Tim FitzHigham – Gambler

By Colin Flaherty


Tim Fitzhigham trades in an anthropological form of humour, in this case a study of the weird and wonderful wagers made by English gentleman in years past. Not content to present a mere list of these endeavours and make jokes about them, Tim set out to replicate these efforts with as much accuracy as possible.

He throws himself into these challenges with a passion, enduring injuries and regularly putting his body on the line. It’s easy to assume that some facts have been stretched to tell an amusing story but you also get the impression that the truth is immensely more entertaining than any fiction. Almost everything is documented in detail and shown on a screen to the audience. These videos are available to view on his website; there are no spoilers online though, the results are reserved for the show.

A number of celebrity guests were employed in either background material or as active participants in the tasks. This added some weight to the challenge and painted Tim as the underdog. It conveyed an understated English quality which was necessary to maintain his status without getting too confident and spoiling the anticipation. The audience were engaged throughout the performance with regular polling as to whether or not Tim was successful in each task. This kind of group call and response was effective in uniting the crowd in their cheering on of Tim.

Tim milks humour out of every aspect of the challenges. From the strange antiquated background of the original bets to his experiences during the execution to the results and his thought processes, he has many hilarious lines to keep the audience laughing.

The obsessions that drive performers to present shows such as this is fascinating, adding almost as much pleasure to the scripted lines. The overall story comprised of a chronological sequence of bets together with some related side bets to tell a rollicking tale of adventure and endeavour. The consequences of each bet and the ramifications of the outcomes made for an intriguing case study into the mindset of gamblers, a somewhat dark undercurrent to the jovial celebration of achievement. That the show’s course is navigated via some manipulation emphasised the perils of gambling while simultaneously ensuring that the plot came full circle.

Much like the work of Dave Gorman and Danny Wallace, Tim gave us a hilarious and fun ride in which we were guided by a rather eccentric man. You don’t need to be a betting person to get immense enjoyment from this show but it’s worth taking a gamble on.

Gambler is on at Vic’s Bar at the Victoria Hotel

http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2012/season/shows/gambler-tim-fitzhigham/

Asher Treleaven Troubadour

By Elyce Phillips

Is my life interesting enough to talk about for an hour? This is the question at the center of Asher Treleaven’s Troubadour, the fifth in his continuing series of door-named shows. Luckily for the audience, the answer is a resounding yes. Treleaven delights with stories of growing up with a chaotic assortment of father figures and spending his formative years working as a carnie. His comedy is a seamless blend of the cerebral and the physical, as he waxed lyrical about the nature of masculinity while flouncing about the stage, limbs flailing.

The show opens with a simple explanation of the show’s premise, and it is made clear that Treleaven’s question is not rhetorical. The decision is yours to make. At the end of the show, the audience must pass judgment on the interestingness of Treleaven’s life. But there’s no need to worry! Treleaven helps you answer this question by working through Edward De Bono’s six thinking hats – a problem solving system many of us are all too familiar with from tedious hat-colouring sessions at work or school. The six hats are a constant guiding presence at the back of the stage, including a truly spectacular replica of Princess Beatrice’s pink monstrosity standing in as the red hat – a brilliant investment on Treleaven’s part.

The audience loved every moment of the show, and Treleaven fed off this. One gentleman in the front row was particularly tickled by the image of a person marrying a horse, which led to some great ad-libbing about Bob Katter in the Harry Potter universe. Treleaven’s performing arts background really shines through. He expertly held the attention of every person in the tiny sauna that is the Town Hall Cloak Room, not to mention that his circus training has provided him with a spectacular university graduation piece.

Despite Treleaven’s (entirely accurate) statements about comedians being cynical at heart, Troubadour is an incredibly uplifting show. It tells a story of self-acceptance without being preachy and feels remarkably positive without being saccharine. And it is hilarious. If you’ve yet to see one of  Treleaven’s shows, get yourself to this one.

