Michael Williams’ Mild Spectacular (in 3D)

By Colin Flaherty

Michael Williams (aka That Guy With The Easel) based his latest show around the loose theme of “mild spectacular” and, much like Michael’s previous work, it revelled in the wackiness associated with the mundane. Add lots of inventive, hand crafted visual aides and you essentially have what Michael is all about; a guy appearing as if he’s making it all up as he goes along, but the hours of work put into it are clearly on display.

There was a faux laziness running through this performance which was contrasted by brief moments of single-minded dedication to a single task. These extremes were the source of the majority of the humour with some self deprecation thrown in for good measure. Plenty of half-arsed pop culture references made the audience feel more knowledgeable than our hero so that we could laugh at his “ineptness”.

Having only seen Michael perform short stand up spots, I was impressed with the inclusion of video work alongside the cards on the easel. Displaying a similar art style to his drawn pieces, we saw animations, drawings, still photos and filmed segments. The screen was also used for the promised 3D content that ran from the gimmicky to the pointless to the impressive.

There were also some audio components which Michael could interactive with as well as a show stopper of a song. This big production number of promised “stupidest thing you will see at the festival” was set up earlier in the show but still came as a surprise when revealed.

This was a rather ramshackle operation with Michael acting as his own tech. It tended to hamper the flow of the performance and leave him on stage in the dark as he provided commentary to the video segments. Was this an attempt at emphasising a reclusive persona by hiding in the shadows, or simply a case of not knowing how to control the lighting? Some may see this as adding to the “low tech” aesthetics of the material while others will view it as poor production values.

If you are able to set your expectations at a reasonably low level and allow yourself to be swept away with Michael’s lo-fi aesthetics you will have a fun time. There is plenty of silliness and absurdity to bring plenty of laughs and smiles.

Michael Williams’ Mild Spectacular (in 3D) is on at Softbelly

http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2012/season/shows/mild-spectacular-in-3d-michael-williams/

Bedroom Philosopher’s, The High School Assembly

By Jayden Edwards

Pull up your socks, straighten that tie and prepare to sit up straight and speak only when spoken to, The Bedroom Philosopher (aka Justin Heazlewood) is taking us back to high school.

Off the back of some big airtime on triple j with his anti-hipster anthem “So Hungover”, a bundle of live touring, comedy festival shows and CD hits, Beddy Phil returns to the festival with his new show “High School Assembly”.

Upon walking into the Forum theatre, the audience is greeted by the musical stylings of school band “Sex on Toast”. The band are kitted out in the Croxton High School uniform and are, well, really bad. Yep, the high school band to the tee. This perfectly cringeworthy cover band sets the tone for the nights performance.

The familiar stiff high school principal leads proceedings from his lectern, introducing the barrage of high school stereotypes. The drama kids, the class clown, participation certificates and Rock Estedford performances all feature. The performances are spot on, so spot on it will have you flashing-back to your own school experience so fast, your mortarboard will spin.

Fan’s expecting to see The Bedroom Philosopher’s own musical comedy will be disappointed, as this is well and truly a ensemble cast play. Beddy Phil does appear as a “special guest of the school” to perform an educational (and unfortunately, not very funny) song but for most of the night, assumes the role of a hand-full of characters, accompanied by his sizeable cast.

There’s a heap of variety in the show, and there are some gems in there, like an perfectly awkward love ode and hilariously inappropriate Rock Estedford entry, but a lot of the acts fell well and truly flat.

The show achieves the feel of a high school assembly remarkably, but that’s just the problem. High School Assembly’s were not fun or entertaining. That’s not to say the show isn’t entertaining, but it could be so much better that it was.

The underlining problem with this show is that it doesn’t go far enough with it’s characters, less subtlety and more depth could have gone a long way.

An A for effort, but needs to apply himself more.

Bedroom Philosopher’s, The High School Assembly plays at the Forum Theatre.
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2012/season/shows/high-school-assembly-bedroom-philosopher-s-the/

Dr Brown – Befrdfgth

By Cathy Culliver

You may have heard of Dr Brown. You may have even had one or two friends recommend his show to you. But nothing will prepare you for actually witnessing this madcap genius in person for the first time.

