Colin Hay : Waiting For My Real Life…

By Caitlin Crowley

Anyone who’s fronted up to a Colin Hay gig in the last decade won’t be surprised to find the former Men at Work front man performing in the Melbourne Comedy Festival. Hay has been keeping fans of his music entertained for years with his pre-song banter and Waiting for My Real Life is an extension of this – a 75-minute comedy show with songs.

Hay sets the tone for the evening when he walks on stage with his global hit Downunder playing in the background, but not the mega-selling Men at Work version, this joyful rendition is performed by the South Australian Primary School Orchestra. Straight away we know he’s not taking any of his success too seriously.

While Hay might officially be fresh to the comedy stage it’s obvious that he has decades of performing experience. He grabs a guitar and performs his own background music as he tells his stories of growing up in a music store in Scotland, arriving with his family as new immigrants at Station Pier and being in a band that went from the St Kilda pub scene to the Grammy Awards and back down again. Each vignette is tightly crafted and Hay is a master of accents from Ringo Starr to an affectionate rendering of the classic Aussie punter keen to ensure Hay’s not getting too up himself.

This is not musical comedy – it’s comedy with music and each story leads into an appropriately related tune ranging from a new song written for his late father to big hits like Downunder and Who Can it Be Now?

Hay’s voice has never sounded better, the acoustics of the Playhouse Theatre perfectly showcasing his pure clean vocals. Despite the size of the theatre there is a certain intimacy to the show – it really feels like you’re sitting around shooting the breeze with an old mate. While Hay might joke about being recognised as ‘someone who used to be someone’, it’s pretty clear the audience still hold a special place for him in their hearts.

Waiting For My Real Life… is on at Arts Centre Melbourne, Playhouse until April 12
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2014/season/shows/waiting-for-my-real-life-colin-hay

Patrick Cross : Out Of Fear

By Elyce Phillips

Tucked away in the Greyhound Hotel, in a room above Drag Bingo, Patrick Cross is doing a show about fear. This out-of-the-way location might be part of the reason why on the night I attended Cross was facing a fear known all too well by emerging comedians – playing to a tiny audience. To Cross’ credit, despite the numbers the show went on, and he performed a show filled with amusing tales of social anxiety and phobias.

Perhaps fittingly, Cross’ nerves were apparent on the night. Playing to a group of three is a tough gig, especially when one of them is trying to be helpful by calling out encouragement every so often. Cross was rattled on a few occasions, blaming his demeanour on a particularly strong Red Bull he downed before the show. It’s a shame, because in the moments Cross hit his stride, he showed a lot of promise.

As a performer, Cross is very personable. His material about his social fears was relatable and entertaining. An exploration into how we develop phobias including a story about a young girl meeting his dog played out magnificently. A couple of heavier-handed jokes that were in there for shock value were funny, but hit a little too hard in the space. However, for a newcomer, Cross did a good job of adapting his act for the audience. The show was kept casual and he ad-libbed well.

Out of Fear may be a little shaky on its feet, but Cross is a young comedian with plenty of potential. If you’re looking to get away from the Festival Hub and see something a little different, this could be the show for you. Get out there and support the new kids.

Out Of Fear is on at GH (Greyhound Hotel) until April 19
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2014/season/shows/out-of-fear-patrick-cross

Stuart Daulman is The Principal

By Noel Kelso

At the start of the 2014 comedy festival we overheard someone loudly telling their companion that ‘this is the worst show I have ever seen’. This person was pointing at a flier for Stuart Daulman’s show The Principal.

Curious to discover what could possibly prompt such a definitive criticism I attended the show to find out for myself.

Spoiler: this is very funny, clever comedy.

Entering the room the audience sees an actual set on the stage area, a rarity at the Imperial Hotel and in the Festival generally. There is a paper-strewn desk behind which most of the performance occurs and a radio-controlled helicopter, both of which get a lot of use throughout.

If you have fond memories of shows such as Welcome Back Kotter, Head Of The Class or even Degrassi High then you are likely to love and recognise all of the touchstones of humour which are mined in this performance.

Presented like a shoddy 80s sitcom complete with some canned laughter, this is a carefully fashioned show skilfully presented in a manner which gives the appearance of being shambolic. The gags revel in their knowing references to the shows being lampooned and the self-referential, repetitive nature of many just make each rendition funnier than the last.

This is a complex and knowing show which has the veneer of unplanned unprofessionalism and is all the more hilarious for this. Daulman’s clowning skills turn each situation into a chaotic mess of misunderstandings and poor co-ordination. His unseen secretary makes her announcements unintelligibly and seems incapable of remembering appointments. One particular gag involving an important letter was so unexpected that the room dissolved in gales of laughter for a good while after.

The audience were kept laughing throughout at the clowning skills of Daulman as he rustled papers, looked wistfully into the middle distance or broke into impromptu dancing with guest student Mo Mann. This ridiculous comedy had me giggling like an idiot throughout and, to be perfectly honest, I’m not entirely sure why.

If you fancy some late-night meta-comedy then this show is highly recommended.

The Principal is on at the Imperial Hotel until April 18
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2014/season/shows/the-principal-stuart-daulman-is

Suns of Fred : Excited!

By Colin Flaherty

Three guys and a guitar has been a staple of musical comedy over the years so it’s important to differentiate your trio from what has come before. In the case of Suns of Fred (Sly, Micky J and Foxy), they have crafted a show with high energy dancing and choreography that’s tighter than a duck’s rear end. Even though they can sing up storm, it’s a shame that their attention to detail in the songs didn’t match that of the dancing.

