Author: admin

Dane Simpson & His Dad – The King and I

By Bren Carruthers

For anyone who has followed Dane Simpson’s career, this concept is perhaps something of an inevitability – stories about his dad, Bow, have been a pretty consistent staple of his material for years, almost placing Bow on a semi-mythical pillar. Now Bow finally hits the Big Smoke and takes the stage alongside Dane at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in The King and I.

At its core, the show centres on the pair’s (ultimately brief) appearance on the celebrity version of The Amazing Race Australia, with a smattering of other anecdotes spinked into the set along the way. Bow, with a comfortable chair and prop crown, plays a role as part offsider, part heckler, part hijacker, throwing up tangents, curveballs and dad jokes as Dane alternates between performing and parent-wrangling. It makes for a charming, organic chemistry, spiked with a hint of danger – Bow’s anarchic approach and penchant for an off-colour joke or two has Dane on his toes throughout. It makes for a loose, silly and enjoyable show.

Bow’s ‘performance’ – perhaps not as a polished comedian, but certainly playing to the audience – is ultimately an emblem of classic Australian larrikinism: not the hypermasculine variant, with its cocksure bravado, but the kind of larrikinism that is deftly cheeky, wildly silly and in bold defiance of authority, a type of character that is relatable and appealing to both Indigenous and white/colonising Australians. Although many would identify the archetype as very characteristically Australian, it’s a rare phenomenon to see in a Melbourne Comedy Festival show in 2024, and by that token, certainly a refreshing and welcome one.

Perhaps the question now is what effect this show will have on Dane’s material into the future. With Bow now 70 and living in Lightning Ridge in remote New South Wales, and Dane with a newborn on the way, it’s more likely that performing as a pairing will be a novelty than a regular occurrence. It feels somewhat like it could be a watershed moment in Dane’s career: does he turn the page here and look to apply his storytelling style to fresh topics? Or perhaps the new addition to the family will inspire a whole different perspective on Dane and Bow’s relationship? With Dane’s natural, down-to-earth ease and charm, storytelling skill and eye for the ridiculous, there’s no doubt he’ll be a regular fixture of the national comedy scene for many years to come.

The King and I is on in the Acacia Room of the Victoria Hotel at 7:20pm (6:20pm Sundays, no Mondays) until the end of the festival.

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2024/shows/the-king-and-i

Viggo Venn: British Comedian

By Jess Welch 

Sometimes you see a comedian that entirely defies description. Viggo Venn is that performer. As a reviewer, it is a nightmare. As an audience member, it is a delight.

Venn brings the energy, even before he hits the stage. If you have seen any of his stint on Britain’s Got Talent – in which he made it to the final – you’ll generally know what to expect. If you haven’t, I recommend not looking it up beforehand. I hadn’t and I believe 100% that it was the right choice. Let yourself be surprised.

The only thing to note before you go is that the sign outside warns of “audience participation”. Take this warning seriously, but don’t be scared. Venn is like sunshine incarnate and it’s all in good fun. It’s a good
chance to not take yourself too seriously. Leave your inhibitions at the door. The show is as good as the audience. The more you give, the more you’ll get. Let out the screams, the full belly chuckles, even the snorts. It’s a safe space.

Venn is part clown, part comedian, part hair and more than a few hi-vis vests. A Norwegian by birth, he moved to the UK to become a British Comedian. If you’re worried the accent might throw you off, don’t
worry. His main communication methods are facial expressions and flailing. He is fluent in both.

This is a show for anyone and everyone. The audience, the night I went, ranged from children to pensioners, all whooping and giggling. There were couples, families, friends and even some people on their own. Yet Venn makes the audience seem as one, somehow. As if we are one big, happy, slightly odd friendship group. Perhaps the effect might be spoilt in a bigger room, but then again, Venn’s powers of the absurd might just make it work.

It’s wonderful to let yourself get swept away on the tide of complete and utter joyful madness.
And it is madness. It almost feels as if Venn has gotten just as lost in it as the audience, giggling and giddy, but somehow brings the show to a perfectly scripted finish. It’s masterful and baffling and I enjoyed every second.

Viggo Venn: British Comedian is on at Trades Hall – Common Rooms Bar. 

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2024/shows/viggo

Chris Parker: Give Me One Good Reason Why I Shouldn’t Throw My Phone Off this Bridge

By Lisa Clark

Chris Parker is dancing to his own private dance mix of bangers (such as Stupid Love by Lady Gaga) from his phone on stage while the audience files in. He says it’s silly to wait behind the curtain, and anyway he wants to hang out with us and not feel left out. FOMO is a big part of the generation addicted to their phones and the connection with other people that it represents. He’s creating a real party atmosphere and maintains that throughout.

