Rose Matafeo’s Starstruck Back for Third Run

With her smash hit Starstruck exploring fairytale romance and what happens next, New Zealander Rose Matafeo breathed new life into the sitcom. But, as the series returns for a third run, she’s now wondering whether it’s done more harm than good. Michael Segalov interviews the comedian for a profile published in The Guardian.

“Now I’ve got so many conflicting feelings about love, relationships and romantic ideals,” Matafeo, 31, says. “As I’m getting older I’m asking: why did I feel through my 20s that finding romantic love and settling down was such a motivation in life? Maybe I don’t want to be adding to that pressure and expectation of romantic love being the be all and end all,” she adds. “Maybe I want to encourage younger women like myself to aspire to other things.”

For the second half of this month’s Edinburgh fringe, Matafeo will perform a work-in-progress hour of comedy. The run sold out almost immediately with no promo, despite an 11.20am start.

Original article by Michael Segalov, The Guardian, August 12, 2023.

Photo by Simon Webb.