Category: Reviews

Hannah Gadsby : The Exhibitionist

By Alanta Colley

Barry Award nominee and author of the successful ABC art doco ‘Hannah Gadsby’s Oz’, Hannah Gadsby is back this Comedy Festival with a fresh batch of self-deprecation and tragi-comedy.

In this year’s show Hannah turns her trained art historian’s eye to the hilariously terrible world of the selfie. The theme is simple and effective. Hannah guides us through some of the internet’s most egregious examples of selfies which communicate much more than the composer intended. We learn of the failed cleavage shot; the tense selfie, the pet selfie and the selfie with unfortunate background composition. In a media-soaked world the demonstration of poorly executed self promotion through selfies is truly hilarious. Hannah then takes us on an adventure through the selfies of the ages (painted portraits, both of others and self-portraits) and we start to examine the symbolism of composition. So much has changed with the advent of the Iphone, and yet, in many ways, so little.

Hannah, of course, turns the critical eye on her own selfies, and even more unfortunately the portraits seized by others of Hannah while out and about, capturing many of Hannah’s less flattering sides. We take a tour of Gadsby’s awkward, traumatic and unglamorous childhood and adolescence through the through the artless photography conducted by her folks. Catharsis is achieved as Gadsby airs the skeletons of her youth.

Gadsby is a master of self-deprecation and holding up to the light those parts of her life that the rest of us would do our best to bury. In this show Hannah combines the style of her annual Art Lecture series through examination and analysis of the image, with her more direct stand-up, which usually focuses on exploration of herself. It’s a pleasing fusion.

The mistress of the anti-climax and over-lord of understatement; the furiously clever Hannah Gadsby is always a pleasure to spend an hour with. You’ll not be disappointed with this visual journey to the self.

The Exhibitionist is on at Melb Town Hall – Supper Room until April 20
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2014/season/shows/the-exhibitionist-hannah-gadsby

Damian Callinan & Tim Overton : Out Of Print Book Club

By Caitlin Crowley

Out of Print Book Club is billed as a mix between First Tuesday Book Club and Whose Line is it Anyway? What a fantastic premise for a comedy festival show – an improvisational hour of comedy about non-existent books.

Comedian Damian Callinan and actor Tim Overton, host the evening in the beautiful Council Chambers at Melbourne Town Hall. There is a rotating list of guest artists and on the evening we attended they were writer Emilie Collyer, comedian Gordon Southern and veteran of the improv scene Lliam Amor. Our hosts direct proceedings leading their guests in a series of book discussions and dissections. With different artists each evening the performance will vary depending on the chemistry on stage and the material they have to work with. Some of the set-ups were a bit too obtuse for the cast to play with but Collyer in particular was an utter delight.

The whole experience became more fun when audience members were encouraged to participate. My favourite line for the evening came from an audience member who responded to the question of unpublished Little Miss titles with the suggestion of Little Miss Ogyny.

Overton plays the show’s theme on keyboard and moves proceedings along nicely but there’s something of a missed opportunity about the whole show. Surely with the theme, the setting and Callinan’s gift for character comedy there is room to play up the concept of discoveries of rare and antiquated books. And Overton’s acting and musical chops could be better utilised – a Whose Line is it Anyway style hoedown given a bookish twist would be great.

This is a good show with the potential to be a best seller. Perhaps a quick edit of the Out of Print Book Club will lift it to a position on the top shelf.

Out Of Print Book Club is on at Melb Town Hall – Council Chambers until April 20
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2014/season/shows/out-of-print-book-club-damian-callinan-tim-overton

World Record Show

By Noel Kelso

If you were one of those kids who always looked forward to getting the newest Guinness Book of World Records, ignoring the feats of strength or athleticism and just poring over the records for most boiled eggs fit in the mouth or most drawings of a cock and balls drawn on one forehead, then this really is the show for you.

Full of silly, stupid and downright ridiculous stunts World Record Show at the Melbourne Town Hall is an hour of awesome hilarity and shambolic daring from start to finish.

Hosts Andy Matthews, Adam Knox and Dave Warneke guide the thronging audience through a series of mad, bad and dangerous to know challenges which rope in some of their fellow comedians from other show.

First off the rank are Adam and Dave whose bitter rivalry is legend and are challenged to find the Most Adorable Baby Photo of themselves. Adam cheats and is disqualified.

The next challenge involves the evening’s first guests – Jared Jekyll and Cameron James – who disappear backstage to see who can place the most temporary tattoos on their body. They will return later.

The second guest is Jon Conway whose challenge – Most People Broken-up With In One Minute – involves members of the audience throwing tiny glasses of water in his face as he tells each one separately that he no longer loves them.

There are five more ludicrous challenges – including a race to the door wearing packets of two-minute noodles as shoes – before the next guest, Rose Callaghan, is brought on to attempt to create the World’s Best Hand Shield From Cheese Slices In One Minute. Adam Knox wins this round, but precisely what a hand shield is and why it needs to be made from cheese slices is still a mystery.

Incidentally – cheese slices make excellent Frisbee alternatives.

This is a silly, hilarious show with originality and brimming with ideas performed by three fabulous comedians and their mates. If you fancy some comedy which will most definitely not tax the mind and is utterly hilarious, then this is the show for you.