Without wanting to give too much away and spoil the delightful spontaneity of Brown’s show, be prepared for physical contact and keep your personal items close to you. Apart from that, just sit back and enjoy the bizarre, hilarious ride.

Brown’s show Befrdfgth is as entertaining as it is unpronounceable, which is probably apt as Brown doesn’t utter a single word during the entire performance. For 60 minutes, Brown silently and unapologetically drags the audience, willing or not, through his warped, brilliant mind and the result is utterly hysterical.

Silliness abounds from the second Brown enters the stage, an act which in itself makes for one of the most memorable of the show. Who else could make the simple task of just coming onto a stage so drawn out and so damn funny? Who else would even have the thought to do so?

Again, to explain the show in too much detail would spoil the fun, but many parts are just too weird to even attempt to explain anyway. What is so brilliant about Brown is that no matter how strange things get, he takes away any desire to ask why. The audience becomes so engrossed in his strange little world of nonsense that soon enough they feel like they’ve become honorary citizens, desperate to stick around for as long as this crazy, hairy man will let them.

Brown brings his latest show to Melbourne following sold out seasons across the globe, and seeing him in action it’s easy to see why this silent master of mime has developed such a cult following. As surreal as The Mighty Boosh and as loveable as Frank Woodley, Dr Brown is certain to stick around for a long time. He’s clever, brave and utterly original.

This show is an absolute must-see during the festival, but just don’t forget about the physical contact. Don’t say you haven’t been warned.

Dr Brown – Befrdfgth is showing at Tuxedo Cat.

http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2012/season/shows/befrdfgth-dr-brown/

Felicity Ward – The Hedgehog Dilemma

By Lisa Clark

Hearing the strains of Billy Bragg’s melancholy A New England there was a sense that this was going to be something a bit different from Felicity. Listening to the song now I realise how poignant, (especially the Kirsty MacColl version of it) is to Felicity’s show. In contrast to the soulful song though, Felicity bounds out in a gorgeous if appropriately crushed white dress and after some friendly banter with the audience and a cute slide show, tells us cheerfully what we’ve already guessed ‘This is the dress I should have got married in’.

Felicity explains the hedgehog dilemma meaning up front, it’s basically about a fear of intimacy, but this show is about so much more. This is about Felicity’s journey to the stage via heartbreak, loneliness, psychoanalysis and surviving alcoholism. Her ability to keep the audience in stitches throughout all of this is a testament to her stunning talent.

Early on in the show she gets the audience in the right frame of mind for her dark comedy with her hilarious and brilliant alcoholic shenanigans song, where she outlines many of the embarrassing incidents that happened while she was drunk to a jaunty tune. The incidents are appalling, the tune is upbeat and the audience is in tears of laughter.

The wedding gown is quickly doffed, as she sheds an unhealthy relationship and an unhealthy addiction, she finds herself alone and starting over. Her vulnerability is palpable as she stands in her underthings describing the move back to her family and it’s the closest I’ve seen to a comedian breaking down on stage. She bravely fights back the tears, while the audience reaches for their tissues, and moves on.

The Hedgehog Dilemma is obviously the most personal of Felicity’s festival shows and her comedy acting skills that shone out of the recent Working Dog film ‘Any Questions for Ben’ are beaming here. This is evident in her ability to create skilfully drawn and hilarious characters such as her slightly disturbing therapist. She treads the fine line between comedy and pathos masterfully, like an agile highwire act, ironically contrasting with the awkward and clumsy image she has of herself.

Her warm down to earth personality keeps the story relatable and a pleasure to experience. Felicity gets better each time I see her and I recommend that you might like to take some tissues with you, for the sad tears and the comedy tears that flow in abundance.

Felicity Ward performs The Hedgehog Dilemma at the Vic Bar of the Victoria Hotel

http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2012/season/shows/the-hedgehog-dilemma-felicity-ward-in/

Die Roten Punkte – Eurosmash!

