People Crying “Adam Knox” As They Leap From Planes

By Elyce Phillips

Going into this show, I had no idea what to expect. I hadn’t seen Adam Knox perform before, and his Festival Guide entry keeps it short and sweet. All I knew was that Knox’s show has the best title I have seen in a long time. People Crying “Adam Knox” As They Leap From Planes is all about Knox’s desire to be remembered. Over the course of the show Knox explores different ways to continue in the public memory after death and takes a good hard look at why anyone would want to be remembered anyway.

Knox’s choice of theme is clever. Discussing ways to be remembered allows to him to touch upon a wide range of topics – religion, politics, TV – while still maintaining a cohesive show. Thematically, there’s nothing revolutionary here, but the jokes feel fresh and original. Knox’s observational humour is witty and relatable, even when the observing is limited to the eccentricities of his tiny apartment. In fact, the more specific to his life the material, the stronger it was – a bracket about a truly disgusting share house played wonderfully. The show is well-honed and consistently funny. Knox is aware of the jokes that don’t land so strongly and has devised interesting ways to perk them up. A particularly lame joke that he hypes up as being ‘the greatest joke ever’ is actually one of the highlights of the performance.

Knox is an engaging performer. He’s confident in his delivery and appears completely at ease in front of the audience, aside from the occasional referral to his pocket notebook. Personally, I didn’t find these moments too distracting but he did start to lose the crowd when he flipped through for that second too long. However, when Knox in his groove, he’s the sort of performer that makes it look all too easy and, for the most part, this is the performer we got to see.

People Crying “Adam Knox” As They Leap From Planes is a strong show from an up-and-coming comedian. If Knox continues at this pace, he is sure to be remembered.

People Crying “Adam Knox” As They Leap From Planes is on at The Provincial Hotel until April 20
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2014/season/shows/people-crying-adam-knox-as-they-leap-from-planes-adam-knox

The Late Night Board Game Slumber Party

By Lisa Clark

Mike Brown has created a great little digestif to your comedy evening with The Late Night Board Game Slumber Party. The Board game thing is a bit of a misnomer, there is no actual board, it’s basically comedians playing several party games late at night for your entertainment as well as their own.

Neil Sinclair wearing his pyjamas and comedy Tassie Devil slippers is our genial host and does a great job keeping things ticking and the comedians in check if they start getting out of hand. Guest comedians competing in the games the night we were there were Bart Freebairn, Tommy Dassalo and Callaghan. Although the audience is not broken into teams as such, each one comedian has a corresponding audience member who will win a prize if they win which raises the stakes a little and gives them someone barracking for them. Rules are pretty flexible, Neil gives and takes points, often on a whim, or for laughs and they are displayed on a screen for all to see.

The first game is ‘Crappy Birthday’ it seems a bit complicated in explanation but all becomes quickly clear as it is played. It’s a card game where the objects written on the cards such as ‘A bus trip’, ‘ A pet eagle’ or ‘comedy lessons’ are birthday presents awarded to fellow team members anonymously, who then award points for the best and worst picks. The comments and picks were very funny and had Tommy Dassalo shouting ‘This is the Worst Birthday Ever!’ at one point.

‘Who’z Dat?’ was a live version of ‘Guess Who’. Unbeknownst to the guests an audience member had their photo taken when we arrived and that photo is flashed on the screen behind them so all the audience can see who they are guessing. The audience stands and they take turns asking questions like ‘Is the person female?’ and they get their answer when all the men sit down, ’til everyone is sitting apart from the one in the photo. It was simple audience participation and great fun for everyone.

My favourite game of the night was a live version of ‘Jenga’ called ‘Midnight Stax’ with a great big tower of cardboard box sticks to stack. There were other games and there might even be different games on different nights. There will definitely be different guests each night and of course part of the fun will depend on their late night energy and willingness to put as much fun in as possible. We were lucky and had a team of performers who did just that.

I saw this show at Melbourne Fringe Festival last year but Mike has put a lot of work into making it much better and slicker. The only thing I’d add is more things on the screen such as graphics, pictures of the games being played or showing the cards on the screen (but I might be asking too much technologically) and more music cues. Still the dagginess is part of the fun and fun it was. If you are a gamer, there are prizes of games to be won and the venue is at Games Laboratory which is open for game playing (and buying) before and after the show. There are also snacks for sale and that’s always a good thing.

