Lysistrata: the disco vaudeville rock and roll musical

By Ron Bingham

OK, we all know the story of Lysistrata, don’t we? Come on. The famous Greek comedy by Aristophanes? No? Oh, the education system today, when I was young etc etc.

Here is a quick precis of the tale. Lysistrata is a noblewoman of Athens at a time when the Athenians and Spartans had been fighting a war for a decade. She is fed up with the menfolk all going off to fight and only coming home on leave for conjugal visits so she comes up with a novel plan to stop the war. Banding all the wives of the soldiers to an oath that they would not, ummm, ease their husbands tension, and sending a messenger to the Spartan women to do the same, as well as having the older ladies barricade themselves in the Acropolis (where the treasury is), she sets down to wait. After a long period of time, in which the wives are suffering as much as their husbands, a peace treaty is agreed to and everyone gets down to releasing their tension.

This is a rollicking version of that play, by an American University which impressively sticks quite closely to the story, with some songs and dances, a bit of puppetry, a LOT of crude genital based humour (which is nowhere near as rude as the song that was playing before the show, but that was probably what the kids are listening to these days). While the young ladies holding out against their soldier husbands was the main part of the story, I found the funniest sections were those that pitted the old ladies against the old men. Lots of accents (mostly US regions but the cops sounded like camp Germans for some reason). The songs and dances were performed well, but the sound was a bit too loud, as I think they had calibrated it for a full room – and for an 11.30am show, that was a little optimistic.

What this show needs is an excited enthusiastic crowd feeding back some of the energy from the stage. I’ll try and tempt you to come to one of the few remaining performances of this show (it finishes on Sunday). Would you be interested in seeing a show about the battle of the sexes which has a number of young women in short Greek skirts teasing their soldier husbands who are also wearing short skirts (kilts) and singlets. Do you enjoy loud and boisterous songs and dances? Very funny and sex based humour? How about a bit of culture, as you learn a very amusing famous little ancient Greek comedy? There are dick jokes and it’s a comfy, dry place to eat your Brunch. There’s no excuse for missing this (well, maybe I’ll accept a hangover).

It’s on at The Gilded Balloon Teviot at 11.30am with a short run ending on August 11

Bookings at the website: https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/musicals-and-operas/lysistrata-the-disco-vaudeville-rock-n-roll-musical

Mace and Burton – When I Grow Up

By Ron Bingham 

Last year I saw and enjoyed two shows by Juliette Burton and Lizzie Mace called RomComCon and Heartbreak Hotel. This year, Juliette has gone solo (Lizzie is still helping, but not on stage). The show is a personal journey for Juliette, who is attempting to find out whether what she does determines who she is or if there is more to life than one’s job description. I should admit here that I did contribute to the crowdfunding for Juliette earlier this year (to raise funds for the show), which meant I was receiving regular updates of the progress of the show…..oh hang on. You’re only supposed to declare an interest if THEY pay YOU. Curses! I’ll get the hang of this Cash for Comment thing one day…

I did refrain from watching most of the updates, so I could enjoy the finished product as a whole. The show starts with a multi-media look at the vocations Juliette wanted to be when she grew up, at different ages. There was princess, baker, popstar, ballerina, farmer, artist and others that I won’t mention for the surprise factor.  I do recommend interested people visit Juliette’s website to view the ballet school photo as Juliette, not the tallest of people, towers over her fellow pupils.

Juliette decided to see whether her younger selves had better insight by actually attempting each of these dream jobs, with varying amounts of success and some funny videos. She has also recorded a number of interviews with people about what they dreamed of and how their lives turned out and these are played on the screen throughout. Juliette meets some interesting specialists who give their opinion on how good she is at each attempt and there is a special guest from the Sammy J and Randy show who pops up on screen at one point. Not all of Juliette’s attempts were successful – she was escorted out of one or two venues during the filming. Note that if you have seen the show, there are extra bits of some of the filmed segments on the website (or DVD extras, if you like).

