Kate and Steve Are Friends.

By Hannah Frazer 

When you go see a comedy show, your hope is to leave with a smile on your face, to be able to re-enter the real world with a new found excitement and a nice cheap hit of endorphins. Kate and Steve are friends will most certainly do all these things to you. The easiest most direct way of describing this show would have to be a stage full of carefully structured randomness. Kate Wilkinson (the girl one) and Steve Varley (the boy one), previously of comedy troupe Aardvarks Anonymous, take you on a journey of the ups the downs, the trials and tribulations of any good friendship.

From the beginning there is a contagious excitement and energy that comes from these two well-seasoned jokesters. An unemployed Varley wanting to find a new lease on life and Wilkinson desperate for the cash so she can get to Disneyland and meet her idol, her hero, her obsession, Buzz Light-year. They work together, coming up with ways to make this happen – queue the fun.

Not only a well scripted show, Wilkinson and Varley also allow themselves room to play and to get creative with some musical improvisation. Simply given a couple of random words, they let their minds go wondering, and the final destination is hilarity.  Their plans, though not always fool proof, are still met with determination and a contagious enthusiasm.  But when their friendship is tested, will they be able to forgive, move on and get the band back together? Or is this the end of Kate and Steve as friends?

With a long time off stage friendship evident, these platonic life mates bounce of each other really well. Both energetic and full of life, they use this show as a chance to embrace their inner child and in turn you can’t help but want to jump up there with them, and become the third member of this amusing and vibrant duo.

With only a couple of days left of the Fringe, make sure you get down and enjoy the playtime that is Kate and Steve are Friends.

Kate and Steve are Friends is on at Word Warehouse, 14 Goldie Place Melbourne at 7.30 until Oct 5

www.melbournefringe.com.au

 

Delusions of Slander by Cobi Smith

By Colin Flaherty

Cobi Smith (Science Communicator and part time comedian) seems to think that the Adelaide Advertiser has it in for her. Growing up in the City of Churches, she has appeared many times in the paper and noticed some misrepresentation as part of the various projects she has been involved with. In Delusions of Slander, Smith presented us with evidence of this and asked us to decide whether she has a right to feel paranoid.

Smith showed a photo from the article in question and invited the audience to guess what the story was. The full article was then revealed and we were given some background and her beef/s with the content. These shortcomings included potential wardrobe malfunction, tokenism, misquotes and exclusion of important details. As a former Science Journalist, Smith admitted she knew the extent of the circumstances that were beyond her control and this made it less of a conspiracy plot than the advertising would suggest.

Humour came from the content of the presented articles more than her scripted lines. Banter with the audience regularly led to some amusing exchanges and we often laughed at how far off our guesses were. When put in the correct context, the text of the articles and accompanying photos had some bizarre WTF moments which were highlighted by Smith. Her twisted version of the Bechdel/Wallace test and the comparison of a photo to sci-fi characters were highlights but beyond that it wasn’t exactly wall to wall laughs.

An exuberant performer, Smith tended to rush her delivery, was easily distracted and prone to many asides, especially during her frequent exchanges with the audience. This show involved a lot of audience interaction and this was where she seemed most at ease. During the show she collected data with plans to implement a ‘Family Feud’ style game show in her weekend performances which sounds like a great addition to the show (I wish I’d seen this version than be one of her guinea pigs).

This was a pleasant hour in the company of a personable performer but it was more like a discussion about the portrayal of women in the media than a tightly written comedy show. A thought provoking and entertaining experience nonetheless.

Delusions of Slander is on at the Tuxedo Cat at 6pm until October 5

http://www.melbournefringe.com.au/fringe-festival/show/delusions-of-slander/

A Hard Day’s Night of Beatles Parodies

By Colin Flaherty

After being discovered by Adam Hills on In Gordon Street Tonight, Stew Walker took the plunge into Fringe with an hour of Beatle based musical humour. The parodies were in a similar vein to those by Greg Champion, songs mostly about local identities, current events and whatever else took his fancy. They were also delivered in a similar manner, he didn’t have the angelic voice of a young John, Paul or George but he could certainly hold a tune, with acoustic guitar accompaniment, although he had some pre-recorded backing vocals to flesh things out. The Beatles songs he used were cleverly matched thematically to the subject he was lampooning which was a nice touch.