By Daniel Nicholls 
After six years of rocking, self-titled best band in the world Die Roten Punkte have now become an important fixture in the Melbourne comedy firmament- not just for the annual reprise of their show, but their frequent appearances at Festival Club and their often-epic ‘Haus Parties’. If you’ve not yet seen them live (and if you haven’t, you should), ‘The Red Dots’ are a comedy band comprised of German siblings Astrid and Otto Rot. Perhaps the most impressive thing about the act is that the songs, in addition to being very funny, are actually also very good musically (a frequent failing in other comedy bands)- you can rock out to them completely independently of the context. Musical highlights from their latest festival show Eurosmash!include the opening number ‘Do You Speak Dance?’, a Eurovision-esque vision of breakdancing aliens; and a ‘We Are the World’-like charity-parody that is so bang-on you can’t help but sing along.Almost as importantly, each song also adds a new layer of world-building onto the Die Roten Punkte mythos- there are little callbacks and references to songs and shows throughout the band’s career- you don’t need to get these to enjoy the show, but if you’ve been a long-time fan it really contributes to the sense that this band a has a real, coherent history. This commitment to the illusion is so strong that the characters can go almost anywhere- two hecklers were not just shut down, but actually incorporated into the show in a long running joke that paid big dividends.

The downside of this familiarity is that it is familiar- the characters are so well drawn by this time that you almost know what is going to happen- Astrid will sneak booze behind the drumkit, Otto will try to kiss Astrid- this happens in every DRP show and while it will be no less funny to newcomers, there may be diminishing returns for repeat viewer- while there are all new songs, conceptually there is nothing significantly new here that wasn’t here in previous years.

But the performers are so warm, so full of personality, that I found that personally this didn’t make any difference- I was just as happy and entertained as I was the very first time I saw them. You fall in love with the characters- you wish they were real. The real trick of the show is that, by the end of this highly entertaining show, you almost believe they are. Highly recommended.

Die Roten Punkte are performing Eurosmash! at The Famous Spiegeltent in front of The Arts Centre

Sam Simmons- About the Weather

By Jayden Edwards

Ok, if you been even the least bit interested in the Melbourne International Comedy Festival over the past 7 or 8 years, you know Sam Simmons is always touted as one of the highlights. With 5 star reviews, a Piece of Wood award and an Edinburgh Best Comedy Show nomination under his belt, there’s no questioning Sam is a powerful comedy force, with a killer moustache to boot.

Sam’s latest theatrical masterpiece About the Weather tells the tale of a man trying to find the courage to talk to his “bus crush”, a task made harder by his fear of small talk. Sam uses this simple premise to drag the audience into his own world of personal struggle, anger, self-loathing, those lucky Chinese waving cat things and impossible IKEA flat pack tables.

Sam’s world is also one in which he is always exploring and questioning his surroundings, like the hidden subtexts in small talk, the stupid information the human brain retains, and the eternal struggle for happiness and purpose.

Powered along by his narrator and audio swiss army knife of tricks and bad 90s music, the audience is bombarded with the experience that is Sam Simmons, full-pelt.

Sam delivers his broad comedy with such whimsy, surrealist energy and expert timing;  his commitment to his art is glorious. Some great prop use and clever lighting also adds depth.

More laughs are extracted from a supporting cast of willing and unwilling audience members, audience members such as myself, who were subjected to a game of “Spin-ception”, which I’m sure would have been hilarious if it wasn’t me! Ok, it was still hilarious and serves me right for sitting in the front row, I guess.

The show is incredibly technical and structured, and it’s a pleasure to watch it all unfold, knowing the amount of commitment and effort that must go into making such a show look so seamless. Sure, there’s a few little tech hiccups, but with so much going on, it’s a minor blip on the radar.

Yes, we can analyse the comedy of Sam Simmons all we want, but to just sit back and take it all in is one of the best experiences you’ll have at the festival. You’ll be back for more year after year.

Sam Simmons- About the Weather in on at Melbourne Town Hall.
For Tickets and more Info, go here http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2012/season/shows/about-the-weather-sam-simmons/