Reviews

Shabamalam

Written & performed by Kate Dehnert. Melbourne International Comedy Festival. ACMI Games Room, Melbourne. 26-27 March; 2, 3, 9, 10, 16 & 17 April 2016.

Kate Dehnert (another Moosehead and RAW Comedy winner) hurls herself into her show with a manic, frenetic energy that is curiously vulnerable and engaging.  She boogies, she rants, she speaks in different voices.  She doesn’t let up.  Only for scant moments do we see what might be the ‘real’ Kate Dehnert behind the manic screen.  What’s intriguing and what grips your attention for her fifty or so minutes is the contrast and tension between the mode of delivery, the absurdist humour and the dry, bleak satire in the material.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Music and Lyrics By William Finn. Book by Rachel Sheinkin. Vic Theatre Company. Directed by Ben Giraud. Southbank Lawler Theatre March 30 - April 10, 2016.

In the midst of the MICF, this little musical packs more laughs and talent into 100 minutes than MOST of the other shows put together.

Beautifully crafted, “Spelling Bee” packs humour, back-story, emotional insight and great musical numbers into its 100 minutes of a school spelling bee and the effects it has on the various participants.

Pygmalion

Composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau. Lyric Opera of Melbourne. Director: James Cutler. Conductor: Pat Miller. Chapel off Chapel. April 5 – 9, 2016

Lyric Opera love a challenge, and the more obscure the choice the better. This was the biggest one yet, but they triumphed magnificently.

Rameau’s Pygmalion is a one act opera in the form of an “acte de ballet”, which has large tracts of ballet, and a very light plot. The potential for boredom was immense, but in this production there was always something happening, and it was always interesting.

The Philadelphia Story

By Philip Barry. Presented by The Therry Dramatic Society. Directed by Kerrin White. The Arts Theatre, Adelaide, 31st March-9th April, 2016

Philip Barry’s bitingly witty 1939 comedy of manners is given a generally solid revival by the Therry Dramatic Society. At its best, this production offers an intriguing window into the quaint, sometimes bizarre social rituals of a bygone era.

At Arm’s Length

Written, choreographed and directed by Lucy Pitt. 2016 Melbourne international Comedy Festival. La Mama Courthouse Theatre. March 30 – April10 2016

Student share houses have been the scene of many plays. They are, after all, many students’ first fling into the world. Negotiating money, sex, alcohol, getting assignments done, making sure there is some food, even if only ramen-noodles and keeping the clothes under control all rate a mention. But the core of this play’s exploration is identity and crafting a future – ‘practicing life’.

Hooray For Hollywood

Written and Directed by Kate Peters. Top Hat Productions. Spotlight Basement Theatre, Benowa, Gold Coast. Mar 31 – Apr 17, 2016

Kate Peters has delivered a marvelous trip down Memory Lane with this entertaining tribute to celluloid history. From the early days right up to the current hits, this show is full of nostalgia, delivered at a cracking pace.

Under the baton of Mo Award winner Kirri Adams, the show contains a cavalcade of singable and tappable movie magic brought to life by Choreographer Erin Lardner’s effective routines.

The “top line” cast of 5 ladies and 5 men with 4 show girls, dressed in Denis Watkins’ glitzy costumes, give the show plenty of life.

CJ Delling - Funny Bits

Melbourne International Comedy Festival. The Bull and Bear Tavern, 23 March - 3 April, 2016

Often, if a comedian is not cutting edge, profane or crude, it is assumed they don’t have much to say. CJ Delling is the opposite of this: she isn’t cutting edge, profane or crude, and she has a lot to say. Sweet, goofy and funny, you'll walk out of her show feeling as if you've made a new friend.

Good Morning Mofo

Zoe McDonald. Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Malthouse Theatre, March 28 - April 17, 2016

Malthouse has been transformed into a Comedy Hub, with an inviting relaxed ambiance, to house a number of highly recommended Festival Shows. 

In Good Morning Mofo Comedian Zoe McDonald presents a high-energy work that opens with a punch and doesn’t let up for a second.  She creates and pillories, one of those ‘good morning television shows’, through embodying a number of hysterical, beautifully drawn and skillfully embodied, characters.  

Boundless Plains to Share

Written & performed by Tom Ballard. Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Supper Room, Melbourne Town Hall. 26-28 March; 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17 April 2016.

This is show about Australia’s refugee policy – that is, what we do with asylum seekers. You might think that it’s either very brave or very crazy to present that stuff at a comedy festival.  I’d say brave – although with a title like ‘Boundless Plains to Share’, audiences just might have an inkling of what to expect.  The near 70% of Australians who think we should treat ‘illegal maritime arrivals’ more harshly probably won’t show up for anything to do with sharing boundless plains.

Penny Arcade - Longing Lasts Longer

Melbourne International Comedy Festival. The Famous Spiegeltent at Arts Centre Melbourne, Mar 24 – Apr 3, 2016; The Giant Dwarf, Sydney, Apr 6 – 8; Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, Apr 9.

Penny Arcade is back and her show at the Spiegeltent, Longing Lasts Longer, is surely the hot ticket of the Comedy Festival! But be warned it is for the thinking punter who enjoys confrontational ideas.  See it if you have a genuine interest in cultural change, adaptation, the curved balls life throws at us and you really do have a sense of humor.

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