Nurse at Bendigo Health by day, performer at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival by night.
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Cath Styles is preparing for two of the busiest weeks of her year as her comedy show Shift starts tonight.
Her show runs for two weeks and during that time, Styles will also be doing her regular shifts at her nursing job in Bendigo.
“I’m doing six nursing and six comedy shifts over the next week but it’s always like this,” Styles said.
“This will be my 10th year at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and it’s always fantastic.
“You get to hang out with a lot of fun people and have friends come in from all over world.
“It’s interesting and stimulating because you get to exposure to new acts and material.”
Styles has been a nurse for 25 years and decided to tick trying stand-up comedy off her bucket list when she turned 40.
“I started doing (stand-up comedy) a few months before I turned 40,” she said.
“My first ever gig was a heat of Raw Comedy Competition with the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
“I didn’t win the heat but I got a wild-card entry for the next round, which was pretty good for a first ever set.”
Styles’ nursing career has seen her take on a number of roles in Bendigo but she has mostly been a psychiatric nurse.
Her stand-up show touches on her career and how she deals with living a shift-based life.
“I explore which thing I want to to do most, it’s about shift life and how crazy that is,” she said.
“I don’t get many weekend and evenings off. Anyone who has worked shiftwork will get what I’m talking about.”
As well as this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival being her 10th anniversary, Styles has also performed at 10 Adelaide Fringe Festivals.
She has also taken to the stage at a number of Melbourne Fringe Festivals and even the world-renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Cath Style’s comedy show Shift is on from April 5-17 at The Downstairs Lounge of the Grand Mercure Hotel in Swanston Street, Melbourne.
For more information or to book tickets head to www.comedyfestival.com.au/2016/season/shows/shift-cath-styles