The Travelling Sisters – NOO SHO

By Lisa Clark
Travelling Sisters

The Travelling sisters ( Lucy Fox, Laura Trenerry and Ell Sachs) are one of the best new comedy sketch trios I’ve seen in a while. Considering this was the 2nd performance of their new show, Noo Sho was a pretty entertaining hour of sketch comedy.

Noo Sho is not the kind of show trying to make you think or learn, it’s just pure, adorable silliness. The skits themselves don’t really have any connecting theme. They are mostly short and only a song about the High School Formal runs a bit too long. It could do with some backing music to pump it up too. Some skits are plain perplexing and some don’t go anywhere interesting but the performers are always engaging & fun to spend time with. I’m always impressed by comedic performers who are willing to forget their ego on stage to get the laughs. The best sketch was about two ladies in a dressing room after yoga with the universal humour of someone who keeps up a conversation when you just wish they would leave but are too polite to say. It plays out beautifully with a bit of weirdness towards the end that almost spoils it. All the more interesting because it is about getting changed and that is a big part of this show.

The costume changes have to be addressed because the costumes and wigs are elaborate and impressive and most of the changes happen on the lit stage. They have written some lovely music for these interludes and the little bits of audience interaction are delightful (not too overdone) but they sometimes feel longer than some of the skits. They are pretty good at choreography, so a bit more stylisation – even if it was just for 1 or 2 of the changes would add some interest for the audience. If not I’m sure these bits will tighten up as the show goes on.

It is not surprising to learn that they are all Gaulier girls. It shows in their physical prowess and strong stage presence. This helps them get laughs from the flimsiest of pretexts. There are also a lot of great ideas, but some need a bit of work to bring them to a more satisfying level. They asked for feedback at the end and my main advice would be to open with the toadstools & do a bit more with them. Otherwise an enjoyable hour with heaps of potential.

NOO SHO is on at Lithuanian Club – The Loft & Arts House – Underground from September 15 to 23

https://www.melbournefringe.com.au/event/the-travelling-sisters-noo-sho/

The First Annual (Doris to insert) Festival

By Colin Flaherty
first annual

Blinded by the chance to appear on “Australia’s Got Festivals”, the community of Bess County embark on an ambitious town festival in spite of lack of funds, selfish individual motives and an AWOL Mayor. So begins the first stage effort of sketch group Bess County (Elyce Phillips, Simon Hawkings, Brendan Wan, Tino Merino and Fiannah De Rue).

This world was populated by plenty of wacky characters such as De Rue’s eccentric Lady Wellington, Hawkings’ DJ Gary Biscuit and Phillips’ heartbroken Tour Guide Martine. Most of the characters were introduced perfectly on their brilliant facebook page using cartoons, videos and interviews, however their translation to the stage was often a letdown.

The cast were clearly having a great time performing and this enthusiasm was infectious, but the delivery of the script wasn’t always as broad as it should have been which resulted in flat exchanges and lacklustre jokes. When they did manage to play it big they got some great laughs. Bigger wasn’t always better as demonstrated by Merino’s pre-recorded Mayoral Skype conversations that were rambling, very messy and added little to the story.  These were entertaining characters to spend time with but unfortunately the laughs weren’t consistant.

There were some great ideas in this play (their take on a beauty pageant was especially inspired) but were often not pushed far enough. The audience raffle was a cute idea to enhance the country town feel of the piece but the lack of sizzle and not actually showing the lame prizes within gave us an odd scene that went nowhere except for one audience member getting a showbag.

The logic of this world was a little confusing at times. The townsfolk’s interactions with the Mayor and TV types saw them as ineffective country bumpkins but within the town community, each had their own sophisticated agenda which suggested more. The stakes of holding a successful festival beyond the TV angle weren’t clearly shown and most of the slight comical conflicts were exchanges between people who were off in their own little worlds, so it felt as if not much actually happened in some scenes.

One of my pet peeves is long periods of dark stage between scenes and unfortunately this show had this in droves. A bit of background music and a couple of videos helped pass the time but it was still annoying.

This was a valiant first effort at Fringe that that was fun but didn’t quite nail it.

The First Annual (Doris to insert) Festival is on at Club Voltaire from September 15 to 23

https://www.melbournefringe.com.au/event/the-first-annual-doris-to-insert-festival/

Dr Chris’s Theory of Everything

By Conor Merrigan-Turner
Dr Chris Lassig

Picture your high school science teacher or university professor. Think about their dry sense of humor, human disconnection and how alienated you felt when they went on one of their complicated science tangents, well don’t worry. Dr Chris’s Theory of Everything was almost opposite; the only archetypal things about him were his homage to the Doctor Who attire and his youthful passion for scientific knowledge.

