Birthday Girls: Sh!t Hot Party Legends

By Ron Bingham
Birthday Girls

Once again the Birthday Girls (Beattie Edmondson, Rose Johnson and Camille Ucan) deliver an hour of low-brow, tacky, tasteless, loud comedy…and the audience loved it. The show started with the BGs on the dance floor, sorry ‘stage’, greeting the audience as we arrived, handing out shots and grooving to the extremely loud dance music playing through the speakers.

The sketches consisted of a variety of vignettes on the theme of partying, interspersed with dance numbers, involving a lot of very amusing props and costumes. There were tales of love and romance and betrayal, personal hygiene tips and warnings of the dangers of using newfangled online sharing sites such as AirBNB and Uber. There was also a (very tiny) bit of audience interaction. The music was apparently some of the most modern of dance tunes (I’ve never felt so old!), as well as ‘classics’ like, umm….I recognised something from the Spice Girls and….someone told me they finished with a Take That song and….who did that Milkshake song again? Anyway, most people will know and enjoy the music I’m sure.

As it was an opening show, there were a few minor technical hitches with props and positioning but, as always, the audience were having a great time. If you want to see an hour of hilarity, very rude costumes, lots of props (and weasels), surprise running gags, deliberately laboured punchlines, possibly libellous routines about beloved Scottish crime writers, excellent tips for getting around in nightclubs and some big dance routines in a small space, this should definitely be on the list. They may not be suave and sophisticated, but they are very funny.

Sh!t Hot Party Legends is on at the Pleasance Courtyard until August 28

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on#q=%22Birthday%20Girls%3A%20Sh!t%20Hot%20Party%20Legends%22

Aussie Comedians at the Edinburgh Fringe

It’s August and Edinburgh is chockers with talented people from all over the world. Like a less dangerous Olympics, everyone is at the top of their game, competing to stand out and come back a winner. As always the Australian comedy team is strong and here is your list of Aussies at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. It includes the venue and a link to our own Squirrel review for the show if there is one.

Those seeking Aussie comedy gold can’t go wrong with these Squirrel recommended performers:

Alice Fraser – for intellectual storytelling comedy with heart and a banjo. Aunty Donna – dancing comedy sketch trio and internet stars. Axis of Awesome – one of the best musical comedy acts working today. David Quirk – dark, brutally funny. Gillian Cosgriff – Cabaret comedy at its best.  Nath Valvo – up and coming gay comedian just hitting his stride. Nazeem Hussain – searing, sharp, political comedy.  Nick Cody – relaxed, friendly, larrikin.  Randy – dark, philisophical comedy from a filthy mouthed purple puppet. Rhys Nicholson – a blistering gay comedian at the top of his game, this show, Bona Fide was nominated for The Barry Award at MICF. Rowena Hutson a brave, powerful, feminist storyteller. Sam Campbell star of this year’s most talked about sketch talk show at MICF (& winner of the prestigious 2016 Directors Award) Zanzoop, see him before he’s a household name. Steen Raskopoulos solo sketch comedy at it’s tightest. Tessa Waters queen of physical comedy, dance and mime for a night out with the girls. Tom Ballard’s political show was not only nominated for The Barry Award but won the inaugaral Pinder Award for The World Keeps Happening at this year’s MICF. Tom Walker, recipient of 2 MICF Awards this year, not only as part of the sketch show Zanzoop but also as Best Newcomer for his delightful, delicate mime in Beep Boop. If you love the Simpson’s check out Yianni’s The Simpson’s taught me everything I know. Which leaves winner of the 2016 Barry Award Zoe Coombes Marr in Trigger Warning that is astonishingly hilarious and a vicous send up of mime and masculinity.

Plenty of good reasons to add some Aussie comedians to your must-see list at The Edinburgh Fringe.