Chris is larger than life, loud and passionate, cheery and cheeky. Exuding fun and mischief, he is having a ball on stage and it encourages the audience to join in. The final song on Chris Parker’s opening house music playlist, Avril Lavigne’s Complicated, is significant and takes us back to his 12th birthday party with all the complicated and awkward memories it evokes.

While exploring his youth, he talks about how the use of his mobile phone has changed over the years. About how important it is in making plans and communicating with friends and loved ones, how group chats have become increasingly complicated. There are now so many ways of chatting on every app and how everyone is creating content and constantly in fear of feeling locked out. He himself has become popular on Tic Tok and live streaming on Instagram which went viral during lockdown, though he doesn’t delve into this (that was a previous show). He knows he’s part of the problem.

He goes into a deeper dive of his 20s and how awful they could be. How it was easier to make friends, though not necessarily ones that are good for you, how he came out and lost his virtue. I’m amazed at how he was able gloss over these massive experiences so flippantly with easy jaunty jokes. He’s our dear eager to please friend, making sure we’re here for a good time.

Give Me One Good Reason Why I Shouldn’t Throw My Phone Off this Bridge is the kind of show that’s feels like hanging out with a vivacious friend, in this case at a rowdy party that never gets too wild. Because Chris is in his 30s now and would rather cuddle up in front of the TV at home with his husband than party all night with the ravers.

It should be no surprise that Chris is a great comedian, he’s won New Zealand’s top comedy awards, the Fred (named for Fred Dagg, a character by John Clarke) and the Topp Awards (named for the iconic Topp Twins). He’s also well-known there for Winning Celebrity Treasure Island and coming runner-up on Series 3 of Taskmaster NZ. The show is funny throughout and he ends with a string of social media drafts that are an excuse for rapid fire quick gags. The audience came out raving to each other, bursting with praise for him and I was pretty impressed with a grin on my face too. We really had a fantastic time at the Chris Parker party.

Chris Parker performs Give Me One Good Reason Why I Shouldn’t Throw My Phone Off this Bridge at The Westin One

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2024/shows/give-me-one-good-reason-why-i-shouldn-t-throw-my-phone-off-this-bridge

Kirsty Mann: Skeletons

By Lisa Clark

I love a good Coming Out Festival show and this is a highly entertaining one. Kirsty Mann is not gay though, she is coming out as a comedian who is also Doctor and also a fragile human with foibles, insecurities and a brain the size of a planet.

Coming from a grand tradition of Medical Doctors who become comedians such as Graeme Garden, Graham Chapman, Harry Hill, Ken Jeong and our own Rob Sitch, Kirsty’s comedy is so sharp you could cut yourself with it. It’s not really a medical comedy as such, but she’s certainly got a lot of eye-opening, comical hospital anecdotes. There is going to be quite a bit of blood and hospital talk, so it’s not for the easily squeamish. Luckily she has a great bedside manner that charms and wins over the audience very quickly.

Kirsty welcomes us cheerfully into the space and opens with some light audience interaction. She calls it a “Safe Space”, and as she picks out punters to answer her questions I think “But IS it though?” and of course it is. Kirsty knows exactly what she is doing and she’s making a point. It’s all about feeling highly uncomfortable in social situations when very standard small talk questions come up like, ‘So what do you do?’ and ‘What have you been up to?’ For someone trying to hide a double life these are especially nerve-wracking.

Kirsty is a brilliant storyteller and does the voices well, by creating characters that include her sassy, gay, Irish best friend, his snooty, posh actress friend, Kirsty’s annoying arrogant crush, and her German gossipy workmate. She apologises for the Australian accent she attempts when bringing her strict boss to life, it’s not great but she makes it part of the silly fun.

In amongst the ups and downs of amusing tales from her life she hits the inevitable, looming mountain that is 2020 and the horrors of working in a London hospital during Covid. It is visceral and moving, giving depth and poignancy to the performance as well as being the catalyst for coming out. We do not linger too long in the darkness, Kirsty swiftly moves us back to the laughs and conclusion of her tale.

Kirsty is well known for clever and silly online sketch videos via social media and it’s always wonderful when an online performer proves that they are equally adept at performing to live audiences. Skeletons is the smartest storytelling comedy show I’ve seen in a while, sophisticated, tight and layered. It’s a shame her run in Melbourne is so short, see her if and when you can.