Asher Treleaven – Troubadour is on at the Melbourne Town Hall in the Cloak Room.

http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2012/season/shows/troubadour-asher-treleaven/

Tessa Waters – A Little Bit of Standing Up and A Little Bit of Falling Down

By Colin Flaherty


With a theme of happiness, Tessa Water’s new show exuded it in abundance. From the high energy opening utilising party poppers and lots of glitter, this was a show full of joy and enthusiasm.

Exploring the quest for happiness throughout her life, Tessa explained the things that provided contentment to her and showed us the often embarrassing things she had done to achieve them. The use of pre-recorded audio with which she could interact was a wonderful device to transport the audience to scenes in her youth. This was especially true of the scenes set in her childhood where we could get the full impact of the awkward younger Tessa fumbling her way through life in her pursuit of happiness.

Tessa was wonderfully expressive in the theatrical pieces, portraying the naivety of a child with the fearlessness of looking silly to get a laugh. Her delivery in the stand up portions of the show was complimentary with her daggy and bubbly personality getting the audience enthused about the minutae of life while simultaneously laughing at Tessa and her silliness; a vital task as this was the crux of the show.

Dancing became a reoccurring motif throughout the show which provided many opportunities for Tessa to strut her stuff, providing lots more colour and movement to an already flamboyant performance. A highlight was the recreation of a rehearsal at Miss Kate’s Dance Academy. This brilliant piece was equal parts heart-breaking pathos and hilariously daggy triumph.

Some quieter moments were used in the closing segments to contrast the high energy performance. One was a cigarette break which included a monologue about her move into the arts. It was a playful mocking of the expectation for her to become a serious adult and disregard all frivolity. This was beautifully complimented by a “Challenging piece of theatre” set to the overture of The Barber of Seville which was wonderfully stupid and deliberately over long; a great parody of overly serious art.

The closing story about her Grandfather was a moving tale that brings home the essence of the show without being too heavy handed. At the conclusion of this lovely performance, the audience left the venue with a smile on their faces and a warm inner glow. It was a perfect show to remind people of the happiness that everyone can achieve.

A Little Bit of Standing Up and A Little Bit of Falling Down is on at The Tuxedo Cat

http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2012/season/shows/a-little-bit-of-standing-up-and-a-little-bit-of-falling-down-tessa-waters/

5 Good Reasons to see Shane Matheson, Jenny Wynter & Elegant Heroin

5 Reasons to See “Shane Matheson and his Fabulous Singing Bucket of Gravel”

1.It’s AT LEAST the second funniest show with a singing bucket of gravel in the festival.

2.You’ll be pleasantly surprised how quickly you can get to the venue. I visited it carrying a bucket of gravel and it not only took ten minutes from the city, but a pregnant lady stood up for the bucket of gravel because it looked tired.

3.I’m giving away a free car* with every ticket

4.My tickets will be much more expensive next year because St Ali hasa knack for discovering great things, like that time they discovered Australia! (Sure, there were already people living here but that’s never counted before).

5.I’m a lovable kook.

http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2012/season/shows/and-his-fabulous-singing-bucket-of-gravel-shane-matheson/

 

5 Reasons to See “An Unexpected Variety Show”.

1. Because the 7 people who saw it last time it was in Melbourne (for the Fringe, where it ended up winning the Award for Excellence in Cabaret), cannot be wrong.

2. Because you simply cannot pass up an opportunity to bathe in cheesy 80’s dance references.

3. Because after sampling the incredible array of comedic talent on offer this Comedy Fest, you feel like trying something a little different on your palate in the form of an emotional roller coaster. Wheeee!

4. Because you relate to your life not having turned out the way you wanted (this show is all about the unexpected twists in life, from unplanned pregnancy to having your wedding interrupted by an elderly man wearing Speedoes.)

5. Because you get to come to the fabooshy Butterfly Club, which is an evening well spent even if the show sucks buttocks.

http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2012/season/shows/an-unexpected-variety-show-jenny-wynter/

 

5 Reasons to See “Bosco & Jekyll – Elegant Heroin”

1. It contains a safe alternative to Auto-erotic asphyxiation .

2. A guy eats a lightbulb with his mouth hole.

3. Instruments featured include: Kazoo, Spoons & beatbox loopedaling.

4. 2 Sydney-based stand-ups who spent over $150 on petrol to get to Vic.