The initial songs in Walker’s set used blunt strokes in attacking his targets (including Franco Cozzo, Geoffrey Edelsten and Melbourne Weather) which often resulted in a song containing variations of the same joke. Each song was limited to two verses and two choruses which occasionally still felt a little drawn out but gave us a chance to sing along if the mood took us. As the set progressed I noticed some songs that proved that he could write better parodies if the subject allowed. Songs such as ‘Michelle’ (Bridges) and his Harold Holt medley revealed plenty of humorous ideas. An original tune ‘Dad Jokes’, dedicated to his late father, went down a storm demonstrating his talent outside of the Beatles framework.

Walker’s between song banter was a bit stiff and his timing in delivering funny lines was a little off but this was just down to inexperience. There were a few amusing self-deprecating comments about his real life, some groaning puns and a spot of Beatles trivia which kept the crowd giggling and enthralled. He tended to give away the jokes when introducing each song which robbed most of the lyrics of any surprises. This was especially problematic when the parody relied on a single joke. Explaining exactly what he was going to sing about may be fine for straight songs but good comedy songs require minimal preamble.

In spite of some rookie errors this was a fun Fringe debut. You really can’t go wrong with the music of Lennon and McCartney, and having fun with the lyrics is a winning formula for good times.

A Hard Day’s Night of Beatles Parodies is on at The Last Jar at 8:30pm until October 5

http://www.melbournefringe.com.au/fringe-festival/show/a-hard-days-night-of-beatles-parodies/

Gary Portenza: Apologies in Advance

By Elyce Phillips 

I have some distressing news, friends. Dr Professor Neal Portenza has passed away, and now his evil twin brother Gary Portenza (Joshua Ladgrove) must conduct his funeral. It is a fitting service, as anxiety-inducing and refreshingly baffling as Portenza shows of the past. But where Neal’s chaos was an oddly joyful affair, Gary’s mania is darker and more unsettling.

From the very outset, this show radiates instability. At the door we are warned by tech Nathan that this is the first time the show has been put together and that it might be a bit rough. Once inside, after some opening stumbles, Gary leads us through the program – from the traditional blessing, to a celebration of Neal’s favourite football team, to a reading from a selection of Neal’s questionable spec scripts of popular sitcoms. Sound and lighting cues fail. Readings are misread. Props fall apart. Nothing quite goes to plan, but perhaps that is the plan. All through the show one question plagues you – is Gary truly not ready for the big leagues of hosting an hour-long funeral, or is it all a work of demented genius?

It’s impossible to know exactly how much of the haphazardry was part of the act. In some moments, such as a very funny prayer involving some flamboyant incense, Portenza made no attempt to disguise his appetite for self-sabotage. At others, however, you were left wondering whether things truly were being rushed along due to time constraints, or falling apart in unexpected ways. Either way, ‘Apologies in Advance’ was a weird and entertaining hour. For every moment you’re not laughing, you’re experiencing anticipation, anxiety, confusion, something. Anything but boredom. Gary Portenza doesn’t let you get complacent.

This isn’t a show for the feint-hearted. This isn’t comfortable comedy. As the synopsis in the guide says, you have been warned.

Gary Portenza: Apologies in Advance is on at The Jackal – Tuxedo Cat until October 5

http://www.melbournefringe.com.au/fringe-festival/show/gary-portenza-apologies-in-advance/

Day of the Dead – Cath Styles

By Hannah Frazer  

Mortality and the use of the big ‘D Word’ (death, for those of you playing at home) is a tricky topic to get right in comedy. Cath Styles gives her take on mortality with the telling of her own personal stories of the deaths of 3 of those closest to her. Particularly how it broke her, and how tacos, coronas and a little bit of face paint brought her back to life. Day of the Dead is a touching ode to those Styles has lost and a reminder to everyone else that life is short. This intimate show manages to dissect the humour out of a difficult subject.