The Late Night Board Game Slumber Party is on at the Games Laboratory until April 12
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2014/season/shows/the-late-night-board-game-slumber-party

Stephen K Amos : What Does the K Stand For?

By Sofia Monkiewicz

UK comedic genius Stephen K Amos has done it again. His natural ability to take control of his stage and his audience and invoke a wave of constant full-bodied laughter is outstanding, and he has produced yet another top quality show. What Does the K Stand For? revolves around the questions we are always asked and are rarely asked; the topics we don’t talk about but probably should; and the things nobody ever discusses and for good reason. Amidst segments about touchy subjects like race, sexuality, religion and death, Amos also entertains with tales about his childhood and bad break-ups, along with a very impressive attempt at an Australian accent.

Telling jokes about serious issues like racism and homophobia is extremely hit or miss, but Amos is far from offensive. His observations are honest and undeniably hilarious, and he poses questions to the audience throughout the show, encouraging interaction about things people would not normally discuss. The funniest moments by far were when he interrogated those sitting in the first couple of rows and when he singled out any latecomers, so a word of warning: be prepared to be questioned if you sit too close to the front! His quick wit and talent for improvisation is what makes him so successful, and much of the show relies on some decent audience involvement, whether his targets want to participate or not. Amos’ eagerness for his audience to engage with him also triggered a couple of hecklers, which he clearly enjoyed, and effortlessly incorporated their comments into a part of the show. His sharp creativity means that no two shows are ever identical, which is definitely part of his appeal.

Stereotypes are shattered and taboo topics are flung into a public forum; What Does the K Stand For? is not only an A-grade comedy production, but it is also a heartfelt and empowering one-man discussion. Amos creates a sense of acceptance and pride amongst the crowd as he poses questions relating to multiculturalism and sexuality. He is able to mock and inspire simultaneously, which is certainly a skill to be admired, and it is evident why he is one of the most popular comedians at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Flawless, confident and charismatic, Stephen K Amos has unsurprisingly created another brilliant show. We even find out what the ‘K’ really does stand for, so if nothing else, check out What Does the K Stand For? simply to satisfy your curiosity!

What Does the K Stand For? is on at the Athenaeum Theatre until April 20
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2014/season/shows/what-does-the-k-stand-for-stephen-k-amos

Blake Mitchell : Enter the Yum Yum

By Colin Flaherty

This show could be described as a live action version of Adventure Time with a hardcore shadowy undercurrent. In fact the venue and staging suited the sinister atmosphere perfectly; in front of a dart board, lit by a single spotlight deep within the bowels of a pub.

The plot was complex; exploring abandonment issues, psychosis and other emotional problems with a mystical motif on top. Wrapped in a quest format, there were frequent surreal moments to provide the laughs and make the darkness palatable. Mitchell employed heavy handed self deprecation with plenty of comical abuse launched at him by those he encountered on his journey. It was driven by a soundtrack which set the mood, animated secondary characters and provided cues.

Audience interaction played a huge part and his appearance made it very confronting but he was just a big (albeit rather broken) teddy bear. Prowling the room he encouraged punters to accept his gifts, take care of important props and validate his comments. Sometimes his miming didn’t make it clear what he wanted done, but he moved on to others until someone worked it out.

All was seemingly going well until chinks in his armour emerged. Mitchell broke character a few times venting loudly, which could easily be mistaken as clever parts of the script as they were amusing in their extremity. After one too many technical issues in this audio heavy performance he put a halt to the show even though the supportive audience (one girl was compelled to give him a hug) wanted him to continue. He cited reasons of not feeling it and proceeded to denigrated himself at length. Not a very happy note for a comedy show to end on.

Judging by reports of previous performances, the show (and his well being) is currently in a state where it would appeal primarily to people who get off on car crash performances such as the band The Brian Jonestown Massacre. If Mitchell can hold it together and get to the finale as planned, the full twisted beauty will be revealed.