Kirsty Mann performs Skeletons until April 7 at The Malthouse

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2024/shows/kirsty-mann

Frankie McNair in An Intimate Evening With Tabitha Booth

By Peter Hodgson

It was during The Days Of Lockdown that I first noticed Frankie McNair posting the odd video where they played a sort of old-timey Hollywood starlet character doing line readings. “Dance? Oh no, I don’t dance, I don’t dance [damaged expression] …anymore…” I don’t know if this led directly to the invention of Tabitha Booth but it sure feels like it. A bit of backstory: Tabitha is a star of yesteryear with a roster of films, TV shows, cabaret and burlesque. She’s led a very French lifestyle, oo-er. She’s rubbed shoulders and probably other bits with legendary movers and shakers. And found great success with the character of Long Fork Lady, success that overshadowed her other achievements until the true Tabitha was left in the dark. People didn’t want to see Tabitha. They wanted to see the lady with the extremely long fork. Tabitha wanted to make it outside of cutlery-based comedy.

And that brings us to An Intimate Evening With Tabitha Booth. We find Tabitha making a triumphant return to the stage as she regales us with tales from her days of glamour and stardom, complete with musical numbers from her prestigious career (including a hitherto unheard submission for the theme to Goldeneye that you just have to hear to believe). But things soon start to go just a little bit wrong: invited guests don’t show up, there are issues procuring props, Tabitha hits the pills, her stage manager Harris tries his best to work with what he has, and Tabitha ends up having a little psychedelic freak-out that exposes her deep resentment of and debt to her past success.

Frankie McNair is such a naturally funny, charismatic little comedy gremlin, and the Tabitha Booth alter-ego provides plenty of scope for their many talents, from dancing to singing to a real command of the ‘the mouth says one thing while the face says another’ school of acting as Tabitha’s mask slips. And this may be a comedy show but there are some genuine moments of real, poignant emotion, particularly a video segment where a throes-of-success Tabitha, eyes glittering with optimism, reveals her thoughts on artistic purpose and the spectre of failure.

I saw this performance last year too, and while the general show is more or less the same, the 2024 incarnation is lifted up by McNair’s increased comfort with the character. There’s now more of an understanding of what Tabitha is capable of, more nimbleness in catching little moments to build improv out of, and just a generally deeper journey into the world building. I’d love to see Tabitha continue her story, and can’t help but think what a Tabitha Booth TV show would be like, maybe showing us her day-to-day life intercut with clips of her classic performances and interviews. The character herself is becoming so well fleshed out now that it feels like time to let her truly run free, out of the pronged shadow of the Long Fork Lady.

Frankie McNair performs An Intimate Evening With Tabitha Booth at the Town Hall til April 7

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2024/shows/an-intimate-evening-with-tabitha-booth

Cameron James – Mixtape

By Lisa Clark

Cameron James is a talented musical comedian who’s been around for a while popping up on TV and at gigs, but this is my first full show with him and his glorious, hilarious (I don’t use this word lightly), gorgeously romantic Mixtape really blew me away.

The atmosphere is set for the audience as we enter with nostalgic and emotionally charged house music. On stage there is an old fashioned boom box, Cameron’s electric guitar and the ubiquitous screen. Most shows I’ve seen this year have had a screen, but Cameron uses it fairly sparingly and intelligently, helping the audience with the witty lyrics of the songs, and giving us a real glimpse into his past.

Cameron is very relaxed on stage with the vibe of a mate telling you some jawdropping stories in a pub or at a party. He also has the perfect show ice-breaker, a funny song on his guitar about teen love and been ferried about by your dad. It’s a banger that gets the audience’s toes tapping and the audience feel safe and warmed up for a brilliant hour of laughs.

The laughs come thick and fast with belly laughs hitting and tears flowing. Tears of laughter and tears of poignancy. There are not as many songs as I’d expected from a Mixtape. I thought it might be a list of 10 songs with a show wrapped around it but there were only 4 or 5 songs and they were intertwined in the story, moving it along and telling their own tales, like the songs do in the best musicals.

A love letter to growing up in Newcastle, hanging out with his daggy mates, growing up, dreaming of kissing a girl and meeting her at a blue light disco. SMS messenger, slam dancing, young love and a first job. Cameron is a stunning, evocative storyteller, conjuring nostalgia for an audience who were not there but can easily relate.

At the centre of it all is an epic tale that involves a speeding ticket, his first job at a horror themed dinner theatre restaurant called Koffin that becomes a dream job and turns into a nightmare. This has a bit of a vibe of the TV show The Bear, where he brings the characters of the skanky venue to life and even the worst become somewhat lovable. The tale is insane, hilarious and goes to unexpected places. It includes a whole medieval style temptation by the devil vs angel type thing that is just the cherry on the top for me.

Mixtape is a show full of really awesome, original comedy songs and beautiful insights by a grown man looking back to his youth. He admits to his follies and some dumb decisions, but it never gets very dark. This is musical comedy after all. He may be looking at his past through slightly rose coloured glasses, but with a show this funny, who needs the ugly truth? I cannot recommend this show more highly, but particularly for lovers of romance. This is one to take your crush to, it might just get you laid.

Cameron James Mixtape is on at Rydges Two until April 21

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2024/shows/mixtape