Reviews: Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Sat, 1 Apr 2000, 12:21 pmWalter Plinge8 posts in thread
Reviews: Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Sat, 1 Apr 2000, 12:21 pmThe 14th Melbourne International Comedy Festival has begun, and Stage Left has just posted 6 reviews at stageleft (with more to come). Here are some extracts:
ADAM BLOOM (UK): "In between his tumbling conversations and jokes about train etiquette, childhood and religion, his mind loops off on complicated and extreme 'what if' scenarios. You can see the hyperactive child he used to be."
COOL HEAT, URBAN BEAT (USA): "Cool Heat is far from dry. It's a vibrant pastiche of street and club dance spanning most of the twentieth century, and herein lies its greatest wit."
BOOTHBY GRAFFOE (UK): "Unfortunately, all three of my signals were flashing like mad for Boothby Graffoe's act on the second night of the Comedy Festival. Which is a shame, because he's actually pretty funny."
STEWART LEE (UK): "His material addresses some disparate themes. He talks us through the brilliant retorts we should have made but actually think of hours later... in his case it always ends with misunderstandings and the police becoming involved."
DAVE O'NEIL (Australia): "So Dave grew up in the 80s, stashed away the memories of school, the dole and the pub so he can make a living today taking the piss out of it all for the newer generation. He must have travelled a fair bit in that time (on his BMX, at least) because he promises he will trash every suburb in the course of the evening."
TOM RHODES (USA): "For some reason Tom Rhodes reminds me of an old-style revivalist preacher, pacing the stage with powerful American accent and microphone in hand. His lively irreverent delivery borders on the offensive, a kind of South Park approach to stand-up."
For the full reviews, visit our site:
Tim Richards
Editor
Stage Left
ADAM BLOOM (UK): "In between his tumbling conversations and jokes about train etiquette, childhood and religion, his mind loops off on complicated and extreme 'what if' scenarios. You can see the hyperactive child he used to be."
COOL HEAT, URBAN BEAT (USA): "Cool Heat is far from dry. It's a vibrant pastiche of street and club dance spanning most of the twentieth century, and herein lies its greatest wit."
BOOTHBY GRAFFOE (UK): "Unfortunately, all three of my signals were flashing like mad for Boothby Graffoe's act on the second night of the Comedy Festival. Which is a shame, because he's actually pretty funny."
STEWART LEE (UK): "His material addresses some disparate themes. He talks us through the brilliant retorts we should have made but actually think of hours later... in his case it always ends with misunderstandings and the police becoming involved."
DAVE O'NEIL (Australia): "So Dave grew up in the 80s, stashed away the memories of school, the dole and the pub so he can make a living today taking the piss out of it all for the newer generation. He must have travelled a fair bit in that time (on his BMX, at least) because he promises he will trash every suburb in the course of the evening."
TOM RHODES (USA): "For some reason Tom Rhodes reminds me of an old-style revivalist preacher, pacing the stage with powerful American accent and microphone in hand. His lively irreverent delivery borders on the offensive, a kind of South Park approach to stand-up."
For the full reviews, visit our site:
Tim Richards
Editor
Stage Left
Walter PlingeSat, 1 Apr 2000, 12:21 pm
The 14th Melbourne International Comedy Festival has begun, and Stage Left has just posted 6 reviews at stageleft (with more to come). Here are some extracts:
ADAM BLOOM (UK): "In between his tumbling conversations and jokes about train etiquette, childhood and religion, his mind loops off on complicated and extreme 'what if' scenarios. You can see the hyperactive child he used to be."
COOL HEAT, URBAN BEAT (USA): "Cool Heat is far from dry. It's a vibrant pastiche of street and club dance spanning most of the twentieth century, and herein lies its greatest wit."
BOOTHBY GRAFFOE (UK): "Unfortunately, all three of my signals were flashing like mad for Boothby Graffoe's act on the second night of the Comedy Festival. Which is a shame, because he's actually pretty funny."
STEWART LEE (UK): "His material addresses some disparate themes. He talks us through the brilliant retorts we should have made but actually think of hours later... in his case it always ends with misunderstandings and the police becoming involved."
