By Peter Newling 
Storyville is an unusual venue. A fairytale themed bar is not really what you expect to find on Lonsdale Street – but hey, this is Melbourne. The décor makes it look like an escape room designed by the brothers Grimm. In an upstairs bar, surrounded by oversized fairytale books, a small but expectant crowd settled in for the show.
Rachael Millanta is a 26 year old comic from the central coast of NSW – an area she describes as bogan central. But there’s no traces of boganism in Millanta’s presentation. This is intelligent, informed and articulate humour.
At the age of five, the young Rachael had lofty expectations of her older self, and took time out of her busy schedule to write her older self a letter outlining her hopes and dreams. How well 26 year old Rachael stacks up, you’ll have to come and see for yourself.
Rachael’s set is pieced together through a series of stories related to her growing up, her relationships with her family members, her experiences with housemates and pets. Her own expectations of herself are counterpointed with the expectations that others have of her – and this is beautifully illustrated over the course of the hour.
References to various TV shows provide a neat, ongoing thread through the piece, and her revelations of self discovery are well constructed and nicely delivered.
This is Millanta’s first foray into the MICF – but I get the feeling it won’t be her last. She has all the skills necessary to make her voice heard in the industry. Her background is in impro – and with experience, she will allow more of that spontaneity to creep into her scripted pieces. There’s real confidence in her delivery, and infinite potential to develop a genuine warmth with her audience. It’s great to see another fresh, articulate Gen Z voice on the scene.
Rachael Millanta – Lower Your Expectations is playing til 21 Apr at Storyville
https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2019/shows/lower-your-expectations