5. There are no references to social networking – that’s a HUGE plus!

http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2012/season/shows/elegant-heroin-bosco-jekyll/

Dave Thornton – The Some of All The Parts

By Jayden Edwards

The incredibly down to earth Dave Thornton returns to the comedy festival fresh from killer runs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and all over the place. His head’s increasingly on the telly, on the radio, man, he must be doing something right.

Dave’s new show “The Some of All The Parts” is just another big fat slice of that “something”. The show is structured around an impending gig for a group of 12 year old private school kids, a terrifying thought, even for a seasoned professional public speaker like Dave. It’s the lead up to that faithful day that Dave draws his material, fleshing out hair-brained schemes to spark inspiration on how to inspire, like a well timed dream opportunity to interview a personal hero and an awkward sit-in on his mums sex ed class.

Dave squeezes every conceivable laugh from the story aspect of the show, while managing to tie in some general observational told with expert comic timing and larrikinism. Dave riffs off the audience with the best of them, the show flows effortlessly, there’s heart and soul behind the jokes, he’s charming, quick, witty
. I could go on and on! I guess what i’m trying to say is, Dave just doesn’t put a foot wrong. The ending is a classic underdog tale of conquering fear and kicking 12 year old school kid butt! Well, if they kids weren’t inspired, I was.

The simple fact is, stand-up just doesn’t get much better that this. Just straight, witty, accessible stand-up. A Dave Thornton gig is guaranteed gold. (Trust me, I saw him perform twice that night.)

Dave Thornton is on at Swiss House.

http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2012/season/shows/the-some-of-all-the-parts-dave-thornton/

Xavier Michelides – The Brain Whisperer

By Lisa Clark

Xavier is one of those comedians who’s talent can make your jaw drop and your brain think, “why isn’t he more famous yet?” There are so many superb zany ideas, whacky characters and silly voices packed into his show that in other hands it might have been a bit messy but Xavier’s brain has not let him down.

Xavier has crafted an ingenious network of sketches, monologues, mime and even interpretive dance to map the many aspects we associate with the complex and mysterious brain. The membrane holding the show altogether is a fictional relationship Xavier has with his own brain and although there is much silliness and amusement in them chatting, bickering and splitting up to find new partners, it is this story that gives us a real insight into the brain of a working comedian and an idea of where the show’s concept may have originated.

Xavier’s sketches are all brain related, of course and if I have any faults to pick it would be that there are slightly awkward pauses between them where the audience was unsure about whether to clap and that their might have been a few too many characters for the audience’s poor brains to keep up with. Though Xavier does have a knack for picking the perfect comedy voices to go with his characters. The sketches include; the relationship between Emotions and Memory which were portrayed beautifully as characters in conflict, the inevitable psychiatrist and patient relationship and God and Gabriel discussing faith. A regular running gag is some sudden brain related commercials for products such as drugs to make your dreams continue or ‘celebrity brain snacks’.

A strong aspect of the show is blocks of straight standup comedy by Xavier which are attached to the main membrane of plot, but also inspires off shooting skits. These are conventionally funny and are exceptional examples of how the best comedians are able to slot their stand up gear into an interesting hour long festival show. In one of the skits, Xavier has written a call back that is so impressive that it receives a round of applause.

Xavier has been blessed with a comedian’s funny face and anyone who has seen his nutty TV adverts for this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival will agree that his face alone can make you laugh. This is beautifully combined with intelligent writing, perfect comic timing and superb character acting skills. He reminds me a little of a young Rowan Atkinson with loads of potential and a definite star on the rise. This is not a personal heart on sleeve show but it is a very entertaining look into the mind of a very funny guy.

Xavier Michelides – The Brain Whisperer in on at The Portland Hotel
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2012/season/shows/the-brain-whisperer-xavier-michelides-is/