DAVE O'NEIL (Australia): "So Dave grew up in the 80s, stashed away the memories of school, the dole and the pub so he can make a living today taking the piss out of it all for the newer generation. He must have travelled a fair bit in that time (on his BMX, at least) because he promises he will trash every suburb in the course of the evening."
TOM RHODES (USA): "For some reason Tom Rhodes reminds me of an old-style revivalist preacher, pacing the stage with powerful American accent and microphone in hand. His lively irreverent delivery borders on the offensive, a kind of South Park approach to stand-up."
For the full reviews, visit our site:
Tim Richards
Editor
Stage Left
ADAM BLOOM (UK): "In between his tumbling conversations and jokes about train etiquette, childhood and religion, his mind loops off on complicated and extreme 'what if' scenarios. You can see the hyperactive child he used to be."
COOL HEAT, URBAN BEAT (USA): "Cool Heat is far from dry. It's a vibrant pastiche of street and club dance spanning most of the twentieth century, and herein lies its greatest wit."
BOOTHBY GRAFFOE (UK): "Unfortunately, all three of my signals were flashing like mad for Boothby Graffoe's act on the second night of the Comedy Festival. Which is a shame, because he's actually pretty funny."
STEWART LEE (UK): "His material addresses some disparate themes. He talks us through the brilliant retorts we should have made but actually think of hours later... in his case it always ends with misunderstandings and the police becoming involved."
DAVE O'NEIL (Australia): "So Dave grew up in the 80s, stashed away the memories of school, the dole and the pub so he can make a living today taking the piss out of it all for the newer generation. He must have travelled a fair bit in that time (on his BMX, at least) because he promises he will trash every suburb in the course of the evening."
TOM RHODES (USA): "For some reason Tom Rhodes reminds me of an old-style revivalist preacher, pacing the stage with powerful American accent and microphone in hand. His lively irreverent delivery borders on the offensive, a kind of South Park approach to stand-up."
For the full reviews, visit our site:
Tim Richards
Editor
Stage Left
Grant MalcolmSun, 2 Apr 2000, 01:11 pm
RE: Reviews
Hi Tim
Thanks for posting your notice! Sorry i didn't get back to you earlier - you might have noticed there was a minor technical crisis here :)
Speaking personally, i hope you'll continue to post notices of the Stage Left reviews here, as you have been doing on aus.theatre. They're invariably well worth a read - even if i can't get to see the shows!
I really should put up a small guide to what HTML tags will and won't work. As you discovered <a href=""> </a> doesn't work. If you wish to include a link in your message, you just need to enclose the link in < >
<http://theatre.asn.au> appears as
Cheers
Grant
Thanks for posting your notice! Sorry i didn't get back to you earlier - you might have noticed there was a minor technical crisis here :)
Speaking personally, i hope you'll continue to post notices of the Stage Left reviews here, as you have been doing on aus.theatre. They're invariably well worth a read - even if i can't get to see the shows!
I really should put up a small guide to what HTML tags will and won't work. As you discovered <a href=""> </a> doesn't work. If you wish to include a link in your message, you just need to enclose the link in < >
<http://theatre.asn.au> appears as
Cheers
Grant
Walter PlingeMon, 3 Apr 2000, 02:09 pm
Reviews Batch #2: Comedy Festival
The 14th Melbourne International Comedy Festival is rolling on, with 180 acts this year. Stage Left has just posted its second batch of 8 reviews at , with more to come. Here are some extracts:
ARCTIC BOOSH (UK): "The whole story has the feeling of a Goodies episode, with a dash of Men Behaving Badly for good measure. Whimsical and silly rather than satirical or cutting, Arctic Boosh is an amusing phantasm..."
NORTH DARLING (Canada): "A box labelled 'Irony' floats to his island, and inside he finds a glass dome with a miniature version of himself stranded on the same island. Perhaps not ironic as much as cheap gag. But the gag works the crowd nevertheless."
