5 Good Reasons to see Woah, Alyssa! 2

1. We’re two lovely boyfriends who do very funny sketch comedy. If you don’t know what sketch comedy is, it’s like a bunch of little gay plays. So if you love comedy but have a short attention span you will love this show!

2. This show is the sequel to our first sketch show, Woah, Alyssa! 1, which ended on a legendary cliffhanger. Come find out who survived the mysterious plane crash!

3. For real tho, this is our second fantastic show at MICF, so you could say this is your chance to see living legends.

4. We know this sounds bold, but our tagline, “queer comedy for normies”, pretty much sums it up; we put on a show that’s very gay and weird but also funny enough that we’re pretty sure your straight grandma can come and have a good time. (If your grandma’s even STRAIGHT)

5. It’s conveniently located at Crowded in the Vaults: Pilgrim Bar at the perfect time of 9.10pm from the wonderful dates of the 26th of March to the 7th of April!

Colwyn & Fil perform Woah, Alyssa! 2 at Crowded in the Vaults: Pilgrim Bar

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2019/shows/woah-alyssa-2

Woah Alyssa! 1 – Colwyn Buckland and Filip Lescaut

By Erin Hill

Woah Alyssa! 1 is a dangerously well-crafted sketch show, its performers Colwyn Buckland and Filip Lescaut weave multiple storylines and characters together, peppering in joyful absurdism and acerbic social commentary with equal skill. Woah Alyssa! 1 is a richly satisfying exploration of a world created by two boyfriends and three white boxes.

Buckland and Lescaut mock the obsession we have with fame and celebrity as a running theme throughout the show. A breakdown of the history of same sex “smooches” on television throws impressive shade at the representation of homosexual relationships in the media. The theme continues in sketches to follow, allowing Buckland’s portrayal of an ageing bigoted former TV star to be particularly poignant. The weight of the themes is not lost on the performers and the recognisable truth in the faux pas they demonstrate bolsters both the comedy of their depictions and the bite in the statements they make.

But for the most part this show is a delightful and impressively well-knit cache of comic characters playing out hilarious scenes. There is a Love Actually reference for keen eyed audience members, which I enjoyed markedly more than anyone else on the night I attended. Woah Alyssa! 1 also includes the best use of a Pussycat Dolls sting that I have ever been privileged enough to witness. This show is full of laugh-out-loud moments and characters you want to see again.

Buckland and Lescaut are effortlessly endearing and their obvious chemistry is incredibly watchable. For a sketch show that pulls engrossing threads together with enviable wit and ease, Woah Alyssa! 1 is a sure bet.

Woah Alyssa! 1 is on at Hare Hole at Hares & Hyenas

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2018/shows/woah-alyssa-1

5 Good Reasons to see Woah, Alyssa!

1. It’s a sketch comedy show, so it’s like a bunch of shows in one; there’s a bit of SNL-style absurdity, some social critique and raunch like Amy Schumer, and characters and themes all chill in one fake universe a la Portlandia. So there’s bound to be something you’ll like – everything!

2. The show’s on at Hares and Hyenas, last Fringe’s Best Venue and also an honest-to-God GAY BOOKSTORE! That’s right, so if you come to the show, the next day at work you can debut a new personality where you go “Yass hunty!” and “talk to the hand!”, and no-one can question you because you just went somewhere REALLY GAY!

3. We made a bunch of dope sketches and chucked ‘em online just so you can see if we’re your cup of tea or not! Would Javier Bardem ever let you see half his movie for free before he made you pay for the whole thing? No! Seriously, fuck him.

4. Colwyn and Fil are boyfriends so not going is a vote “No”. But that’s your business.

5. Isn’t it great to see a show that conjures the memory of Alyssa Milano? Remember that time she was a mermaid? Sorry if you don’t, that’s really sad!

STILL NOT CONVINCED???? Check us out on YouTube

Woah, Alyssa! is on at Hare Hole (Hares & Hyenas) from September 19 to 24

https://www.melbournefringe.com.au/event/woah-alyssa-1/

Dairy Kweenz – Normal Human Responses

By Elyce Phillips DQ Normal Human

Dairy Kweenz (Colwyn Buckland, Taylor Griffiths, Jess Hagan, Filip Lescaut and Lena Moon) are an up-and-coming sketch group based in Melbourne, regularly performing improv at The Improv Conspiracy. Normal Human Responses is their second show, following on from their Fringe Festival debut last year. It’s an entertaining hour, filled with bold characters and plenty of laughs.

