Uncategorized – Page 2 – Squirrel Comedy

Mark McConnell : Washed Up

By Colin Flaherty

With its dual meaning Washed Up is a stylized autobiographical show about his experiences in Australia as an immigrant from Ireland. This series of fish out of water stories doesn’t offer any life changing revelations or character development, just lots of silly observations about being in a foreign land.

An introductory video of Mark McConnell wandering around St Kilda in a state of disillusionment creates the tone for the show and sets up some material for call backs. It contains only a few visual jokes (one requiring a google search for background to that particular locale) and does tend to drag.

Once he hits the stage, Mark lightens the mood with his charming persona and launches into the first of many hilarious stories. Tales such as those detailing living in a share house, random sexual encounters and his adventures out on the town delight the crowd. He even throws in some material about local issues which are given a naïve outsiders view to great effect.

While on the surface the topics he covers come dangerously close to being hack subjects, he does a brilliant job at weaving the jokes into tall tales of epic proportions. The ridiculous situations and the directions these stories take is a joy to behold. Mix in some self-deprecation to paint him as a bit of a lovable loser and you’re in for laughs a plenty. McConnell is a wonderful storyteller and his thick accent certainly helps sweeten the deal as he sells his wacky ideas with gusto.

His bragging about the taking the scenic route for some base humour is a bit too cocky for his stage persona. When a joke fell flat he came within an inch of blaming the audience for not picking up on an old Melbourne reference. While it was an interesting example of an immigrant done good, I assumed that it had been in the cultural zeitgeist well before Mark landed on our shores.

Those looking for an hour of enjoyable and amusing storytelling will find plenty to love here. He spins a good yarn, holds everyone attention and most importantly keeps them laughing.

Washed Up is on at Glamp Bar until April 9

http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2016/season/shows/washed-up-mark-mcconnell

Brianna Williams : Little Mountain Goblin

By Colin Flaherty

The Goblins Brianna Williams refers to are those of the psyche and form the basis of this interactive, autobiographical, one woman sketch show. We encounter all manner of unhinged characters as we explore the social minefield that is the modern world and all the anxieties that go along with it.

This show involves audience interaction for almost all of the sketches; a clever device for making this performance something more than a series of monologues. Don’t expect this to be a fully improvised show where she uses all the skills acquired whilst working with the Big HOO-HAA.

On this particular night Williams was working with a rather timid crowd so it was nice to see her put the volunteers put at ease; never pushing beyond their comfort zones with the jokes firmly at her characters’ expense.

With a script that she needs to follow, the questions are often loaded to get to where she needs to be. If an assistant wanders off script she gently nudges them in the right direction, laughs off their comment using the bitchiness of the character or simply cuts them off. Another method of getting out of a scene involves presenting a challenge few can hope to pull of successfully so both parties save face when fails. God help her if she encounters a rowdy mob, each wanting to be the centre of attention!

In some of the scenes audience input is vital to the narrative, particularly in one scenario where the punters seem to do all of the work. Williams’ ability to provide a witty quip to a response is brilliant when she chooses to do so and repeatedly calling on the same “volunteers” allows her to involve them in overarching storylines with wonderful results.

There are times when the scenes tend to outstay their welcome, even when there is a decent payoff at the end. Sometimes this is a heavy handed method of getting the joke across but the repetition often demonstrates the nagging doubts of the character. It may be consistent with the theme but Williams does so at the expense of laughs, resulting in nervous titters rather than the bigger response she was aiming for.

Mining both high and low culture for humour there is plenty to tickle your fancy. This is a fun hour presented by a charming and witty performer.

Little Mountain Goblin is on at Belleville until April 2

http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2016/season/shows/little-mountain-goblin-brianna-williams

5 Good Reasons to see Simon & Perri Go Large

1: It has been hyped as one of the greatest stage performances in history, by Simon and Perri themselves, and based on nothing at all.

2: They were specifically told they weren’t allowed to have fire. So you’re definitely not going to see fire. Wink wink. No but seriously, they signed a contract.

3: Simon has the hair of a Greek god, whilst Perri has the beard of a Greek woman. Both are very impressive.

4: They’ve spared no expense; they are providing all of the chairs! Well, the venue is, but they paid the venue. Actually they’re still paying the venue, it’s an installment thing… anyway, you don’t need to know this, it’s not important. There are seats okay? Who doesn’t love a good sit?

5: It features two very promising comedians, of two very different styles, splitting the show right down the middle. There’s something for everyone. Unless you’re a pyromaniac, sorry, they signed a contract.

Simon Cumming and Perri Cassie perform Simon & Perri Go Large at The Downstairs Lounge @ The Grand Mercure Hotel from Apr 5

For more information check out the MICF website:

http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2016/season/shows/simon-perri-go-large-simon-cumming-perri-cassie

Five good reasons to see The Consumption in The People vs. Carmen Sandiego

1. It’s a fun mix of live and video sketches. They’re returning to the stage and this time they’re bringing film! It’s like a night at the theatre and a trip to the movies all at once. What more do you want?

