Oliver Coleman – Poolside

By Lisa Clark 

Last time we last saw Oliver Coleman he was working as a duo with Emil Freund in Uncompetent. It was a really enjoyable show and this is no different, except that Oliver proves that he can pull off a fabulous wacky sketch show as a solo artist.

Oliver welcomes us to the space in character as a loud and overbearing pool man with a big fake moustache called Mr Squires. It certainly gives you the vibe of what you are in for. He begins by outlining the rules. There are many and they are very silly. Poolside is full of really interesting funny ideas, big props, gags and one-liners, and he doesn’t stray from the poolside theme too often. Though we did find ourselves in a New York comedy club at one point. But it’s worth it. Oliver brilliantly plays a tough old school New York comic as well as his wife, who cleverly has the same style New York accent. It’s a bravura performance of a character cameo and well worth the segue.

Oliver Coleman with his winning style and excellent comic physicality reminded me of Duff crossed with Francis Greenslade doing a Sam Simmons style show. It’s mostly very loud and in your face, with the occasional quieter moment. He’s not too confronting as to be unbearable though. In his shorts he’s like a big hyper kid who’s had too much red cordial, he’s having fun and really wants us to join in. He never jumps into bullying the audience, but certainly plays around the edges. He makes an effort to be kind to his 2 audience helpmates which keeps the audience on side.

Poolside is jam-packed with laughs and doesn’t let up. There are no dull spots. The delightful centrepiece of Poolside revolves around him stressing over latecomers filling the few empty seats. I wonder how he will manage that when this excellent show starts selling out? He better have a backup plan because those seats are going to be crammed in with punters once word gets around.

Oliver Coleman Poolside is on at Tasma Terrace til Apr 7

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2019/shows/oliver-coleman-poolside

Innes Lloyd : Dracula

By Lisa Clark

Innes Lloyd are veteran purveyors of nerdy comedy – Rob Lloyd and David S. Innes. They have previously celebrated Harry Potter and Red Dwarf – amongst others – and of course are pretty famous for their association with Dr Who. Their production of Dracula has not been created with fans of sparkly romantic teen vampires in mind, this has been made for people who are old school Bram Stoker buffs.

It is important to note is that this show is not about any old vampires, there is no mention of Buffy or What We Do In the Shadows. This show is about The Count. Count Dracula. There are still a lot of cute related cultural reference jokes running through it, but it is mostly quite a neat comically theatrical presentation of Stoker’s novel and the way it was composed from letters, diaries and ship logs and such, which certainly made me happy. The crib notes or ‘Fun Facts’ are about the Dracula character and all the different ways he’s been presented in pop culture history with mentions of Blackula and Count Duckula and so forth. In fact I wondered if they created this show just so they could sing the Count Duckula theme song!

There is a lot of skill and experience on display. Great choreography and musicianship, good writing and great performing, as well as fantastically slick lighting and sound from Sam Duncan. The sea shanty is the highlight of the show, being very silly, jaunty and a bit creepy, perfectly capturing the account in the novel. The constant appearances of an unrelated horror film were a bit overdone and out of place though. If they needed to make comedic movie references, Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) has more than enough potential material, Keanu Reves, for one.

It is clear that Rob Lloyd is the standout performer here being a very experienced comedy veteran, starting out with The Hounds (with Tegan Higginbotham & Adam McKenzie) who became Watson after he left. David S. Innes is a delightful plucky sidekick playing many outrageously silly characters and they are joined for this production by Jennifer Speirs who is the Straight Guy to Innes Lloyd’s silly stuff, mostly concentrating on playing the Mina Harker character.

I love a group festival show that makes the effort to produce programmes for the audience. Even just a single sheet that celebrates the efforts of everyone involved in the production. It can act as a sort of flyer that they can take to friends. It’s also a fantastic source of information for reviewers!

This was a preview performance, but was pretty polished. Innes Lloyd are very experienced at entertaining a crowd. As this beds in and they become more relaxed about fooling around with it and the audience (there was a little of this tonight which added joyous sparks) it will only get better. For fans of nerd culture Innes Lloyd shows are always a fun night. If you’re a fan of The Count and love a laugh, don’t miss it!

Dracula is on at The Butterfly Club until March 31
https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2019/shows/innes-lloyd-presents-dracula

5 Good Reasons To See Late Night Party Boyz – Rebel Without Applause

1) If you consider yourself a rebel and are too without applause.