Dr Chris is the voice of science on 3CR 885AM. He presents latest research and interviews guests about how science impacts our day to day lives. His Festival show begins with his journey towards being a Doctor of Physics, from his childhood dreams to his career aspirations. Although Melbourne Fringe Festival isn’t exactly MIT, he is an advocate for the scientific world, spreading the words of the scientific minds that have come before him, that, in truth have set us towards inevitable doom and communicated this to audiences who presumably had no knowledge of this prior. I say presumably because once Dr Chris had informed us about the crucial role quantitative physicists had in the majority of global recessions, it was met with a gasps. Do not be put off by this, the show is so well structured and balanced it does not feel heavy handed or overly incomprehensible.

Chris’s sensitivity to the complexity of the universe that he discusses was very entertaining. Dr Chris and his trusty whiteboard captivated even the younger audiences with relevant pop cultural cues, and mixed theoretical discussion, with a side of Kate Winslet references.

Science was put on display in an honest cynical light which is hard to ignore, but also with a whole lot of humanity. Making us laugh with universal self-pity and joy that we are ALL blind in this mouse trap (some less than others). It was truly comforting knowing even an esteemed Physicist had a lot to learn as well. Seeing a physicist having an audience cackling with laughter when talking about such dense and serious topics is impressive. It seemed certain that not only did you walk out with a sense of fulfillment from seeing a comedy show which delivered comedy, but also one that made you feel a little wiser. There is a saying “As your area of knowledge grows, so too does your perimeter of ignorance” and we certainly walked out questioning a lot more. I would like to think this is the direction comedy is going, stepping onward into intellectual discussions as well as lighthearted humour.
This performance was substance rich and equally comically satisfying. If you are looking for a night out with colleagues, family or friends join the discussion with Dr Lassig.

Dr Chris’s Theory of Everything is on at Arts House – Parlour Room until September 22

https://www.melbournefringe.com.au/event/dr-chriss-theory-of-everything/

5 Good Reasons to see Ben Volchok Presents…

1. Comedy radio plays, live on stage! Thrilling! Exciting!

2. I do all the voices. Yes, even that one.

3. One episode involves spies and counterfeit money and the other one has Satanists and disappearing buttocks.

4. If you’re a fan of The Goon Show or Hancock’s Half Hour or any of the classic radio comedies, you’ll enjoy Ben Volchok Presents…. This style of humour is very close to my heart and I’ve attempted to channel my love of these wonderful programmes into my writing. There’s lots of quick dialogue, absurdity and wordplay.

5. It’s very, very silly.

Ben Volchok Presents… is on at Howey Downstairs & The Butterfly Club – Downstairs from September 23 to October 1

https://www.melbournefringe.com.au/event/ben-volchok-presents/

5 Good reasons to see Virgin Bloody Mary

1. The free food and wine. It’s just like when you go to church for the yummy crackers and wine, or because your dad promises you a Freddie frog after.

2. There are no words in the whole show. You don’t have to understand English or have even gone to school.

3. The Virgin Mary is a badass superhero who has a permit from the government to commit exorcisms pretty much whenever.

4. There is a part of the show that features a realistic tour of the human anatomy. Cool!

5. Sh*t gets really, really weird. It also has a 5 star review and an award nomination from Perth Fringe World.

Virgin Bloody Mary is on at Errol’s from September 21 to 26

https://www.melbournefringe.com.au/event/virgin-bloody-mary/

Hit By A Blimp – I’m Here

By Colin Flaherty
Hit By A Blimp

I’m Here is the second Fringe outing from the collective Hit By A Blimp (Caitlyn Staples, Jayden Masciulli and Tiana Hogben), this time exploring the intricacies and minefields of social interactions. Through sketches and musical numbers, we see awkward small talk between two strangers narrated through song, all the possible reasons why your crush hasn’t answered your messages, a third wheel overdoing it trying to join an activity and creative ways to exit a dull situation.

The trio bounced off each other effortlessly and brought their individual talents to the table. Hogben was the strongest singer while the others endeared with their exaggerated performances and interpretive dance. Masciulli sold his comedic anxiety well and along with Hogben acted as straight people to Staples’ wonderful hammy wackiness.

There were plenty of brilliant ideas in this show but in terms of strength of sketches, it was a mixed bag. Some scenes used extensive props for nothing more than lukewarm punchlines. Others were strong concepts that petered out at the end. When they did manage to pair the brilliant ideas with enough hilarious material to fill the sketch, they had me and the rest of the audience laughing heartily.

The way each scene interconnected with the others was a little confusing at times, often with only a throwaway line later on to connect the dots. Minimal costuming meant that many characters seemed so interchangable that you didn’t realise they were different until several lines in. Some sketches seemed to be out of place amongst all the sketches set at parties and with recurring 20 something characters even though they stuck to the theme. With their strange settings and characters, it was these scenes that really stood out and impressed. You’ll certainly never see marine buoys or your food deliverer the same way again!

This show was a fun hour of sketch. Despite the patchiness of some of the jokes, there were plenty of laughs to keep the audience chuckling throughout.

I’m Here is on at Courthouse Hotel – The Jury Room from September 13 to 17

https://www.melbournefringe.com.au/event/im-here/