Each member of Dairy Kweenz is given their chance to shine in Normal Human Responses. They all prove to be adept at playing big, absurd characters and their foils. A sketch in which Moon played a character who was extremely excited to get a hot toddy was an absolute stand-out. Buckland was also wonderful as a deranged lawyer in a Serial parody sketch. Lescaut was at his best when he was given room to rant. A sketch in which he produced ever more absurd examples of what “most gay men are like” was particularly great. Hagan was more subtle in her performances, playing the straight characters beautifully.

There’s no one theme that ties all of the sketches together, but a thread that does continue through the show is a doctor character performed by Griffiths, who is conducting experiments into various “normal” emotions. The video segments worked well and added some variety to the show.

As with most sketch comedy, the material in Normal Human Responses has its peaks and valleys. The bulk of the show was wonderfully funny, however, some sections ran a little long and it was difficult to hear the quieter lines as the performers were not using mics. The overall pacing of the show was great, though, with higher energy sketches scattered right throughout to keep the audience excited.

Normal Human Responses is a fine second outing from Dairy Kweenz and shows they have staying power as a sketch group. If you’re a fan of sketch comedy, it’s well worth catching this show during its short run.

Dairy Kweenz – Normal Human Responses is on at Speakeasy HQ until April 22
https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2017/shows/normal-human-responses-2

Dairy Kweenz – Human Garbage

By Elyce Philips human-garbage

Although we try and put our best face out in the world, when we look down deep inside, we’re all a bit garbage sometimes. In Human Garbage, Dairy Kweenz (Colwyn Buckland, Taylor Griffiths, Filip Lescaut and Lena Moon) play a cavalcade of characters that represent some of our crummier traits, and you can’t help but laugh as you shamefully relate to them all. It’s a hilarious hour of sketch that will leave you wanting to see more of their misguided creations.

The sketches in Human Garbage are loosely tied together by theme, but the one thing they’ve all got in common is a dedication to strong characters, played with nuance. Buckland, Griffiths, Lescaut and Moon throw themselves into their roles, whether it be a rude businessman, an overly strident feminist or a rapping psychologist.

The most successful pieces didn’t rely on set-ups and punch-lines, but rather had their strength in creating a person on the stage and finding the laughs in the specifics. A sketch satirising big banks trying to win over LGBTI customers – in particular taking aim at ANZ’s “GAYTM” campaign – was an absolute winner. Lescaut’s rendition of a bank manager was pitch-perfect, sitting in an awkward grey area between boasting about his tolerance and attempting to hide his total discomfort.

The show is an impressive effort for a group that only formed at the start of the year. These four performers have the chemistry of a far more seasoned act. Dairy Kweens will be doing a regular spot at the Improv Conspiracy once the Fringe Festival is over, and if Human Garbage is anything to go by, this is a group worth keeping an eye on.

Dairy Kweenz – Human Garbage is on at the Improv Conspiracy Theatre until September 23
https://melbournefringe.com.au/program?event/human-garbage/6509a886-54ad-4d1c-ada0-aa24d1ac4c1e

5 Good Reasons to see Human Garbage

1 – We’re emerging comedians and would love to get some exposure and constructive feedback

2 – We’re a mildly diverse team of four and we all had a hand in sketches, so we hope we’ve ended up with a good array of styles and topics

3 – Literally no audience participation! we might be emerging but we know enough to know everyone hates that. so you can chill out and take your shoes off!

4 – It’s only $10! So you can spend the rest on authentic Dairy Kweenz merch! (we’ll be auctioning off our costumes later)

5 – We don’t think it’s funny anymore because we rehearsed it so many times, but we remember when we thought it was funny so we hope you will too.

Human Garbage is by Dairy Kweenz who are Colwyn Buckland, Taylor Griffiths, Filip Lescaut, Lena Moon & Ivy Latimer)

It is on at The Improv Conspiracy Sept 14 – 23

https://melbournefringe.com.au/program?event/human-garbage/6509a886-54ad-4d1c-ada0-aa24d1ac4c1e