2) To witness the future cult classic that is “Mr. Ice Cream”.

3) Most of the time when people ask Damien and Ross of the Late Night Party Boyz how they come up with their ideas, the assumption is that it involved drugs. For two sketches in this show, it’s actually true – try and guess which ones.

4) One of the last sketches broke a woman into laughter so much during the Adelaide run, it distracted one of the performers to the point they couldn’t put their costume for the finale on properly. The performer was Ross.

5) To witness some of the most silly, ridiculous live and video sketches this Comedy Festival and how two people can blow a wig and shoe budget.

Rebel Without Applause is on at The Tickle Pit at The Croft from April 9 to 20
https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2019/shows/rebel-without-applause

5 Good Reasons to See Taco Knight in A Knight’s Taco

1. Double Bass Comedy
Taco is the first double bass comedian in Australia! It’s also her first solo show, so come and check out some fresh meat.

2. Nine songs, a dance sequence and lots of stand-up
What more could you want?

3. Taco’s double bass is called Terry
He’s really nice, come chat to him at the bar. Speaking of the bar, Taco Knight is at the Butterfly Club which has an excellent bar with excellent bar-people.

4. All kinds of comedy
From self-depricating humour to diet social critique to absurdist comedy, Taco has it all. It’s an eclectic yet wholesome show. Like a cheesecake.

5. There’s also a rap parody
in which “ghetto” is rhymed with “Freddo”. For more hi-fi rhymes, come see the show for yourself.

Taco Knight performs A Knight’s Taco at The Butterfly Club 1-7 Apr

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2019/shows/taco-knight-in-a-knight-s-taco

 

5 good reasons to See Infectious 2019

1. Infectious 2018 was described by Sammy J as “
 probably the best value show in town” and it’s going to be more bang for your buck with the stellar line-up for 2019.

2. See the one and only Fiona O’Loughlin star on the line-up alongside Irish comedian, Eleanor Tiernan and other surprise acts including:
a. A rising star of Australian television
b. A previous winner of RAW Comedy
c. A star of TV’s ‘Comedy Next Gen’

3. Proceeds support public health and medical research at Burnet Institute.

4. It’s at the at the trendy Chapel Off Chapel so you can enjoy a drink with friends at the bar before the show.

5. It’s a great night out for a great cause – what’s not to love? See you there!

Infectious 2019 is on for One Night Only  – Monday April 15 at Chapel Off Chapel

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2019/shows/infectious-2019

5 Good Reasons to see Macdeth

1. Macbeth is a great story and it’s a story that’s relevant to our time. This is a show that will engaged your imagination like a great book. It will have you riveted like one of those Facebook videos of cats doing crazy things with a photocopier machine, or of people jumping off the roof of their friends house onto a trampoline and then being catapulted into the side of said house with orthopedically devastating results.

Plus, when you take your kids to visit friends and family instead of quoting the soulless dialogue from the latest video game they’ll be quoting Shakespeare. Cool, huh?

2. It’s pretty cheap theatre for the family. Theatre is (generally) stupidly expensive. You have to pay for a park, you’re bound to spend money on food and treats and then the ticket prices, yikes!

Macdeth is a steal and it has four other good reason to come and see it (please refer to reasons 1,3, 4 and 5).

3. Macdeth is made for families, so if you’re an adult you can expect to laugh and have a good time and you’ll also enjoy watching that little person you brought along laughing as well.

Hot tip to really make the most of the outing; Plan, book, get there in good time. Do yourself a favour and don’t come rushing into the theatre stressed to the max and then expect us (on stage) to engaged your frazzled mind. Save the sweet treat for your kids till after the show – the sugar fix will have junior about as able to focus on the nuances of well crafted theatre as a broad sword is able to stand in for a butter knife.

4. Macdeth is both funny and moving. People can expect to see a piece of comic theatre that has substance and style. You’ll find it both comic and tragic. It’s like eating sweet and sour, or salt and vinegar, it’s smooth and crunchy.

5. Without getting too heavy handed, you need to give your kids this experience. You need to show them some good theatre because it will help them down the track. Help them get into a better university, have better health, and find a high paying professional job. If you fail to bring your children to this show you’re actually depriving them. Just by walking into The Cooper’s Malthouse theatre you’ll have increased your child’s general wellbeing and achievements in later life. That’s worth the entry price alone. No pressure.

Macdeth is on at The Cooper’s Malthouse

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2019/shows/macdeth