Don’t forget to keep an eye on Squirrel Comedy for reviews from our UK Correspondent Ron coming up over the next couple of weeks, here’s the full list:

Aussies in Edinburgh

Alcohol is Good for You Sam Kissajukian

Laughing Horse @ The Free Sisters

 

Alice Fraser: The Resistance

Gilded Balloon Teviot 

 

Alice Fraser: Savage

Laughing Horse @ City Cafe (free)

Review:  https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=8424

 

Andrew Roper – Superhero Secret Origins: Special Edition

Laughing Horse @ Bar 50 

 

Aunty Donna: New Show

Gilded Balloon Teviot 

Review:  https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=9872

 

Axis of Awesome: Won’t Ever Not Stop Giving Up

Gilded Balloon Teviot 

Review:  https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=10097

 

The Bear Pack  Steen Raskopoulos & Carlo Ritchie

Underbelly, Cowgate

 

Comedy Boxing – Sam Kissajukian and Kyle Legacy

Laughing Horse @ Espionage 

 

Comedy Countdown (Otherwise known as Late Night Letters & Numbers)

Gilded Balloon Teviot 

 

Committed to Mediocrity – Gavin Lind

C venues – C nova

 

David Quirk: Approaching Perfection

Heroes @ Bob’s BlundaBus

Review:  https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=9865

 

Doctor in the House – Dr Ahmed

Spotlites

 

Emily Tresidder: Crazy Is

Gilded Balloon Teviot 

 

Frenchy: World’s Worst Adult

Gilded Balloon Teviot 

 

Gillian Cosgriff: This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things

Gilded Balloon Teviot 

 

Impromptunes – The Completely Improvised Musical

Underbelly Med Quad 

Review:  https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=5083

 

Jen Carnovale – Wronger Than You

Laughing Horse @ The Free Sisters

 

Late Night Laughs at Lunch

Laughing Horse @ The Free Sisters

 

The Late Night Sexy Show – Grant BusĂ©

Gilded Balloon Teviot 

 

Let Dinki Die – Vince Milesi

Gilded Balloon Teviot 

 

Looking 4 Dick – BenT

OutHouse

 

Michelle Brasier: Space Tortoise

Gilded Balloon Teviot 

Review:  https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=10045

 

Nath Valvo: Happy Idiot

Gilded Balloon Teviot 

 

Nazeem Hussain – Legally Brown

Assembly George Square Studios

Review:  https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=8654

 

Neal Portenza. Neal Portenza. Neal Portenza. Tracey.

Underbelly Med Quad

Review:  https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=10036

 

Neel Kolhatkar: Neel Before Me

Gilded Balloon Teviot 

 

Nick Cody: Come Get Some!

Assembly George Square Studios

https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=9968

 

Nick Elleray: More Memories Than Future

Laughing Horse @ Cabaret Voltaire

 

Not Trying to Be a Dick – Daniel Muggleton

Laughing Horse @ The Free Sisters

 

Peter and Bambi Heaven: The Magic Inside

Assembly George Square

Review: https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=9932

 

Randy Writes a Novel

Underbelly Potterrow

Review:  https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=9331

 

Rhys Nicholson – Bona Fide

Underbelly, Cowgate

Review:  https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=10134

 

The Ross Voss Comedy Experience

C venues – C nova

 

Rowena Hutson: Strong Female Character

Gilded Balloon at the Counting House

Review:    https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=9406

 

Sam Campbell: The Last Dreamer

Assembly Roxy

 

Sarah Bennetto: I Love You All and I Mean That Sincerely

Laughing Horse @ Bar 50

 

The Simpsons Taught Me Everything I Know, Free – Yianni Agisilaou

Voodoo Rooms (Free)

 

Steen Raskopoulos – You Know the Drill

Underbelly, Cowgate

Review:  https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=10001

 

Susie Youssef – Check Youssef Before You Wreck Youssef

Assembly George Square Studios

 

Tessa Waters: Over Promises

Gilded Balloon at the Counting House

 

