If you are comedian Asher Treleaven, all you need to do is just throw in a handful of glitter. In his stand-up routine 'Secret Door', the Melbourne International Comedy Festival regular explores notions of masculinity and the many guises that can make up being a man.
“The show is kind of all about attacking the macho herd mentality in Australia,” Treleaven explains. “Why are most Australian men the way they are? So it's exploring masculinity … in a David Lynch kind of way.”

A self-described “geek aficionado, book nerd and carnie come good”, the comedian uses his unique style to a mix of personal stories and “things I think are funny” into the show which won the 'The Age' Critics' Award in Melbourne last year.
“Some of the stories are about me being abused or things people have said,” the two-time Barry Award nominee says of his material for the routine. “And it's also what you can do to combat that - like confusing a bogan with handfuls of glitter instead of fighting! I wanted to do a show I believed in and (something I thought) was important to talk about … but then to make it funny, because it's not a soapbox.”

Treleaven embarked on his life on stage in a much different genre, starting out studying at National Institute of Circus Art and even eking a living as a street performer at London's Covent Garden.
But despite that grounding in a more physical form of performing, it was the simple art of telling a story - a funny story - that appealed to him. “I always loved doing comedy … I loved the accessibility of it, and you have more creative output with stand-up,” Treleaven says.

“I keep them (circus and comedy) separate, but I still do them both … and I use my body a lot in my stand-up shows. But street performing really grinds it out of you, especially in a London winter when nobody is watching you, while stand-up is nicer … and usually the venues have central heating!”

Asher Treleaven will perform 'Secret Door' at the Brisbane Comedy Festival from March 15 to March 20.