Ahead of bringing their record-breaking Home Made tour to London’s Eventim Apollo on 15 June, Australian comedy phenomenon Sooshi Mango are preparing to give UK audiences a taste of the family-inspired humour that has made them one of Australia’s biggest entertainment success stories. Following stops in Manchester and Edinburgh, the trio arrive in the capital with more than one billion video views, over eight million followers and a show that has already sold more than 150,000 tickets in Australia. We caught up with Joe and Carlo Salanitri and Andrew Manfre to talk about their remarkable rise, the universal appeal of their characters and what fans can expect from Home Made.
Sooshi Mango has grown from making comedy videos in cars to selling out major arenas. What do you think has been the key to that success?
Maybe our success has come down to authenticity and relatability. But also, the fact that over time, me and the boys have created a great synergy and chemistry with eachother that it seems to have played out in the content we make and in our performances. Our mantra has always been to have fun doing what we do and not taking ourselves too seriously; I think our audience can really feel that and are drawn to that. – Carlo Salanitri
Your characters are inspired by having parents and grandparents from immigrant families. Why do you think these stories resonate with audiences around the world?
I think we’ve been fortunate enough to create these characters that are in everyones lives and very universal so that a lot of people can relate. Whether you’ve been hit by a wooden spoon, were not allowed to leave the house until you were 33 years old, or knew someone like that, you can appreciate the comedy. – Joe Salanitri
What can UK audiences expect from this new tour?
Our audience can expect to see the much loved characters that we’ve created in our 3 best skits to date. There’s a bit of song and dance, crowd interraction, and often some off the cuff parts. It’s really evolved into a wild night of comedy that personifies what Sooshi Mango is! – Carlo Salanitri
You have expanded beyond live comedy into restaurants, podcasts, television, and music. Which of these projects has surprised you the most?
The hospitality industry has been the biggest surprise by far! We were hopeful that it would be successful, and that we’d be taken seriously, and we’ve been overwhelmed by the publics response and support. – Andrew Manfre
After achieving so many milestones in Australia and internationally, what goals or ambitions do you still have for Sooshi Mango?
We are about to embark on our first feature film! Stay tuned… – Joe Salanitri