While a little disappointingly rusty at times on her material, brushing the cobwebs off her notebook, Styles was honest and raw with her story telling. Establishing her love of the Spanish language early in the piece; and as the show progresses, you come to understand its significance to Styles and her grieving process.

Styles admits to always having an immense fear of death from a young age, even though she never dealt with its harsh reality until later in life. But as the old saying goes ‘When it rains, it pours’, with not one but three sucker punches from death all at once. Cancer taking the lives of her mother and best friend, while also losing the beloved family cat named ‘Cat’ (she hadn’t planned on keeping it for long). Styles reminisces on the fond memories of those strong and hilarious women, taken too soon by one of life’s most punishing diseases, as well as how the purr of a kitten can melt a heart. The realness of her circumstances giving her a big slap in the face, when not only did her doctor put a very small timeframe on her mother but also realising that not even her many variations of delicious and creamy homemade cheesecakes could keep her around.

It is safe to say that these loses where not an easy thing to come back from. Styles unhappiness with the way that death is dealt with in her own back yard, together with her sister decided to take control of their own destinies. They both Left stable jobs and incomes to pursue a life in the arts, but not before adding a 6th stage to their grieving process, nicely slotting MEXICO in just before ‘acceptance’. Sharing a trip to the ‘Day of the Dead’ festival together helped to put things into perspective for Styles. Their new found understanding of the Mexican culture helped them establish a new relationship with death and come out the other side, ready for a new beginning.

While no one-way of dealing with death is the same, Styles stands by the belief that life is short and if you are not happy, make a change. It is just a shame that it has to be a kick in the guts from the skeleton in the hood to remind you.

Day of the Dead by Cath Styles is on til Oct 5

http://www.melbournefringe.com.au/fringe-festival/show/day-of-the-dead/

Tea With Dystopia

By Colin Flaherty

When you put comedians Marek Platek and Firdi Billimoria together you get one weird sketch show. From a bizarre instructional tape about interacting with others to a vacuum powered IQ adjustment device to the sound guy gingerly bringing out pictures to share with the audience, this was an hour that threw many strange ideas at the wall and hoped that they would stick. A lot of it was weirdness for weirdness sake but they managed to keep the audience in hysterics throughout.

It was quite a wild ride with sketches that went all over the place and kept the audience on their toes. These sketches were generally a bit too long but by packing in as much variety as possible they ensured that interest rarely waned. They often veered into completely unrelated territory within a sketch. We assumed that they had segued into the next one by stealth but, through some twisted logic, they would connect back to the original idea and tie things up; sometimes neatly. Some scenes went to brilliant inspired places but others just petered out and had everyone scratching their heads over what they just witnessed. Regular deconstruction of the show and call backs displayed a clever side to the silliness and faux spats gave the impression that everything could fall apart at any minute.

The thing that kept it all glued together was Platek and Billimoria’s talent in selling the material. Billimoria was great in being comically shouty and playing things straight while Platek did something wacky in the background. Platek pleased the crowd with his exaggerated facial expressions and was always up for stripping off his gear to look silly. The guys bounced effortlessly off one another and maintained impressive control over this anarchic setting even amidst an audience revolt. There was plenty of comedic tension to spice things up with some colourful insulting phrases and lots of slapstick, between each other as well as some innocent bystanders.

Those expecting clear narrative structure may find themselves getting a little lost but those in the mood for the strange and bizarre will have a fine time.

Tea With Dystopia is on at The Portland Hotel at 10:15pm until September 30

http://www.melbournefringe.com.au/fringe-festival/show/tea-with-dystopia/