Impromptunes

By Hooi Khaw

Impromptunes is a delightful show that features a brand new improvised musical each night. The teamā€™s musical and improvisational skills are on full display, as they navigate through the story inspired by the audienceā€™s suggestion of a title.

On this night the suggested title is Commonwealth Games, and the team plays with themes of sacrifice, pressure, and relationships. Instead of utilising the underdog trope the focus ends up being on family relationships and acceptance, hitting the emotional beats of the show with precision. The juxtaposition between these emotional moments and the numerous comedic ones work well, and the performers alternate between the two to accommodate the story.

It is terrifying to watch them perform without the safety net of a script, or pre-written songs, but the performers make this work through unfaltering support for the other performers. They support each otherā€™s songs by repeating lines of the chorus, harmonising, synchronising dance moves, and using more techniques recognised in traditional musicals. The effect of this is tantalising, and the audience responds well to the combination of these complementary moves.

Although the coordination is brilliant to watch, there is definitely joy in seeing when things donā€™t go perfectly. On the rare occasion that a line is missed or misheard by one member (and noticed by the audience), this also resulted in laughter. There is something thrilling about all the things that can go pear-shaped when improvising, and the audience delights in both the stellar successes of the performers, and well as the minor slip ups.

Overall Impromptunes is a charming show that showcases the improvisational and musical talents of the performers. Their ability to create relatable characters and catchy songs keeps the audience invested and engaged for the entire show in a way that is absolutely engrossing.

Impromptunes is on at the Trades Hall ā€“ Music Room https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2018/shows/the-completely-improvised-musical

ZoĆ« Coombs Marr – Bossy Bottom

By Lisa Clark

Zoe Coombes Marr was wise enough to give herself a year off after her multi-award winning, game changing Trigger Warning. She couldā€™ve have followed that with more of the same or another show starring her alter ego misogynist, hack stand-up Dave, but Zoe took the braver more unexpected path. She wanted to reclaim the stage for herself and rediscover her own voice.

Dave is there though simmering below the surface, as Zoe says, she seems to have assumed some of his stand up technique and this is not a completely bad thing when it brings a huge energy to her performance. She opens with his loud cock sure style and this very subtly recedes somewhat as the show progresses but her confidence remains. While clueless Dave fought a losing battle to be a Gualier style clown, Zoe is asserting her space as a stand up comedian, though canā€™t help a bit of silliness slipping through the cracks. She has some fabulous surprises up her sleeves (and theyā€™re not bananas).

Zoe had a huge 2016 where Trigger Warning won her The Barry Award, The Golden Gibbo (amongst other things) and a whole new fanbase. She married Rhys Nicholson in a hilarious sham marriage at Max Watts as a protest against Australiaā€™s then policies against same sex marriage (well that seemed to do the trick, yay!). In Bossy Bottom, Zoe shares some personal stories and points out that her longest relationship has been with us, her audience, and that loving exchange works both ways. She talks about the very masculine and often (famously) misogynist tradition of stand up that inspired Dave. She is determined to create, not only a space for herself but a safe space for us, her mostly female fanbase. When I say safe I donā€™t mean conservative, Zoe is provocative, political and downright filthy. The space might be safe but she certainly keeps us on our toes.

Trigger Warning virtually destroyed me, I was weeping so hard from laughing and crying that I was literally nearly falling limp off my seat, but it also remade me as a better woman and comedy lover. I felt she was seeing inside me, expressing thoughts I could barely admit to, but clearly I was not alone. It stopped me feeling ashamed of the aspects of comedy I donā€™t like and canā€™t condone. I think it also helped prepare the way for Hannah Gadsbyā€™s extraordinary Nanette last year that won all the awards and is currently having an extended season in New York.

Bossy Bottom cements Zoe Coombes Marrā€™s place at the forefront of Australian feminist comedy but above all Zoe is freaking hilarious.

Bossy Bottom is on at the Melbourne Town Hall – Powder Room until April 22
https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2018/shows/zoe-coombs-marr-bossy-bottom

CINDY SALMON ā€“ EMPOWERFUL

By Erin HillĀ 

EMPOWERFUL is the second outing for Tantauā€™s motivational comic creation Cindy Salmon who stares with intensity, under platinum bangs and shouts positive reinforcements at all the ladies and ā€œhatstandsā€ in the room. Donning her trademark pink power blazer and drawling New Jersey accent Cindy takes her audience through the steps required to empower yourself.