ROD QUANTOCK (Australia): "He promotes the marvels of chalk, if only because it's quicker to say than 'black-tipped whiteboard marker'. Then he speculates that the 14 seconds saved with the e-tag at McDonalds is exactly how long it takes to buy the said whiteboard marker."
SASSY (Australia): "A combination of Hope's energetic bug-eyed theatricality and Richard's cutting, gossipy stage persona was always going to be an interesting match... the patter flows between them in an unforced and lively way."
MARGARET SMITH (USA): "After several days of seeing only male comedians, it is very refreshing to get a female perspective on comedy. Instead of falling back on jokes about masturbation and beer, we get mothers, mammograms and gardening."
JOHNNY VEGAS (UK): "He's the epitome of the washed-out has-been performer: bitter, desperate but somehow likeable. He tells of his days as a holiday camp entertainer and the tragic end to his career, and his solace in the simple potter's wheel."
WAIT A MINUTE... WHAT? (USA): "Much depends on the audienceÂ’s engagement with Andrew, the hapless technician. It is here that the show falters. Though a lot of information is offered, the character of Andrew doesnÂ’t quite gel."
SUE WATT (Australia): "Sue Watt's style is broad and raucous. She invites participation from audience members, asking for the names of TV shows that depict nursing for her to eviscerate. Her deft handling of a persistent heckler was a delight to witness."
For the full reviews, visit our site:
Tim Richards
Editor
Stage Left
ARCTIC BOOSH (UK): "The whole story has the feeling of a Goodies episode, with a dash of Men Behaving Badly for good measure. Whimsical and silly rather than satirical or cutting, Arctic Boosh is an amusing phantasm..."
NORTH DARLING (Canada): "A box labelled 'Irony' floats to his island, and inside he finds a glass dome with a miniature version of himself stranded on the same island. Perhaps not ironic as much as cheap gag. But the gag works the crowd nevertheless."
ROD QUANTOCK (Australia): "He promotes the marvels of chalk, if only because it's quicker to say than 'black-tipped whiteboard marker'. Then he speculates that the 14 seconds saved with the e-tag at McDonalds is exactly how long it takes to buy the said whiteboard marker."
SASSY (Australia): "A combination of Hope's energetic bug-eyed theatricality and Richard's cutting, gossipy stage persona was always going to be an interesting match... the patter flows between them in an unforced and lively way."
MARGARET SMITH (USA): "After several days of seeing only male comedians, it is very refreshing to get a female perspective on comedy. Instead of falling back on jokes about masturbation and beer, we get mothers, mammograms and gardening."
JOHNNY VEGAS (UK): "He's the epitome of the washed-out has-been performer: bitter, desperate but somehow likeable. He tells of his days as a holiday camp entertainer and the tragic end to his career, and his solace in the simple potter's wheel."
WAIT A MINUTE... WHAT? (USA): "Much depends on the audienceÂ’s engagement with Andrew, the hapless technician. It is here that the show falters. Though a lot of information is offered, the character of Andrew doesnÂ’t quite gel."
SUE WATT (Australia): "Sue Watt's style is broad and raucous. She invites participation from audience members, asking for the names of TV shows that depict nursing for her to eviscerate. Her deft handling of a persistent heckler was a delight to witness."
For the full reviews, visit our site:
Tim Richards
Editor
Stage Left
Walter PlingeWed, 5 Apr 2000, 11:57 am
Reviews Batch #3: Comedy Festival
Stage Left has now posted 18 reviews of Melbourne International Comedy Festival acts at , including 4 new ones that went up today. Here are some extracts:
MICHAEL JEFFERY: "It's basically a friendly chat with the audience on the topic of money, punctuated by short character pieces and some simple songs. 'Gentle humour' is the label placed on him by the press, but it's a pretty accurate one."
ROCKOTHELLO: "The lack of a good story is particularly disappointing when the title promises so much. The only Shakespearean allusions in the play are mock-codpieces, tights and a smattering of Shakespearean-style language. If only they had borrowed the actual plot of Othello..."
SATURDAY AFTERNOON FEVER: "Football is intimately intertwined with his formative moments. The show's humour comes not just from sporting anecdotes, but from his uncomplicated and affectionate nostalgia for the 1970s and 80s."
