By Peter Hodgson
Have you ever had to white-knuckle a night without your meds? Scout Boxall definitely has. Boxall’s 2025 MICF show sees them face this dreaded dilemma in what’s gotta be one of the worst times and places to have to go through a mental health crisis: the night before a LARP wedding in regional Victoria, far away from precious Seroquel and getting deeper and deeper into the sort of stuff that your mind throws at you when you’re off your meds and getting into your medieval nun outfit.
This is the setting for a theatrical confessional that ponders the LARPy charms of medieval life verses what it really might have meant to be on the spectrum in the oldentimes. It could easily have gotten real dark and stayed that way, but Boxall expertly lifts us back up at the perfect moment, often with emphasis from the most utterly perfect sound and light cues. Sometimes it’s as subtle as a background light effect gently shifting with the story. Sometimes it’s a Scout-on-Scout conversation, or an atmospheric soundscape under a monologue, or a perfectly timed audio sting on a particular word. Boxall certainly doesn’t need all this stuff in order to be funny, but it sure is a treat to see this level of production after previously enjoying shorter standup sets at local shows.
Boxall has crafted a show that is relatable, intimate and sensitive, and which had me cackle-laughing, particularly at some of the specific references (Questacon, a certain type of jellybean, an infamous Scienceworks incident). It’s an ultimately uplifting story, beautifully punctuated with amazing atmospherics.
God’s Favourite is on at The Malthouse until April 20
https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/scout-boxall-god-s-favourite/