After most of the attempts are completed we delve a little deeper into Juliette’s psyche and the troubled teenage years (when she got caught up in eating disorders and mental health issues), where she lost sight of her dreams. But we do see her come through the other side to where she is today, questioning whether achieving ones dream is the answer or whether not letting go of the stuff of dreams will lead to fulfillment). The ending of the show is ultimately uplifting and worth the journey.

Juliette on stage is a cheerful and relaxed performer, who works well with the audience. The interaction with the filmed segments was faultless (good sign this early in the Fringe), the audience were boisterous and effusive in their praise and there was a big air conditioner at the side of the room to keep us cool. Pity that someone in a room next door spend half an hour scraping chairs or tables across a floor. If you are looking for a show that will make you want to give your dreams another go, pick up a musical instrument or some paintbrushes one more time, perform a pirouette or milk a cow, then this is the one for you. There is only the mildest of swearing but there are some adult concepts (anorexia), but it’s definitely one for the whole family to see.

When I Grow Up is on at The Gilded Balloon Teviot at 1.15pm

Bookings and further info from the Fringe website https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/when-i-grow-up

The Show Website is http://maceandburton.com/whenigrowup/

Arthur Smith Sings Leonard Cohen (Volume Too)

By Ron Bingham

Arthur Smith is a fabulous deadpan comedian who, you may recall from TV appearances on QI and as the MC in the Backwards episode of Red Dwarf. He performed Arthur Smith Sings Leonard Cohen (Volume One) quite a while ago (I first heard it on BBC Radio in about 2007 but according to Arthur’s website it was first performed in 2000). The first show is well worth hunting down if you like Leonard Cohen or comedy.

This show features Arthur telling some tales about Mr Cohen, talking about himself with a few stories about his mum, reading some poetry and singing some of Len’s songs with the help of his fabulous backing group (Kirsty Newton on keyboards and backing vocals, Carrie Marx on BV and various extra instruments and Allie Something on BV). Arthur is a master of self deprecating humour and the only person who really cops a serve during the show is one Leonary Nimoy, but that is a fair if you’ve ever read any of his poetry.

The entire show is a journey, with all of the little stories and songs helping develop the narrative of the tale and the point at which the surprise occurs is excellently timed (I can’t say what the surprise is but the entire audience were in fits of laughter). The room was full to bursting (on a Tuesday) and it will sell out. I advise fighting for a ticket as this is one of the shows that must not be missed. Sure, it’ll probably get recorded for the BBC but believe me when I say that will not come close to capturing the hilarity of the live show.

Oh yes, Arthur sings Leonard Cohen’s songs every bit as well as Leonard does (you can interpret that as you like).
PS Make Arthur a bit happier by buying his autobiography, My Name Is Daphne Fairfax. It’s excellent.

Arthur Smith Sings Leonard Cohen (Volume Too) is having a short run and finishes on August 18th.

It’s playing at The Pleasance Courtyard at 2.30pm

Book via the website https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/arthur-smith

Gordon Southern – The Kerfuffle

By Ron Bingham 

Gordon Southern is from Scotland, married to an Australian and living in Brixton. Apparently kerfuffle is a Scottish word, which is a fun fact. The audience were mostly from Scotland today, the ‘two for one’ Monday on a bank holiday brings them out, (according to Gordon – I’m not the one doing the racial stereotyping). The room is full and rather steamy.

The show has Gordon talking about his parents, living in Brixton during the riots, last year’s Jubilee and being married to a girl from South Australia (by the way, the number of UK comedians to go to Australia for a wife…. is there some sort of website where this gets organised?). It was a very subdued audience for the show this evening and Gordon wasn’t getting the laughs he expected at some points during the show, which I think was putting him off (he did mention the lack of response a couple of times).

There is a lot of good material in the show and it should become more polished as the festival goes on. The only props Gordon uses are some small animals and a sound machine. There are a couple of rap songs to finish the show and a tiny smidgeon of Greek mythology. Gordon’s interaction with the audience is polished and his fake biographies of a couple of audience members is well worked into the routines that follow. The stories about his dad and wife are well told and funny, but some of the linking material is a bit more edgy and experimental.

