By Nick Bugeja 
Joe White has to start every show with an Ethiopian dance. What began as a fun, charming way to kickstart his comedy routine is now a must. Once White neglected the dance, and a lady came up to him, upset: âJoe, why didnât you do the dance?â It ruined her night.
You can see why she wasnât thrilled about that. But it also seems a tad unreasonable to let that totally impinge on your enjoyment of Whiteâs entire show. Because all of it is great â the dancing, the material, the back-and-forth between himself and the audience. Even before he got into the dance, White was smiling cheek-to-cheek. And that smile never disappeared over the course of his set. Seeing him, clearly, having a great time on stage rubs off on the audience: it makes you like Whiteâs comedy, and even him as a person.
Itâs always an experience, letâs say, to see a comic who deliberately tries to alienate you; to perform such grotesque or risquĂ© jokes that you laugh, while questioning the moral fibre of the person â or the personality theyâre trying to construct. Thereâs no such problem with White. Although his material goes to some interesting places â teaching his nephew to urinate without it getting on his face, for one â we are always on Whiteâs side. Even when he takes to throwing unanticipated questions at us.
Comics need to be quick on their feet, but not many are able to develop interlinked, substantive material in the heat of the moment. White could; grilling a criminal lawyer in the front row for legal advice; asking two cousins whoâd attended the show together when they were going to Tasmania to marry; and facilitating a âcounselling sessionâ between a couple whoâd disagreed about the validity of donating money to charity workers at train stations.
Whiteâs conclusion to the show is great as well. Pivoting to stories of his mother and family gives us unique insight into their difficulties as a refugee family, and the resilience theyâve needed to carry with them. Itâs a funny yet touching note to end on. White â not his real Ethiopian name, if anyone was wondering â is going places comedically.
Watch out for him in the coming years. You wonât be disappointed.
Joe Whiteâs Ethiopian & Still Not Hungry is playing at the Afro Hub until 20 April. Tickets are available here:
https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/index.php/2019/shows/joe-white-ethiopian-still-not-hungry-new-show