SPEAKING IN THONGS: "If they sound like people youÂ’ve only seen on television, listen more closely. The script of Speaking in Thongs is fresh and funny, and the insights transcend the stereotypical aspects of the characters. Common experiences, acute embarrassment chief among them, are the links between audience and performer."
For the full reviews, visit our site:
Tim Richards
Editor
Stage Left
MICHAEL JEFFERY: "It's basically a friendly chat with the audience on the topic of money, punctuated by short character pieces and some simple songs. 'Gentle humour' is the label placed on him by the press, but it's a pretty accurate one."
ROCKOTHELLO: "The lack of a good story is particularly disappointing when the title promises so much. The only Shakespearean allusions in the play are mock-codpieces, tights and a smattering of Shakespearean-style language. If only they had borrowed the actual plot of Othello..."
SATURDAY AFTERNOON FEVER: "Football is intimately intertwined with his formative moments. The show's humour comes not just from sporting anecdotes, but from his uncomplicated and affectionate nostalgia for the 1970s and 80s."
SPEAKING IN THONGS: "If they sound like people youÂ’ve only seen on television, listen more closely. The script of Speaking in Thongs is fresh and funny, and the insights transcend the stereotypical aspects of the characters. Common experiences, acute embarrassment chief among them, are the links between audience and performer."
For the full reviews, visit our site:
Tim Richards
Editor
Stage Left
Walter PlingeFri, 7 Apr 2000, 09:43 pm
Reviews Batch #4: Comedy Festival
Here's another 4 reviews from the Melbourne International Comedy
Festival. We now have 22 reviews on the site at
, with more to come! Here are some extracts
from the latest:
WIL ANDERSON: "As he pauses on stage for full effect, Anderson's
timing is flawless. He seems forever confident that his audience will
stick with him, so you never feel pressured to love him. But you do
anyway - and not just because he's good looking."
AN ENGLISHMAN, AN IRISHMAN AND A SCOTSMAN WALK INTO A DOCUMENTARY:
"McCulloch is live on stage, bridging the taped interviews of himself
in a variety of ethnicly stereotypical costumes and accents. At times
his live presence is superfluous. On the other hand, it is odd to
attend the Comedy Festival to watch what is mostly a videotape
experience."
CORINNE GRANT: "She doesn't look like the type to attract the lowest
common denominator, but she assures us all her life she has ended up
stuck with the biggest creeps in pubs. In her words, she's a 'freak
magnet'."
OUT & ABOUT: "It's a joy watching these two work together. They offer
and accept changes with confident ease and a sense of fun that
includes the audience. There's a high level of trust between the
performers, and though they might fumble the odd unexpected moment,
they never drop the ball."
For the full reviews, visit our site:
Tim Richards
Editor
Stage Left
Festival. We now have 22 reviews on the site at
from the latest:
WIL ANDERSON: "As he pauses on stage for full effect, Anderson's
timing is flawless. He seems forever confident that his audience will
stick with him, so you never feel pressured to love him. But you do
anyway - and not just because he's good looking."
AN ENGLISHMAN, AN IRISHMAN AND A SCOTSMAN WALK INTO A DOCUMENTARY:
"McCulloch is live on stage, bridging the taped interviews of himself
in a variety of ethnicly stereotypical costumes and accents. At times
his live presence is superfluous. On the other hand, it is odd to
attend the Comedy Festival to watch what is mostly a videotape
experience."
CORINNE GRANT: "She doesn't look like the type to attract the lowest
common denominator, but she assures us all her life she has ended up
stuck with the biggest creeps in pubs. In her words, she's a 'freak
magnet'."
OUT & ABOUT: "It's a joy watching these two work together. They offer
and accept changes with confident ease and a sense of fun that
includes the audience. There's a high level of trust between the
performers, and though they might fumble the odd unexpected moment,
they never drop the ball."
For the full reviews, visit our site:
Tim Richards
Editor
Stage Left
Walter PlingeSun, 9 Apr 2000, 11:23 am
RE: Reviews Batch #5: Comedy Festival
Stage Left has just posted a feature article and 5 more reviews from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival at . Enjoy!