You can see it now while it’s cheap and he is still experimenting with his new material or wait a week or so until it’s (hopefully) seamless. The Kerfuffle would also have benefited from a more boisterous audience, but it was only 5.45pm and they’d only just started drinking.

Gordon Southern – The Kerfuffle is on at The Gilded Balloon Teviot at 5.45pm
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/gordon-southern-the-kerfuffle

Interview with Josh Earl and Ged Wood about Clued UP!

By Lisa Clark 

Melbourne has been blessed by the influx of talented comedians from other states and a generation of the best musical comedians in the world. Tasmanian born Josh Earl fitted into Melbourne scene straightaway building a strong following and fine reputation over many years with his warm family based tales, funny songs and interesting hair. We spoke to Josh about his latest project, hosting a live quiz called Clued Up! which is being performed at Wesley Anne bar in groovy Northcote on two Sunday afternoons in August.

We also spoke to its creator and producer Ged Wood who was once a standup comedian and now produces a lot of comedy for television including the Warehouse Comedy shows, Spicks & Specks, Myf Warhurst’s Nice, and the sadly lamented Letters and Numbers.

First up, Josh Earl…

L: How long have you been doing standup?

Josh: This year marked my ten years as a comic, which makes me only forty years behind Fred Basset

L: What got you started as a performer?

Josh: I was in Launceston and part of an improvised/soap opera thing (It was better than that sounds) and each week I would come out and play a song. A guy in the audience wanted to do a stand up night, of which Launceston had none, asked me to perform and so I did. At that gig a guy was in the audience from the University, and he was bringing down Rod Quantock and Duff and wanted me to MC the event. After that gig I was pretty much hooked.

L: Do you think winning the Best Costume in the Brooklyn Primary School Fancy Dress Parade three years running from 1986 to 1988 gave you the taste of fame that got you hooked?

Josh: No, but it did get my Mum a lot of enemies at the school gates of Brooklyn Primary school around those years

L: Who has influenced you?

Josh: When I was starting out my act was entirely music and I was heavily influenced by musicians such as Jonathan Richman, Belle and Sebastian and The Lemonheads, a lot of my earlier songs share similar chord structures to Lemonheads songs (Don’t tell them). But in terms of Stand up my influences are mainly my family seeing as a lot of my act is talking about my parents and my childhood growing up in Burnie, that’s influenced me way more than any comedian has.

L: You have a young family, how does this go with being a comedian?

Josh: I try not to talk about it too much on stage as I feel that half the majority of audiences at comedy clubs don’t have their own kids, and those that do are looking at me thinking ‘he looks too young to have a kid, do you think it’s true or just a bit?’ So when I do talk about being a Dad it is in the context of something else such as Skyping my Mum, or a story about how my Dad will sit on the toilet with the door open.

L: I get the impression that your mate and sometime comedy partner Justin Heazelwood (The Bedroom Philosopher) sometimes struggles about whether he is being pigeonholed as a comedian or a musician. (Tripod too) Have you thought about being a straight musician? Or do you see yourself as an ‘All Round Entertainer”?

Josh: I know my capabilities as a musician. I am an average guitar player and singer, but I think I’m a very good songwriter and storyteller. I see myself more as a comedian who uses music. With my festival shows I think the breakdown in the last couple has been 25 minutes of songs, 35 minutes of stand up.

L: What in your career do you think has prepared you for hosting a game show?

Josh: I think I’m a good listener, and I’m very punctual. I think that means I can hear when they answer the questions and I will turn up on time to start the show. Also I am a very quick talker so if the show has a fast money round we’ll get through a bunch of questions

L: Are you performing at Melbourne Fringe this year?

Josh: I am performing one night at Asher Trelevan’s show  The Experiment which sounds like it will be great [Asher describes it as a kind of ‘anti-comedy comedy club’ with Caribbean music, someone’s small dog and the best of Melbourne’s odd-ball comics.]