Thomas Green: That’ll Teach You

Gilded Balloon at the Counting House

 

Tom Ballard – The World Keeps Happening

Assembly George Square Studios

 

Tom Walker: Beep Boop

Underbelly, George Square

Review:  https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=10154

 

The Travelling Sisters

Pleasance Courtyard

Review:  https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=8883

 

The Weaning of Life – Luke Nowell

Laughing Horse @ The Crags Bar

 

Zoë Coombs Marr: Trigger Warning

Underbelly, Cowgate

Review:  https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=10229

 

 

 

An Evening With Sammy J & Randy (London)

By Ron Bingham
Sammy J and Randy

A skinny man and a foul-mouthed purple puppet, Sammy J and Randy are a rude and riotous musical comedy duo with a big history in Australian comedy. They’ve staged hugely successful narrative shows in various festivals, covered political issues both on stage and television, won The Barry Award (named for Barry Humphries) at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and have created and starred in their own sitcom (Sammy J & Randy in Ricketts Lane). They are currently on tour in the UK and I was excited to see them perform in London.

The Mix is a huge white tent in Russell Square Gardens with half of the interior taken up by a stage which was so massive you’d need a full orchestra to fill the space, so a small covered table (Randy’s hut) and Sammy J’s keyboard were completely overwhelmed. Sammy J described the tent as like being inside a huge marshmallow. Basically the space was entirely unsuitable for a comedy duo, they did the best they could but the venue really didn’t help to create atmosphere. Oh and the stage was over a foot off the ground and the audience were all on those little folding chairs on flat ground, so looking up the entire time as well.

Not the best circumstances for the debut appearance of Sammy J & Randy in London, but they managed to keep the audience entertained and please their fans. It might be surprising to think that they have so many fans at their first London show but as they learned in a little quiz near the end, their fame has preceded them. About half the audience claimed to have seen their TV series on Netflix. The part of the audience who were new to them were a little nervous at first (what with all the jet-lagged abuse of the audience, general swearing and saucy dance numbers) but you could feel them getting into the joyfully unhinged, anarchic show fairly quickly.

In the past Sammy J and Randy have done shows with plots, but this was more like a Best Of show and thus is a great introduction to their work for Londoners. There was no real structure as such, apart from the songs, most of it was about being in London, problems they had getting through customs, not knowing local cultural references and bickering. I felt sorry for one particular audience member who had an unexpected cameo late in the show but looking back, you can see the crafty set-up, and at the same time, appreciate that it led to a great surprise finish.

The hilarious songs (including ‘When Sammy met Randy’, ‘Metaphor Off’/ ‘Love Song’, ‘Sammy J and Randyland’) and demented interplay were well executed and the hour flew by, with the audience giving a rousing extended ovation at the finish. If you’re new to Sammy J & Randy, I can only describe their songs as being of the twisted love and betrayal genre, with a lot of quite intricate wordplay (some of which was sadly lost due to the booming sound system drowning out the lyrics at times). There was a little romance on stage, as well as a Titanic-style dance move and some wacky props. One of the highlights of the show had to do with their CDs. Apparently when coming through customs, Sammy J forgot to say the 400 CDs in his case were for “promotional purposes” and instead he jet-laggedly said “they’re to sell at gigs” and thus they were (almost) all confiscated. An extra reason to spend some money and support their UK shows (or watch them on Netflix – or both).

Sammy J and Randy’s shows are not for the kids, the easily offended or the faint of heart (especially considering the theme of the final uproarious number), but if you want a hour of friendly filth and hilarity then why not end your lovely sunny Saturday in London at Russell Gardens having your funny bone “tickled”.

An Evening With Sammy J & Randy is being performed in London as part of the Just For Laughs Festival (July 20-23), Yorkshire (July 25-27) and Dublin (July 29 & 30).
Visit sammyjandrandy.com for booking details

Damien Vosk – The Average

By Elyce Phillips Damien Vosk

Some people are remarkably unremarkable – no distinguishing features, no enormously “quirky” character traits. Just perfectly average people that you’d pass in the street and wouldn’t think twice about. Damien Vosk is one of those people and in The Average he looks at his over-tolerant interactions with some of the weirder people of the world.

