By Lisa Clark 
DeAnne Smith has had a dramatic couple of months leading up to the Festival. She begins by filling us in on all the news. You may have read in the paper or online that her Adelaide run had to be cancelled because her mum passed away and what DeAnne doesn’t mention is that her comedian friends stepped up and performed her show for her fans, sending profits back to her. It’s not hard to see how she has engendered such loving support within our comedy community. She’s so damned adorable and such a fine comedian. To complicate things, she’s also recently fallen in love but she trips lightly over her recent upheavals with a ‘Hey, enough about that – let’s just have a fun time together!’ And we did.
Luckily for DeAnne she had a show ready to go that she can throw herself into, her life changes have cast a different light upon some parts of the show, such as her material about her last relationship breakup but DeAnne is able to laugh that off beautifully. By taking us behind the show DeAnne creates an intimate relationship with her audience and invites us into her world. It’s a relationship where we give her the permission to gently tease and chide us. She also joyfully and knowingly insults the reviewers in the audience. A great way to embrace us into the intimate space she has created. Though I hope she understands that some of us are fans too.
It’s been a joy to watch DeAnne develop as a comedian since first seeing her performing spots in Melbourne, before she officially brought a show out. DeAnne’s style is zippy, sharp and sometimes surprising. There is a hint of (I hate to say it but it’s true) Ellen and a dash of Rita Rudner about her delivery. Hipsters as a topic of comedy are pretty ripe for the picking, though considering comedy audiences in Melbourne, comedians might want to tread carefully here, but it is mind blowing to think that a cool, smart, woman like DeAnne might be intimidated by them. She navigates through her subject matter perfectly; laughing with, rather than sneering at, and certainly has an endearing way of making us feel better about ourselves. Most of her tales have happy endings of sorts and, less surprisingly, she has a delightful nickname for the vagina that Cal Wilson would really appreciate.
DeAnne has a brilliant ability to make every show feel like it’s an extra special performance created just for you. That your night with her will be unique and precious. Which it no doubt is. It’s one of the few times where I don’t feel embarrassed about being greeted by the performer after the show on the way out. It’s a perfect conclusion to the intimate experience where she follows through with a moment of shared appreciation, leaving room for shy ones to duck out.
Audiences to DeAnne’s live show will also get the treat of a bonus track to be found on-line with the password from the show. Get Into It.
DeAnne is performing Get Into It at The Greek Centre in the Mykonos room til April 19
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2015/season/shows/get-into-it-deanne-smith