One snotty Southbanker!

Locals, meet Mr Snotbottom, aka Southbank resident Mark Trenwith! Mr Snotbottom is a disgusting comedian for kids, who loves a good old-fashioned fart joke and a booger or two.

Mark Trenwith is just a regular guy who enjoys life in Southbank.

With a background in film and animation, Mr Trenwith’s journey in stand-up comedy began back in his hometown of Adelaide where like most comedians, he was working hard, going gig-to-gig.

Moving to Melbourne more than seven years ago to chase more work as a stand-up, he said he reached a point where he began to “hit a ceiling” with comedy, which is when a completely new character began to take shape.

Having also worked as Captain Starlight for the Starlight Foundation for more than 10 years, as well as in jobs in children’s theatre and TV, he said his combined skill sets in comedy and working with children had been the catalyst for the rise of Mr Snotbottom!

“I had started at Starlight and then a friend asked me if I could perform at a party,” Mark said.

“She had no idea that I had a background in children’s theatre; she just knew me as a stand-up.”

“I’d learned a few magic tricks at Starlight and making gags and creating material spontaneously at the hospital so I strung it all together. Then she said she wanted me to be disgusting and make fart jokes but I initially ignored it.”

“Then two days before the party word got around that someone was coming to make fart jokes so I realised that they were serious and had to re-write it all with this gross undertone and came up with a name for the character and it really worked out!”

What started at a birthday party, Mr Snotbottom has grown into fully-fledged stage show for kids, which Mark described as the “R-rated Wiggles.”

Performed everywhere from schools and libraries to sold-out shows at comedy festivals and theatres, Mr Snotbottom has become a major hit with families.

He even has his own podcast called Busy Bodies!

“It’s not necessarily about making a fart joke but the gross undertones come in more weird scenarios,” Mark said.

“I’m writing a song at the moment about a slug who’s in love with a human and all the weird undertones you can make about the fact that he’s such a good kisser because he’s the shape of a tongue and just being able to make slurpy, slug noises.”

“It’s largely about what makes me laugh and because I’ve got a fairly child-like humour anyway. I find that funny as well.”

“It’s just all the weird stuff in the human body, which is also about making learning fun. I think the parents enjoy that aspect of the show too.”

Mr Snotbottom will appear at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival at Melbourne Town Hall from April 3-5.

For more information: mrsnotbottom.com