Those averse to the sound of an air-horn should probably avoid this show. But everyone else should make a point to experience Cindy Salmonā€™s ā€œSalmonarā€ to get a hefty dose of empowerment, and a hefty dose of expertly crafted character comedy to boot. Hayley Tantau has devised a hilarious character and the perfect platform to display her, and this year she is aided by a Moosehead Award grant.

Cindy’s first lesson, to Empower Your Day, will change the way you think about your morning routine and also change your opinion that comedy is not an athletic pursuit. The ā€œSalmonarā€ continues, with Cindy sharing her tips on how to ā€œGET YOURSā€.

Tantau slowly peels away the layers of this brash and bawdy character; with one particular section where Cindy shows off her artwork causing some people to double over in their seats. Similarly an exercise where she collects fears written down by the audience reveals a fearful unassured woman underneath all that snappy bravado.

Tantauā€™s characterisation of a self-help or motivational guru captures the delicate balance of well-intentioned goodwill and veiled narcissism of the entire paradigm. Her creation in Cindy Salmon is so endearingly likeable and evidently flawed. A trip down memory lane veers this character into the absurd, as does the interjections of self-promoting advertisements that break up the ā€œSalmonarā€. Tantauā€™s performance walks the fine line between bizarre and grounded with high-energy finesse.

The Cindy Salmon EMPOWERFUL ā€œSalmonarā€ is a masterclass in character comedy. For a laugh out loud experience and it is that, an experience, don your steel capped combat boots and go see this show.

Cindy Salmon ā€“ EMPOWERFUL plays at the Games Room at ACMI until April 22nd.

Guy Montgomery Doesnā€™t Check His Phone for an Hour

By Peter Newling

A sold out Saturday night crowd converged on the Melbourne Town Hallā€™s magnificent Portico Room for an hour with New Zealand comic Guy Montgomery. A mid seventies version of The Hustle greeted the audience pre-show, and set the tempo for what would be a fast paced hour of stand-up.

Guy Montgomery has all the necessary skills for his chosen profession. He is affable, has a delightful turn of phrase, and great energy. He moves his show along at a cracking pace, making sure heā€™s bringing his audience along with him for the ride.

Heā€™s also a man of his word. At the risk of needing a spoiler alert, the title of the show turns out to be entirely correct. He starts by reverently placing his phone to one side, and manages not to refer to it for the next hour. He helps the audience to match his heroics via the use of a large analogue clock, which he brings on to allay any need to reach for oneā€™s phone.Ā  And this leads him neatly into a discussion on technological addiction, then into the rest of his set.

I was a little disappointed by his choice of material. After some initial stuff on fridge contents and grocery shopping, the show shifted to reflections on his career in comedy thus far. His experiences on the MICF Comedy Road Show, and in trying his luck in the New York comedy scene provided him with a rich source of material ā€“ but I found that the particular anecdotes he chose to share from those situations were a bit passĆ©. Smile-worthy, yes. Chortle-worthy, sometimes. But I felt the routine lacked the big laugh lines which should have resulted from his impressive story telling capacities. Fortunately, his genial demeanour kept the audience well and truly on his side.

There are some powerful messages underpinning this routine about loneliness, and the need for connection in times of failure. Montgomery explores these with a charming self deprecation and candour.

Iā€™m sure this set will appeal to many, and many will relate to his keen observations. I will certainly look forward to seeing what he brings to future festivals.

Guy Montgomery Doesnā€™t Check His Phone for an Hour is playing at the Portico Room at the Melbourne Town Hall until 22 April
https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2018/shows/guy-montgomery-doesn-t-check-his-phone-for-an-hour

The Travelling Sisters ā€“ ToupĆ©

By Peter Newling

Australian comedy is going through a bit of a purple patch, with an amazing generation of young comics coming through ā€“ think Susie Youssef, the Kates, Rama Nicholas, Joel Creasey, <insert name of your favourite young Aussie comic here>. And The Travelling Sisters have well and truly reserved three places at this illustrious table.

Lucy Fox, Laura Trenerry and Ell Sachs are outstanding comics in their own right, but together, theyā€™re a powerhouse.