The first half of Vosk’s set is strong, delving into the hodge-podge of jobs he’s had while pursuing his comedic acting career. Vosk’s delivery is likeable and his stories are deeply relatable – just about everyone remembers what it was like to work a crappy job while striving for something greater. He made a good effort to cajole some energy into a timid audience, bringing in some elements of crowd work. A series of tales about his time as a bin salesman were a highlight, ending in a group prayer that brought the audience together and had them chuckling.

The second half of the show fell flat by comparison. Jokes about the perils of Internet dating and hipsters were fine, but didn’t offer a lot by way of a unique perspective. The energy never regained the peaks of the first half, making the 55-minute run time feel drawn out, despite many of the jokes being perfectly funny. The issue here was one of structure – a top heavy opening dominating over the gentler laughs of the remainder.

Overall, it’s a good debut from Vosk. The highs of the show prove that he has solid stand-up skills. With some greater attention paid to pacing and structure, Vosk has the potential to do great things in the future. The Average is a promising opening gambit.

Damien Vosk – The Average has finished its MICF season

http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2016/season/shows/the-average-damien-vosk

Zoe Coombs Marr – Trigger Warning

By Elyce Phillips
Zoe as Dave

You might have seen Zoe Coombs Marr’s Dave before. His self-titled stand-up show has been touring for the last couple of years, in which he’s been doing good ol’ blokey jokes about the battle between the sexes. Unfortunately, his style of humour has come under fire from some of the more “feminist” among us, so this year Dave’s responding to criticism from the PC police and is trying his hand at some Gaulier-style clowning.

Coombs Marr’s Dave is every hacky stand-up you’ve seen at an open mic night. His jokes are awful and he displays a stunning lack of self-awareness. But there is a vulnerability to Dave. Coombs Marr has done an excellent job of humanising her character, showing us that he’s not such a bad guy – he just finds change a little hard to take. Watching Dave have a go at silent clowning is excruciating and hilarious. He mugs at the audience while a twee soundtrack plays, never managing anything more than a hollow caricature of the style.

As good as Coombs Marr has been at portraying Dave in the past, she takes it up a notch in Trigger Warning. The show is cleverly layered, providing its own commentary on Coombs Marr’s choices in playing Dave and the place of queer politics and feminist politics in comedy. The relationship between Coombs Marr and Dave is played intelligently, the lines of reality blurred and shifted into an increasingly bizarre maelstrom of confusion. It’s fascinating and funny at the same time. For all its meta-ness, Trigger Warning never feels overwrought or inaccessible. The chaos and gore and silliness balances it out perfectly.

Trigger Warning is an incredible piece of comedy and Coombs Marr’s Barry and Gibbo wins are very well-deserved. It’s very much sold out now, so keep an eye out for whatever Coombs Marr does next.

Trigger Warning is on at the Victoria Hotel Acacia Room until April 17

http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2016/season/shows/trigger-warning-zoe-coombs-marr

Melbourne International Comedy Festival Award Winners for 2016

by Lisa Clark

It has been an amazing year at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. In a first for the Festival – The Winner of the Barry Award, Zoe Coombs-Marr, is also the Winner of the Golden Gibbo. So it’s a Barry Winner who is brave and independent and we couldn’t be happier for Zoe. Presented via Skype (also a first) by last year’s winner Sam Simmons, the award was for Zoe’s show Trigger Warning starring her gender bending alter ego called Dave. There was Big Buzz around all the Winners this year, with none being a huge surprise and all being lauded and promoted by word of mouth and on social media for weeks. All of the nominees were favourites with everyone and those of us who got out to see them are very happy about them all being held up for celebration. It’s also a rare year where all the winners are Australian, and rightly so. So congratulations to Everyone!!