2. We can pretty much guarantee you won’t be stung by bees during the show. * Who else can promise that?

3. They’re masters of puns. As the hosts and contestants of the PunWatch podcast, these guys cannot be out-punned. No other sketch group can make you groan and roll your eyes with such dad-like efficiency.

4. They’re a handsome bunch. Whether you like tall pasty white guys with long hair or tall pasty white guys with short hair, those Consumption lads have some eye-candy for everyone. Come for the jokes, stay for the sweet, sweet booty.

5. You’ll get to see an adorable puppy. He’s so freakin’ cute that he’ll make your dog look like a pile of cold snot! Sure he’s a real diva to work with and refuses to learn his lines, but what do you care? Puppy! So cute!!

*Guarantee not legally binding. Thursday night is “Live Bee Night”; things tend to get a bit wild.

The Consumption are performing The People vs Carmen Sandiego at The Downstairs Lounge @ The Grand Mercure Hotel from April 5 – 17.
To book Visit the Comedy Festival Website

http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2016/season/shows/the-people-vs-carmen-sandiego-the-consumption

Kilian David – Kililiananan Davavidid

By Elyce Phillips

Sydney comic Kilian David has brought his first solo show down to Melbourne Fringe this year. Kililiananan Davavidid is a likeable collection of sketch and stand-up, showcasing David’s talent for creating characters and impersonating David Bowie. The material is hit-and-miss, but there are some moments of fantastic comedy that shine through

That Kililiananan Davavidid is David’s first solo show is fairly apparent. The more successful elements of the show are sketches, often involving David playing several characters interacting with one another. The stand-up sections of the show, however, needed work. David is a likeable storyteller, but the stand-up pieces felt unstructured – like a tipsy mate telling you a rambling story down at the pub. David occasionally struggled to find the right words, and his stories often fell flat at the end, not arriving at any sort of strong punchline. The stand-up wasn’t delivered with the same confidence as the sketches, and so the show lost its momentum during these parts.

There were definitely some promising moments in Kililiananan Davavidid, though. An audaciously simple bit involving David clicking his fingers to music was absolutely hilarious, as were a series of mime performances set to the score of The Never Ending Story. The sketches were all strong and performed in an assured manner. David showed a real ability for establishing characters through voice and expression, and that brought these parts of the show to a higher level.

Kililiananan Davavidid is a mixed bag of a show, but tucked in amongst the shakier moments are some real comedic gems. David definitely has the skills to create a hilarious solo show. His material just needs some more refining to take it from affably amusing to something truly great.

Kililiananan Davavidid is on at the Highlander Bar until October 3

https://www.melbournefringe.com.au/program/event/view/ad26e061-a3a6-488a-9a49-e7e9bfad7ac6

2 Girls, One Cup of Comedy – Sam & Helen

By Ron Bingham

This is a selection of shows from the fringe presented by Sam and Helen, whose show I had seen (in the same room) a couple of hours earlier. Our friendly hosts start the show by getting to know the audience with a little gentle banter, then they get down to business and introduce the first act of the evening.

Aideen McQueen gave me the line of the evening by describing the room as the inside of an obese gay man’s coffin which was surprisingly apt. Aideen was very funny with her tale of picking up a younger man through a simple vocal misunderstanding. She doesn’t appear to have a show at the Fringe (her name didn’t appear on the fringe search and I don’t seem to have a flyer for her).

After Aideen, we had the token male Sean something (he gave me a flyer after the show, but it turned out to be for someone else’s show. That’s not helping!). He told a few tales about being mistaken for Phil Jupitus (in bad light) and being heckled in the streets of Edinburgh by an emo (do emo’s still exist?) but he lost my respect when he started picking on Australians. His gauche attacks on the noble Australians were rebuffed expertly by the next act (with a little half time aerobics from out hosts between), Yve Blake.

Yve is a delightful Australian who’s website requests people to share their deepest secrets with her, which she then turns into songs. Yve only had the time to perform one song, about a young lady who was determined to lose her virginity for the bragging rights, and it was a corker. Another show to add to the ever-growing list of shows I’d like to see.

Following Yve was the final guest from the overflowing comedy cup, Amy Howerska, a Polish-Welsh Jewish redhead who brought the evening to a smashing end with some funny routines about her family and other mad people. I’m seeing her show today.

To summarise, this is a lovely fun hour of entertainment hosted by a friendly and engaging duo, featuring a ever-changing cast of guest artists from round the Fringe showcasing the best of their shows/material. The room was sold out on Wendesday so booking would be an excellent idea for those looking for a funny, comedian-packed end to the evening.

It’s in the Just The Tonic’s Wee Room.

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/2-girls-1-cup-of-comedy