Tag: Aurélia St Clair

Aurelia St Clair – Woke 2.0

By Erin Hill 

My initial observation of Woke 2.0 was how deftly Aurelia St Clair demonstrates that quintessentially Australian quality of being able to take the piss out of herself. In truth, what Aurelia demonstrates time and time again throughout her show is that the idea of anything being “quintessentially” anywhere is outdated. Aurelia takes the piss out of herself and society with hilarious flair.

This young woman of German and Cameroon descent shares stories spanning her life. The stereotypes of being German, and of being black are contrasted, often at almost exact odds with each other. St Clair skewers the gentrification of dumpster diving as “free-ganism” in the magazines she loved as a teen; much to the horror of her Jehovah’s Witness mother. Her take on the metaphors employed by Jehovah’s Witnesses to laud the preservation of virginity was an applause break earning highlight of the show.

Aurelia delivers her material with a sardonic drawl and a winning smile, gleefully aware of the delicate sensibilities of her predominantly Caucasian crowd. Drawing on her unique upbringing this German and Cameroonian Melburnian raised a Jehovah’s Witness almost certainly has a perspective you haven’t considered. And isn’t that what being “woke” is all about.

You can see Aurelia St Clair perform Woke 2.0 at The Victoria Hotel until April 18th

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2021/shows/woke-2-0

5 good reasons to see Aurélia St Clair: Woke

1. You will receive a questionnaire that will tell you just how woke you are

2. Has a Jehovah’s witness ever knocked on your door? Want to talk about it after the show? I used to be one and all the door knocking has really prepared me for stand up comedy

3. My comedy style has been described as deadpan, sassy, disarming and funny as f*ck and I know that’s your jam cause jelly don’t shake like this

4. I play some dope intro and outro music so download shazam and wear your dancing shoes

5. I’ve invited my crush to the show, please buy a ticket so I don’t look like a loser when she comes to see the it!!

Woke is on at Crowded in The Vaults from March 24 to April 5
https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2020/shows/woke

The Breast of the Fest

By Jess Welch 

Breast of the Fest is an all-female, all the time show featuring the youngest and best emerging female comedians. With 6 rotating regulars and each show hosting a guest “breast”, you never quite know what you’re going to get. It’s a refreshing show, with each of the comics bringing something different to the evening, but all bringing more than a few laughs.

The performers I saw were MC Rose Bishop,  Aurelia St Clair, Avery Hutley, and Claire Hagan. While all the performers predictably touched on the material only a woman could perform, they make sure the night is inclusive. I was surprised at the number of men in the audience, and all seemed to be enjoying themselves just as much as the ladies. It’s fully inclusive and the cast is diverse, apart, of course, from gender. They all come from different backgrounds, and each stand up style is wildly different from the last. Perhaps not every performer will appeal to each viewer, but as with every shared show, the next performer is a fresh start. But I can’t say that any performer performed any better than any other and the audience seemed to enjoy them all equally.

The guest performers are women from around the festival, who will give you a little taste of their show or style. On this night it was Eve Ellenbogen who’s show is called Too Much. The show has played host to many of the biggest names in female comedy and the regulars are sure to one day be counted amongst their numbers. The raw talent is astounding, and I will be looking forward to seeing them all in their next shows. I hope one day to see them on our TV’s and playing the biggest stages in the country.

Whether you’re a woman, or just know women, this is a show well worth seeing.

The Breast of the Fest is on at Trades Hall

 https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2019/shows/the-breast-of-the-fest  

Breast of the Fest

By Hooi Khaw 

Breast of the Fest delivers on its pun, showcasing a delightful line up of hand-picked local female talent. Despite the gendered name of the show, there appeared to be an equal number of men in the audience enjoying the content equally.

Katherine Allen is the MC for the night, with a warm welcoming stage presence that sets the mood for the fun night ahead. Allen regales us with stories from her experiences with men, some of which have a bizarre almost surrealist feel. Using props to support an otherwise hard to believe story (because it is so ridiculously funny), Allen does a superb job of warming the stage and keeping the energy high for the other acts.

Donna Collins seems like an agile cat, in comic form; she deftly jumps from one idea to somewhere totally unexpected, keeping the audience in stiches. This is an art form, and Collins is an artist who makes something that is inherently difficult look effortless. She has perfected the slightly awkward stage persona, without compromising on presence. There is no discomfort in watching her, only joy.

Aurélia St Clair has a distinctive deadpan delivery that complements her edgy comedy. With as many surprise twists as Collins, a number of which resulted in groans from the audience, St Clair is not afraid to cross some boundaries. However, this suited the crowd who enjoyed her ability to turn a potentially heavy topic like race, into comedy.

Rose Bishop was next, sharing details and observations of her neuroses, her dating life, and the inner workings of her relationship with her father. Her astute observations were extremely relatable and perfectly balanced with a mixture of honesty, weirdness and humour.

Special breast, Geraldine Hickey, had the crowd onside from the moment she skulled her wine i.e. As soon as she walked on stage. As a seasoned performer Hickey has the ability to effortlessly riff on topics seemingly unprepared, advising that she had forgotten she was scheduled to perform that night. Hickey had the men in the room laughing the hardest at the female specific material.

A wonderful collection of rising talent to watch, with an extremely popular show that repeated sells out – get in early to buy tickets!

Breast of the Fest is on at Imperial Hotel – Tony Room https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2018/shows/the-breast-of-the-fest