The Umbilical Brothers - The Distraction

The Distraction morphs simple green screen trickery into ingeniously hilarious antics. David Collins and Shane Dundas, who form the renowned comic duo The Umbilical Brothers, incorporate a vast array of theatrical techniques in their show. It is not uncommon to see very inventive use of mime, puppetry, soundscapes and even slapstick in their performances. This show, however, ventures into some new territory and combines their eccentric brand of humour with special effects technology. The result is often sublime.

The comedy is not housed so much in their slick delivery of the routine but their clear command of the enormous potential of the technology and how it can be exploited to convey their particular brand of comedy. Collins and Dundas use some common objects in combination with their own unique physical dexterity as well as some uncommon audience participation. The humour is often generated from the incisive portrayal of weird social stereotypes and strange or bizarre scenarios. The pace of the comedy is unrelenting as they seamlessly transition from one skit to the other with incredible precision and a joyous sense of playfulness.

The tone of the show is largely facetious, and this is established from the beginning with the large screen communicating warnings to the audience. This is where the bulk of the performance is seen, and the hearty laughs begin before Collins and Dundas even appear on stage. The most persistent character in the show is the US astronaut (Dundas) who is exploring space with an incredibly limited view of life and the world at large. This is communicated through exchanges with his mission control and a grating accent that evokes a variety of somewhat uncomplimentary stereotypes.

The Umbilical Brothers demonstrate that they are not only wizards of the stand-up comedy art form but also of special effects technology. Their trademark use of deadpan expressions, exceptional use of vocal sound effects, and dramatic pause are all wonderfully infused in the performance. At times it seems they are even indulging in some very deep philosophical reflections, especially regarding our relationship with screen technology, but they never lose sight of the comic core of their very unique style.

Patricia Di Risio 

Photographer: Gavin D Andrew