Although there was the odd amusing line to be found and chuckles of recognition to be had through parodied song-lines, most of their tunes were one joke songs that often read like a laundry list of mildly amusing words thrown together to fit the theme. Thankfully most of the songs were relatively short thus reducing the tedium. The theory of the guitar being an automatic applause machine sadly held true here as each song ended with overly-flourished bows awaiting our Pavlovian response.

There were plenty of lewd lines to titillate and homoerotic innuendo, but their lyrics and banter were ham-fisted and lacked any finesse. When attempting to go to some dark places, they were quite crude and blunt; being shocking for the sake of it. These lines stopped a song dead in its tracks as the audience audibly recoiled at the abhorrent nature of it with a smattering of nervous laughter. They didn’t attempt to soften the blow with a witty comment, usually just ploughing on with the rest of the song.

Other times it was Foxy’s series of one liner Dad Jokes set to music that successfully played on his character’s lack of wit and provided nice little quiet interludes. A mimed rollercoaster ride, also set to music, was an amusing highlight that didn’t overplay things too much.

Where Suns of Fred excelled was in the dancing and miming that provided the most humour. Their dance moves were flawless, constantly mugging for the crowd and faux harassing the girls in the front row. The running joke of Excited! high energy dancing was cute but only gave us titters of embarrassment. Synchronised hand actions to the song lyrics provided laughs where the words failed to.

From their matching hand decorated vests and funky haircuts to the character tropes (the dim one, the dangerous one and the pretty one), everything screamed “We want to be edgy and dangerous just like the Doug Anthony All Stars!” This trio even pulled out the done to death “band break up on stage” routine but didn’t do anything amusing, let alone original, with it. It got all the appropriate pantomime responses but the biggest laugh came from an audience member’s comment rather than anything they did.

There were a number of punters who were getting off on the boy’s shtick, laughing heartily throughout. If you’re in the mood for some simple puerile comedy with lots of colour and movement, this would be the perfect musical comedy junk food. However if you fancy something more substantial you’d be advised to look elsewhere.

Suns of Fred is on at Five Boroughs until April 19
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2014/season/shows/excited-suns-of-fred

Wizard Sandwiches : The Last Lunch

By Alanta Colley

This sketch comedy quintet, consisting of Stuart Daulman, Dylan Cole, Jarryd Clifford, Andrew Belsten and Jake Ludowyke breathe new life into a well populated genre with their particular brand of silly, frantic and charming sketch comedy.
Things started off a little touch and go, with fears that the sketch troupe were going to rely on tired old cultural stereotype tropes of various nationalities; Mexicans, French, Scottish, etc. for laughs. And while these caricatures did form a substantial part of the show’s content the performers do manage to transcend predictability and add new depth, character and surprises to them.

There are many highlights throughout this show. The scene where a stick transforms in the hand of the performer into all manner of objects was absolutely mesmerising; proving high-tech props aren’t necessary to capture the imaginations of the audience. There are some fantastically complex displays of word play that grow ever more ludicrous as they carry on, and are a testament to the preparation put in by the performers.

While the rules and regulations of how sketch must be enacted seem almost set in stone Wizard Sandwiches do bring several new items to the table. The method by which they merge one sketch into the next created a fun intertextuality between sketches; displayed skill of the performers in switching seamlessly between characters, and created a second or two of delightful confusion for the audience as they grew familiar with this new technique.

The crew complement each other nicely; each bringing a distinct persona to proceedings with no one member dominating time or focus across the performance. The constant revolution between characters kept the plot fresh and the audience engaged.

Following in the fine footsteps of tradition of Monty Python and the Goodies, but not as absurd or confronting as League of Gentleman or Tim and Eric, you’re guaranteed a night of fun, frivolous and frenzied comedy.

The Last Lunch is on at Trades Hall – The Music Room until April 20
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2014/season/shows/the-last-lunch-wizard-sandwiches

Simon Chugg is Living the Dream

By Alanta Colley

Simon Chugg has lived a life less ordinary. A black boy growing up in a white family. A restless soul always looking for a way to express itself. A curious spirit that has sojourned down many an unknown path looking for enlightenment. And a man who never lost the ability to laugh at himself, even when times were tough.

Chugg takes us back to the days of his childhood; his role models the heroes in the comics he read. He tells of the band he and his mates put together; a dubious homage to the heavy metal bands they worshiped. Chugg surprises us with some footage of the band’s epic performances. We learn of Chugg’s struggling days as an actor, being one of a handful of freelance actors who are black in Australia; and the stereotypes he was chronically cast as. We hear about his journeys down various avenues of spirituality. Woven through all Chugg’s narrative are dreams, both actual and metaphorical, which have played a hauntingly prophetic role in his life.

Chugg is warm and friendly with his audience; responding generously on this evening to interjections from the slightly inebriated audience. His life story is a unique one, and he presents it without excessively emphasising the trials or the triumphs, presenting them frankly and honestly.

This show was friendly and fun. The only drawbacks included the occasional dependence on pop culture references that left some of the audience behind. Chugg’s delivery also sounded a little too much like a memorised script, even though the content asked for a more conversational tone. But these were forgivable and all in all it was an enjoyable hour where we felt connected to Chugg.

This is a tale of friendship, adventure, laughing at shortcomings and set backs, and making the most of what you have. You’ll leave the venue with a spring in your step.

Living the Dream is on at Caz Reitops Dirty Secrets until April 19
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2014/season/shows/living-the-dream-simon-chugg-is