World Record Show is on at Melb Town Hall – Backstage Room until April 14
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2014/season/shows/world-record-show-adam-knox-andy-matthews-dave-warneke

Milton Jones

By Colin Flaherty

Milton Jones has made a name for himself as king of one liners. In his first trip to Melbourne he lived up to that claim and so much more.

The breadth and quantity of his material was so substantial that if one joke didn’t tickle your fancy, another that would was not far behind. He gave us lots of literal wordplay, plenty of puns and some clever ideas that took a moment to sink in. Some of his lines had been modified to include Australian references and address some local current affairs but he did tend harp on about Australian/New Zealand rivalry a bit too much, but was able to direct it at some vocal Kiwis in the audience.

The constant barrage of one liners and short jokes was quite exhausting for both performer and audience. Jones combated the fatigue by his careful pacing, a dash of silly physical humour and some visual aids/props all while keeping the hilarious lines coming in tandem. We had some “travel slides” with brilliant commentary and some amusing pictures on an overhead projector incorporating the technology into the jokes. The repetition of similarly structured jokes in long runs were also liable for fatigue but led to substantial pay-offs later on.

Some potentially awkward banter with the punters started well until some audience members suddenly got all shy and incoherent when he addressed them as individuals. When he did get any feedback he always had a quick clever comeback, clearly a result of his many years on the UK circuit. The questioning was a little repetitive, which on the surface looked like it wasn’t going anywhere, until he was able to weave snippets from these encounters into clever and witty lines later in the show.

Employing almost every comedic trick in the book, Jones showed us why he is a master of his craft.

Milton Jones is on at Melb Town Hall – Supper Room until April 20
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2014/season/shows/milton-jones

Anne Edmonds : It’s Eddo!

By Alanta Colley

Eddo steps away from character sketch in this year’s show ‘It’s Eddo!’ and into stand up about herself, her life, and the weird and whacky world around her. Yet Eddo still explores through her stories some aspects of Australian archetypes; and like her previous work there is more than a song or two.

Not minutes into the performance Eddo had the audience chanting ‘Failure’; which in no way dented her jubilant personality or the mood of the audience. Failure, death and being alone were themes dealt with throughout the performance, and yet the mood of the audience never once erred from sheer joy.

Eddo plays effortlessly with tension and release; with themes of humiliation and redemption. Her tales of her family, relationships, and life more broadly take us to places of cringe and relatability but then carries us safely to a place where we can howl with laughter and avoid expensive counselling bills after the show.

Eddo’s songs are awful. In a great way. Eddo’s first song is called ‘The Longest and Worst Song of All Time’. But that steals due credence to the other songs in the set. I’ve never witnessed an ambush encore before. Those things should come with warnings. Eddo’s musical abilities are terrifyingly joyful and joyfully terrifying.

It is rare to see a comedian this relaxed and in control on stage. It was a real treat. Eddo disarms her audiences instantly and we feel none of the ‘could this go wrong?’ tension you might get in other shows. Eddo is a true professional – this is a good show for the risk averse comedy goer. This is a deeply enjoyable experience. You’ll leave this show surprised, delighted, and a little bit disturbed. You couldn’t ask for much more from a night out at the Comedy Festival. Eddo is a furious force for good and a ripping delight to spend an hour with.

It’s Eddo! is on at Melb Town Hall – Portico Room until April 20
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2014/season/shows/it-s-eddo-anne-edmonds

Lisa-Skye’s Lovely Tea Party

By Alanta Colley

Lisa Skye presents a multitude of contrasts. Fierce yet friendly. Loud yet lovely. Dangerous yet disarming. Crude yet charming. Equipped with a dry wit and a serious expression yet constantly armed with pockets full of sparkles.

In this show Lisa invites you to tea along with several guests from the Comedy Festival. The format includes in part Lisa Skye’s life reflections from her life less ordinary. Lisa Skye’s guests share short performances with us, then Lisa Skye chats with guests and asks them quiz questions from a range themes from a board of erratic to whimsical themes.

On this particular night Lisa’s guests included the exceptional story teller Jon Bennett, whose MICF show is Story Whore. Bennet shared a dark and gripping tale from his life growing up on a farm in South Australia with his method Minister father. We also were graced with the performance of Isabel Angus and Rachel Davis, the comedy duo in Edge; an opportunity to look into the mind of a precocious 11 year old.

Discussions were casual and inviting, and a nice opportunity to get to know these performers outside of their scripted material. Occasionally discussion veered a little into alienating the audience when it focussed a little heavily on talking about comedians and their experiences; though was understandable given the commonality of those onstage.

Skye challenges her audiences’ delicate sensibilities chatting frankly about a litany of sexual encounters, which vary from your typical fare of monogamous relations. She’s unapologetic about it and it’s great that there’s a space in the Comedy Festival for weirder and wackier shows. Skye has a very specific style, something akin to Muppet meets Madame, which, frankly, is fascinating. If that’s not your cup of tea than this is not the tea party for you. A fine night of entertainment, worthy of more than one visit for the revolving and evolving material.

Lisa-Skye’s Lovely Tea Party is on at The Tuxedo Cat until April 20
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2014/season/shows/lovely-tea-party-lisa-skye-s