When you come to a show as a solo artist it’s different [than being part of a comedy bill] because people are determined to laugh.’ Knowing that the people in the audience like her style gives her confidence on stage and she’s most looking forward to bringing No Judgement to Perth, especially in such a unique venue. ‘It’s the first time I’ve bought my show to a theatre in WA’, Morris tells me, while mentioning that she’s going to be involved in a National Breast Cancer event in Broome just before the tour starts. One thing she loves is how supportive her fans are. ‘Social media fans are very supportive. They enjoy your shows and they say so’.
The term ‘no judgement’ is something she now uses regularly, explaining that people can’t take offence if you say that afterwards; ‘That women is such a bitch – no judgement’ or ‘hate the way she always nearly takes me out in that Range Rover at the school drop off –no judgement’. Her efforts to not judge have bought around an entertaining evening of songs and stories in true Julia Morris style.
Alice Newport-Holden
Her No Judgement tour opens at The Astor in Perth on October 5 and 6 and then moves around Australia. More information can be found at www.juliamorris.com.au.