Walking into to the Backstage room of the Town Hall, we were greeted by these three smiling performers, bedecked in Elizabethan ruffs, who welcomed us to the show. Their easy-going patter with the audience assured us that we were in safe hands.

The three offer an odd combination of sketch, music, dance and physical comedy. Itā€™s a daring brand of shtick that requires lots of trust ā€“ in each other, and of their audience. They are obviously very comfortable performing together, and generate an amazing rapport – both within the sisterhood, and also with the audience.

Their material is brassy, bold and outlandish. Their subject matter covers topics from dancing lollypop ladies to the perils of female gym changerooms to depressed cacti ā€“ all done with an infectious playfulness, cheekiness and an appreciation of the absurd. The audience sing-along is one of the more unusual youā€™re ever likely to be part of.

True of all sketch comedy, some of it works better than others. Their songs are well constructed and beautifully delivered. Their individual character work is terrific ā€“ with a uniform level of OTT-ness and silliness across all three performers.

One of the things that delighted me was the thought that they have put into their transitions. Itā€™s a prop and costume heavy piece, but at no stage were the audience left sitting waiting for the next part of the performance to commence. Even the act of taking a wig out of a suitcase was given the full theatrical treatment. The recorded music underpinning the transitions is astonishing.

The finale is a work of art, and worth the price of admission alone.

In short, this show is a joy. If you thrive on abject silliness and abstraction across a range of disciplines, delivered by three outstanding artists, this could be the show for you.

ToupƩ is playing in the Backstage Room at the Melbourne Town Hall until April 22
https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2018/shows/toupe

Josh Glanc:Ā Karma Karma Karma Karma Karma Chamedian

By Lisa ClarkĀ 

Josh Glanc is a very talented clown and yes, he is Gaulier trained, so by now you know what to expect, excellent character work, a beautifully constructed festival show, mime, laughs, the shedding of clothing, bags of audience participation and a barely comprehensible show title. So if you love this sort of thing, and clearly heaps of people do, Josh is very good at it and you should go along.

Karma Karma Karma Karma Karma Chamedian is a clowny sketch show with some tremendous set pieces including; an ā€˜homageā€™ to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Breakfast Television and miming to some Wil Anderson stand up which was audacious and hopefully approved of by Wil. The running gags of an American Football Line backer and a baby monitor donā€™t work as well, with the baby monitor gags not working and going nowhere. The highlight, was a skit Iā€™d seen in Edinburgh that got me along to see this show and it was a shrewd and extremely silly examination of the pop dance band Acqua. Who knew they had so many (formulaic) hits?

Josh opens his show by coaxing a group of men on stage to play out their rock and roll fantasies in an Air-Guitar rock band and they do have a lot of fun playing Joshā€™s backup band. In doing so Josh sets up his style of show, it’s going to be very full on and silly, though he doesn’t take anyone against their will and doesn’t push them too far. Comedians like Josh really rely on the kindness of strangers and the willingness of audience members to make their show a success, he goes back to these men time and time again throughout the show. Josh is very charming and luckily pretty harmless, but Iā€™m always amazed at how trusting and compliant audience members are with comedians. Anyone taking part should be warned though, that they have to be prepared to have sweat dripped on them because Josh is fairly scantily clad throughout most of the physically demanding show. The sweat and the hair on his body are a little overwhelming and occasionally take my attention away from Joshā€™s comedy antics as I watch his elbow dripping like a tap onto someoneā€™s foot in the front row.

The over arcing narrative is a subtle autobiographical theme as Josh develops his stage persona before us. Trying out straight standup (well miming to Wil Andersonā€™s standup) but not being able to fit in and gradually removing his clothes til heā€™s almost (not completely thank god) naked and finally re-dressing in the black leotard and putting on his mime makeup where he can relax and be himself. Others have done this sort of thing, though Josh doesnā€™t start in a lawyerā€™s business suit, he implements it skillfully and despite the rather schmaltzy ending it is an excellent way to pull his sketches together.

It must have been extremely difficult to give up a future as a lawyer for that of a clown. Ā He has put all that hard work and energy into becoming a comedian and itā€™s paid off.

Josh Glanc:Ā Karma Karma Karma Karma Karma Chamedian is on at The Victoria Hotel

For tickets and information, go to the Festival website:

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2018/shows/karma-karma-karma-karma-karma-chamedian-1