Enter the Yum Yum is on at The Bull and Bear Tavern until April 19
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2014/season/shows/enter-the-yum-yum-blake-mitchell

Bob Franklin, Steven Gates & Roz Hammond – The Writers: The Difficult Second Episode

By Lisa Clark

Another weird but entertaining comedy play by Bob Franklin. Although it’s subtitled “The Difficult Second Episode” it also seems to hark back to Bob Franklin (The Librarians) and Steven Gate’s (Tripod) first collaboration Stubborn Monkey Disorder. Could this be the third in Bob Franklin’s Steve & Biscuits Trilogy? They are the main things that all three shows have in common. Stubborn Monkey Disorder was Bob Franklin as reality TV show writer and Steven Gates as his side kick in a rather gothic surreal two hander where the reality TV show gradually came to life. Last year’s Golden Gibbo nominated The Writers where Steven Gates was replaced by two other Steves, Steven Stagg and Stephen Curry in an exploration of the inside of a writers mind.

The Writers: The Difficult Second Episode has a bit of both previous shows, playing around with different writing styles and genres and hinting at darker psychological undertones. It starts with a blackout like Stubborn Monkey Disorder, with Steven Gates back as Bob the writer’s suspicious side-side kick and ex writing partner breaking into the house. Then there are links to last year’s show with the name, the mention of tea and biscuits of course, and that it is a three-hander.

This year Bob and Steven are joined by the fabulous comedic actress Roz Hammond (Mad As Hell) who plays various other main characters. Again there are hints in this show that it is a manifestation of Bob’s mind during the writing process. With Steven representing his guilt and anxieties and Roz playing Bob’s idealised versions of women that come alive in the story. The story itself was often puzzling but became a bit clearer as it went along. Gatesy catches Bob out not only working on a comedy festival show without him but also spending a bit too much time with his ex-wife. Like Bob, it’s fairly slowly paced, absurd, and requires the audience’s attention. There were some patches that felt a bit too ponderous, but it also had some very funny highlights including a short interlude of cabaret from Steven and a deliriously joyful montage.

Although there is not much in the way of a set there are a lot of important sound and lighting cues and everything impressively runs like clockwork. The show over all is very tight and like the previous works is a very cerebral, theatrical piece with a strong British sit-com influence. It’s not as powerful as last year’s The Writers, but I still found many laughs and enjoyed spending the hour with three extremely talented comedy performers.

The Writers: The Difficult Second Episode is on at Melb Town Hall – Regent Room until April 20
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2014/season/shows/the-writers-the-difficult-second-episode-bob-franklin-steven-gates-roz-hammond

Damian Smith – I’m Here All Weak: Ultimate Edition

By Colin Flaherty

Living with Asperger’s Syndrome, Damian Smith has created a show that explores what it is like to walk a mile in his shoes. And be assured that the mile has been measured exactly.

The show was full of accurate facts and figures (he claimed to be unable to lie about any of them). There were plentiful geeky pop culture references, so many that it was almost impossible to catch them all. He played up various stereotypes while dispelling others. Routines about some highly vocal but ignorant folks and various overly well meaning people were brilliant. Tales from his own life rounded out a highly personal, informative and engaging show.

Smith began the show utilising a lot of self deprecation as this was a sure fire way to get laughs. As the show progressed, he moved away from this by adopting the attitude of “Why must I apologise for my condition” and began telling things like it is. He stressed that you do not suffer from Asperger’s, you lived with it. He tried to ease us into darker material but he needn’t have worried as this revealed much more of his personality and generated just as many laughs.

Although it wasn’t a major focus of the show, he went some way to educate his audience about the realities of Asperger’s. A number of carers in the audience clearly related to his stories and it was fascinating for the rest of us who were only familiar with the Rain Man (a particularly touchy subject for Smith) and Sheldon Cooper portrayals in the media.

As promised in the advertising, there was a lot of graph humour. It was some of the best graph work I had seen and he was clearly proud of them. In fact we often waited in hope that a routine would be followed by one of his hilarious graphs.

This was a brilliant show that delighted the broad demographic that attended. Although he downplays his talents, Smith is a wonderful performer to match his razor sharp writing skills.

I’m Here All Weak: Ultimate Edition is on at The Downstairs Lounge @ The Swanston Hotel until April 20
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2014/season/shows/i-m-here-all-weak-ultimate-edition-damian-smith