I’m reviewing Melbourne International Comedy Festival for The Age again this year. Here’s the round-up of my published pieces:
Anna Piper Scott | None Of That Queer Stuff
Piper Scott treads masterfully into delicate territory to tease out entertaining truths. As she reassesses which labels she’s shedding and which she’s acquiring, sometimes grudgingly thanks to her partners, the trust she builds with her audience means any jibe about a particular sexuality or gender is taken with the affection it is intended.
Adrian Bliss | Inside Everyone
Bliss’ offbeat, deadpan sense of humour translates nicely to the stage through various characters – including Hitler’s Dad’s Other Sperm – who occasionally break into song. It’s a treat to find that he is an adept physical comedic performer, most notably as the Bard himself at the Tenth Annual Globe Theatre Awards.
Baby on Board mines the rich growth stages of life – getting engaged, having your first baby – experiences both unique to everyone going through them, and universal in how many others have done them before and will do them after us.
Sarah Keyworth | My Eyes Are Up Here
The show flies in the face of Tolstoy’s idea that all happy families are alike (and, by implication, boring). Keyworth celebrates how their family’s love has shaped them, and allowed Keyworth to shape themselves.
Geraldine Hickey | Don’t Tease Me About My Gloves
Every year it feels like Hickey brings more of her authentic self, and this deeply personal offering is all the better for its honesty.
Kirsty Webeck | I’ll Be The Judge Of That
It’s the little things that amuse Webeck. The show doesn’t take a dark turn or try to impart a morality tale, it’s just good clean fun. Webeck is likeable and this is a show with broad appeal.
Diving into Howells’ brain is madcap fun, free from the tyranny of trying to be topical or relatable. Instead, here is an inimitable style and a stage presence that disarms.
David Correos | I Can’t Stop Vibrating
Correos is delivering outrageous filth, verbal and actual, in style. He manages to bring the audience with him the entire way, much to his credit. It’s quite literally awesome.
Beros is a full-time standup and her hours on stage are evident in her skill at taking the temperature of the audience and bringing them along with her as she veers into darker material.
Alexandra Hudson | Making Lemonade
It takes a sense of humour to be disabled in an able-bodied world and Hudson has a great one. Her cheek and forthright material are disarming.