L: Tell us about Clued Up!

Josh: Clued Up! is basically a game show with competing teams of comedians, but as it is the brainchild of Ged Wood, I’ll get him to answer the rest of the questions 
– Ged?

L: Who else is working on Clued Up?

Ged: Well creatively and conceptually it’s pretty much just me…these shows a really a test run of the format. In terms of talent I’m really really excited about the people who have taken a leap of faith and come on board. Not Least Josh Earl who agreed to host without much convincing. Then there are the players, some old comedy mates of mine and some fresh faces as well. I’ think there is a good spread of performance styles and personalities. You can check out all the line ups on the website clueduptv.com

L: Is August a bit thin on the ground for comedians – because of the Edinburgh exodus? Have you had problems finding guests for the show?

Ged: From my initial list I had to strike 10 to 15 people off straight away due to Edinburgh which was a shame. Luckily we are in Melbourne and my list of people I wanted to be part of this was quite long due to the fantastic talent we are spoilt with. I actually find it helpful in a way sometimes to have your list of available people cut short. It means you have to make less hard decisions!

L: Do some performers balk at being on a game show because they are worried about looking like dills if they get the answers wrong?

Ged: In all honesty it only came up once and that person said, “you know Ged I will probably not know any answers I hope you don’t mind if I look stupid cause I don’t”. The most popular people on Spicks and Specks weren’t the ones that knew the answers (Hamish Blake, Ross Noble, Frank Woodley).

L: Is this a long term on-going gig, or are you doing a short season of shows?

Ged: A short run of two dates. Filming the second date. Hoping some savvy TV executive will come along and decide it’s the next big thing and snap it up. Otherwise, if people like it I could foresee doing more dates. Perhaps something in the Fringe Festival.

Clued up! will be presented at Wesley Anne, 250 High Street, Northcote on August 11th and 18th at 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM.

Comedians being quized by Josh will include: Adam Richard, Adam Rozenbachs, Claire Hooper, Emily Taheny, Harley Breen, Justin Hamilton, Kate McLennan, Lawrence Mooney, Nick Maxwell, Rusty Berther, Tegan Higginbotham, and Xavier Michelides

Check The Website clueduptv.com for more information

http://www.stickytickets.com.au/12120/clued_up.aspx for tickets
$15 seated
$10 Standing

bytestories

By Luke Simmons

Everyone has a (funny) story to tell

Made in St Kilda, by  Brendan McKenzie, Pieter Malherbe and yours truly Luke Simmons,  bytestories is a new storytelling site which can provide you with your “sit-down-at-the-keyboard comedy” fix on demand. Dedicated to short, byte-sized stories (There is a 1500 character / 200-250 word limit) based on true events, it’s proving to be a popular writing space for some of Australia’s favourite and up-and-coming comedians.

MICF 2013 comics who have shared that time when….

Brad Oakes and Michael Connell have already revealed some of their most embarrassing stories, Alexis Simmonds has exposed why her Uncle deviously volunteered to learn craft while at school and Becky Lewis takes you through what it’s like to work in a bar full of hard drinkin’ cowboys. 

Brad Oakes – Embarrassing encounter with the floor polishing machine

Michael Connell – Do Not Say This In Japan

Alexis Simmonds – One tale from Tales of a straight, single cat lady

Becky Lewis – 7 rum and cokes thanks, no ice

 

Other recommended authors on the site include: Andy Thompson, Nick O’Connell, Jennifer Burke, Tom Middlebrook, Ron Hailes, and Torre De Roche.

Anyone can submit

If you’re thinking about sharing a story, it would suit if you do not wish to have the hassle of setting up a blog OR if you’d like your funniness to reach an International audience. It could also be a good way for performers to work on ideas for a routine or festival show.

The site is cute and ideal for killing time while at home or on your mobile (i.e. sitting/staring on public transport). The reader in you can get on-demand chuckles and the comedic writer in you will enjoy gathering a fan base.

Check out www.bytestories.com and get involved!