If Anne Edmonds and Damien Power are a bit sad about missing out on a Barry, they can be cheered by their Directors Awards win as True Australian Patriots and know that their own shows were loved too. True Aussie Patriots – Live was some of the best political and social satire seen on an Australian stage performed by some our best comedians (2 of them having been nominated for Barrys – the other Greg, didn’t do a solo show this year to be nominated, but won the Golden Gibbo as part of Fancy Boys two years ago.) Rhys Nicholson, can take heart in the fact that his new wife Zoe won the Barry and that their big fat gay wedding at the Festival Club last night will go down in Festival history and Legend.

I think I saw co winners of The Directors Award, Zanzoop – Feeble Minds, before a lot of ‘official’ people managed to and have been singing it’s praises to everyone ever since. A truly insane, intelligent, incredible, late night chat show hosted by the wise cracking green alien Zanzoop (Sam Campbell) that surprises you by having sweetness at its heart, performed by some sincerely talented, charismatic people. It also contains Best Newcomer Tom Walker who shines in both Feeble Minds and his own gentle and delightful immersive clowning show Beep Boop.

The Pinder Prize (Named after the late John Pinder who was an original co-founder of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and opened some of the first comedy rooms in Melbourne in the 1970s – The Flying Trapese and The Last Laugh Theatre Restaurant) is a brand new award at the festival which sends recipient – Tom Ballard – to Edinburgh Fringe to perform as part of the Assembly Theatre Program.

Remember that there is still another day of Festival shows tomorrow and some shows cancelled due to illness will hopefully be rescheduled in Melbourne Soon.

Readers from other states:  You can look forward to seeing some of these shows or performers in your town soon.

Here are the Award Winners for 2016Zoe as Dave

BARRY AWARD

Winner: Zoe Coombs-Marr – Trigger Warning

Nominees:
Damien Power – Sell Mum into Slavery
Luisa Omielan (UK) – Am I Right Ladies?!
Tom Ballard – The World Keeps Happening
Anne Edmonds That’s Eddotainment
David O’Doherty (IRE) – We Are All In The Gutter, But Some Of Us Are Looking At David O’Doherty
Rhys Nicholson – Bone FideTom Walker

BEST NEWCOMER

Winner: Tom Walker – Beep Boop

Nominees:
Demi Lardner – Life Mechanic
Guy Montgomery (NZ) – Guy Montcomedy
Rose Matafeo (NZ) – Finally Dead

GOLDEN GIBBO AWARD (Independant & Creative show)

Winner: Zoe Coombs-Marr – Trigger WarningTom Ballard pic

Nominees:
Asher Treleaven & Gypsy Wood – Peter & Bambi Heaven – The Magic Inside
Luis Brown – Lessons With Luis
Tommy Dassallo – Little Golden Dassallo

THE PINDER PRIZE (including a trip to the Edinburgh Festival):

Winner: Tom Ballard – The World Keeps Happening

PIECE OF WOOD (Peer Voted – Comedian’s Choice):

Winner: Chris Wainhouse – The AntichrisTrue Australian Patriots

DIRECTOR’S CHOICE :

Winners: (Anne Edmonds, Damian Power and Greg Larsen) True Australian Patriots – Live

and

Winners: (Sam Campbell, Cam Campbell, Tom Walker and Aaron Chen) Zanzoop – Feeble Minds

Peoples choice: Carl Barron – Drinking with a Fork

Funny Tonne (Audience Member seeing the most [over 100] shows): Jeremy McPherson

PREVIOUSLY WON MICF AWARDS Zanzoop pic

Deadly Funny National Champion – Jalen Sutcliffe

Class Clowns National Champion – Lauren Duong from the ACT

RAW Comedy Award (Including a trip to the Edinburgh Festival)- Danielle Walker from Victoria