FEATURE: "Comedy Vox Pop", a selection of comments from the comedy-goer on the street at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. It's a chance for the everyday punter to voice an opinion.
And here are some extracts from our new reviews:
BORN THREE: "A lot of the spoken jokes are straight from the 'How to write Comedy' manual: pick a silly topic, mention it out of context and give it a twist. But there are moments when the collective instrument is finely tuned, often through the use of good old parody."
MONICA DOLLARD: "Given that Dollard is dismantling the myths surrounding Mother Teresa's purity, her approach has the potential to be deeply offensive; but Dollard is so much the nice-lady-next-door that she gets away with it."
BOB DOWNE: "This is a key to Bob's shows. He takes elements of the 1970s which we all remember as innocent and fun-loving, then adds a undercurrent of cynicism and sordidness. He does to the 70s what Dame Edna Everage does to the 1950s, and is spectacularly successful at it."
PETER HELLIAR: "He makes a big play of struggling with his material. He starts a routine, then admits he has no idea where it's going. It can be hilarious, but by the end of the set it's apparent that his lapses are quite orchestrated."
SEX, LIES & GAFFER TAPE: "It sounds a bit kinky, but it's actually pretty likeable. Cassy and Violet are energetically played, though Violet's breathy air of near-panic gets wearing after a while. The soapie scenes are easily the best part of the play, with the actors catching the overdramatic ludicrousness of daytime soaps perfectly."
For the full reviews, visit our site:
Tim Richards
Editor
Stage Left
FEATURE: "Comedy Vox Pop", a selection of comments from the comedy-goer on the street at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. It's a chance for the everyday punter to voice an opinion.
And here are some extracts from our new reviews:
BORN THREE: "A lot of the spoken jokes are straight from the 'How to write Comedy' manual: pick a silly topic, mention it out of context and give it a twist. But there are moments when the collective instrument is finely tuned, often through the use of good old parody."
MONICA DOLLARD: "Given that Dollard is dismantling the myths surrounding Mother Teresa's purity, her approach has the potential to be deeply offensive; but Dollard is so much the nice-lady-next-door that she gets away with it."
BOB DOWNE: "This is a key to Bob's shows. He takes elements of the 1970s which we all remember as innocent and fun-loving, then adds a undercurrent of cynicism and sordidness. He does to the 70s what Dame Edna Everage does to the 1950s, and is spectacularly successful at it."
PETER HELLIAR: "He makes a big play of struggling with his material. He starts a routine, then admits he has no idea where it's going. It can be hilarious, but by the end of the set it's apparent that his lapses are quite orchestrated."
SEX, LIES & GAFFER TAPE: "It sounds a bit kinky, but it's actually pretty likeable. Cassy and Violet are energetically played, though Violet's breathy air of near-panic gets wearing after a while. The soapie scenes are easily the best part of the play, with the actors catching the overdramatic ludicrousness of daytime soaps perfectly."
For the full reviews, visit our site:
Tim Richards
Editor
Stage Left
Walter PlingeWed, 12 Apr 2000, 03:47 pm
Reviews Batch #6: Comedy Festival
Eight more Melbourne International Comedy Festival reviews have been added to Stage Left at . Here are some extracts:
BLACK AND TRAN: "The first lines they exchange are a dig at common stereotypes about Vietnamese-Australians and Aborigines. They send each other up, but also talk about their personal and cultural histories. A marvellous amount of humour is drawn from this approach, but also moments of great poignancy."
ANH DO: "Although he doesn't talk much about his Vietnamese background, the contrast of this with his Datsun 180B, flanny shirt and broad Aussie accent works in his favour. It's an exotic mix which, blended with his natural charisma, keeps the audience focused."
DOOM RIDERS: "I've seen some work like this done in theatre restaurants, but not nearly as well. These guys have worked very hard at their routines to maximise the mirth. And just to show it's not all rehearsed, there's the odd bit of improvisation and audience interaction to spice up proceedings. "
KATZENVETTZ: "The show's scenes are constantly interrupted by their own nervous whispers to each other, as they pull apart the conceits of theatre. But this false nervousness merely highlights their confidence and strength as performers."
BEV KILLICK: "After twenty minutes something happens and her self-satire becomes overtly vulgar. Here it starts to get really good. Her singing aside, itÂ’s when sheÂ’s most vulgar and self-effacing that her show reaches its heights."
MATT KING: "Like all good stand-ups, King is able to slip in some real-life experiences and make them funnier than they really are. Surprisingly, he's the first comedian I have seen in this festival making good mileage out of the Olympics. "
NEXT BIG THING: "As the two halves of the scheme, Mickey and Caspar make a very energetic duo. As the writer, it's not surprising Sleigh slips neatly into his character. McNair produces a suitably edgier performance for a character that breaks some expectations of stereotypes."
COLLIN SALTER: "There's some mild repartee to fill the other gaps, but it's the music that makes this show happen. His piano style is energetic and skilful as his fingers slip along the keys. And yet, despite all the upbeat numbers, it's the bracket of mellow songs in the middle of the set that really holds the listeners. "
For the full reviews, visit our site:
Tim Richards
Editor
Stage Left
BLACK AND TRAN: "The first lines they exchange are a dig at common stereotypes about Vietnamese-Australians and Aborigines. They send each other up, but also talk about their personal and cultural histories. A marvellous amount of humour is drawn from this approach, but also moments of great poignancy."
ANH DO: "Although he doesn't talk much about his Vietnamese background, the contrast of this with his Datsun 180B, flanny shirt and broad Aussie accent works in his favour. It's an exotic mix which, blended with his natural charisma, keeps the audience focused."
DOOM RIDERS: "I've seen some work like this done in theatre restaurants, but not nearly as well. These guys have worked very hard at their routines to maximise the mirth. And just to show it's not all rehearsed, there's the odd bit of improvisation and audience interaction to spice up proceedings. "
KATZENVETTZ: "The show's scenes are constantly interrupted by their own nervous whispers to each other, as they pull apart the conceits of theatre. But this false nervousness merely highlights their confidence and strength as performers."
BEV KILLICK: "After twenty minutes something happens and her self-satire becomes overtly vulgar. Here it starts to get really good. Her singing aside, itÂ’s when sheÂ’s most vulgar and self-effacing that her show reaches its heights."
MATT KING: "Like all good stand-ups, King is able to slip in some real-life experiences and make them funnier than they really are. Surprisingly, he's the first comedian I have seen in this festival making good mileage out of the Olympics. "
NEXT BIG THING: "As the two halves of the scheme, Mickey and Caspar make a very energetic duo. As the writer, it's not surprising Sleigh slips neatly into his character. McNair produces a suitably edgier performance for a character that breaks some expectations of stereotypes."
COLLIN SALTER: "There's some mild repartee to fill the other gaps, but it's the music that makes this show happen. His piano style is energetic and skilful as his fingers slip along the keys. And yet, despite all the upbeat numbers, it's the bracket of mellow songs in the middle of the set that really holds the listeners. "
For the full reviews, visit our site:
Tim Richards
Editor
Stage Left
Walter PlingeSun, 16 Apr 2000, 11:50 am
Final Reviews: Comedy Festival
5 final reviews of Melbourne International Comedy Festival shows have been posted at :
- Backpackers (theatre)
- The Improv Bandits (improvisation)
- Kitty Flanagan (stand-up)
- Sarah Kendall (stand-up)
- The Sax Diaries (theatre)
This concludes our coverage of the Comedy Festival. I hope those who have attended have enjoyed what they saw, and that the reviews were helpful in choosing.
Tim Richards
Editor
Stage Left
- Backpackers (theatre)
- The Improv Bandits (improvisation)
- Kitty Flanagan (stand-up)
- Sarah Kendall (stand-up)
- The Sax Diaries (theatre)
This concludes our coverage of the Comedy Festival. I hope those who have attended have enjoyed what they saw, and that the reviews were helpful in choosing.
Tim Richards
Editor
Stage Left