Category: Festivals

Festivals, Performances, Whats On

Melbourne Fringe 2017: EROTIC INTELLIGENCE FOR DUMMIES

Scintillating

By Joana Simmons

Balloons, belly laughs and beanie babies. These are just a few of the wonderful treats in store for you, as well as the challenging yet uplifting lessons in Melbourne Fringe Festival’s Erotic Intelligence for Dummies. This superb one-woman show by award-winning actress and clown Helen Cassidy teaches us about passion, in all senses of the word. Prudes beware, it flirtatiously tickles our boundaries and the complexities of intimate relationships whilst educating and loving us all on love for all.

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The underground bar-come-theatre at the Arts House has a buzzy Friday-night-first-week-of-Fringe feel and Cassidy is roving the crowd making us feel comfortable. The TeD Talk sound effect opens the show, and dressed as a sexy librarian Cassidy lets the ideas flow. Small in stature but large in charisma, Cassidy is a strong all-round performer and has the audience on her side minutes in. She employs a range of talents and conventions to take us on a ‘sexual safari’, seeing how our fellows in the animal kingdom do it. There’s one epically memorable moment amongst this – one not to try at home – that Cassidy pulls off with jaw-dropping skill and hilarious follow-through.

The structure and pace of the show is slick. Cassidy glides from character to character, costume to costume, cleverly using the other balloons set behind her and the pile of stuffed toys in the centre of the stage. She uses witty language to cover what could be smutty content – serving it up like a nice little note and phone number left on your pillow the morning after the night before. There’s this wonderful maturity to her performance that is classy, sexy, and daring. By the end we are clapping along, all in one giant group of the same theatrical experience. For me, this is what live theatre is about: getting to share a unique experience for one hour with a group of strangers under an old building in North Melbourne. Absolute cudos to Helen Cassidy for bringing this wonderful experience out – creating the space and the light for (erotic) expression.

Erotic Intelligence for Dummies pokes us in all the right places. It sensually whispers in our ear something which could make one blush but also could make for a wonderful world. It gets your heart racing and juices flowing. Go with your squeezes, go with your pals, go alone and come out with company.

Erotic Intelligence for Dummies

Fringe Hub @ Arts House Underground,

521 Queensberry St., North Melbourne

15 – 22 Sept (Excl. Mon) | 7:45 PM (Sun 6:45 PM)

Bookings: https://www.melbournefringe.com.au/event/erotic-intelligence-for-dummies/

Cabaret, Festivals, Whats On

Provocaré Festival Presents HOW TO SAVE THE WORLD WITHOUT REALLY TRYING

Unfailingly funny

By Myron My

Satirical cabaret artists George Bourgeois and Maurice Maurice have been performing together for ten years, and at this year’s Provocaré Festival, Melbourne audiences are treated to an evening of comedic political activism with their fabulous show How To Save the World Without Really Trying.

How to Save The World

Capitalism has failed us. As has fascism and communism. So what’s left? Well, according to Bourgeois and Maurice, it’s time to explore the benefits of their unique form of hedonism as the duo rip through various political issues such as marriage equality, Brexit and feminism with razor-sharp wit and joy.

At one point, Bourgeois and Maurice ask us to lament for the turmoil that the richest and most powerful people in the world feel in having to be in charge of all that money and needing to decide what they should do with all that fortune. It’s not easy at all. Meanwhile Maurice’s emotional feminist call-to-arms performance to “kill all men” speaks volumes of truth regarding (in)equality between genders, while also providing plenty of laughs for the audience.

The visuals in the show are a constant source of enjoyment from beginning to end including when Bourgeois and Maurice drop in for a Face-time chat with Bourgeois and Maurice to offer up some advice on how to make their cabaret stronger, and the duo’s out-of-this-world costume designs. The costumes have a fun intergalactic feel and Maurice’s blink-and-you-miss-it outfit change is simple, yet creates a full transformation. The hair and make-up adds to the alternative nature of the cabaret and I don’t think I’ve ever seen eyelashes as spectacular and eye-catching as those that Bourgeois was wearing.

How To Save the World Without Really Trying is a perfect example of what late-night cabaret is all about. Political, entertaining and thought-provoking, Bourgeois and Maurice deliver the goods with this show. Here’s to hedonism, and a whole lot of it.

Venue: The MC Showroom, Level 1, 46 Clifton St. Prahran
Season: until 30 July | Tue – Sat 9:30pm, Sun 4pm and 8pm
Tickets: From $24
Bookings: Provocaré Festival

Cabaret, Festivals, Whats On

Provocaré Festival Presents THIS BOY’S IN LOVE

And so are we

By Myron My

Ado is looking for love. He’s 35 years old, and working as a casual drama teacher contending with obnoxious teenagers and work frustrations. And then along comes Felix. Presented as part of Provocaré Festival, This Boy’s In Love is a sweet and endearing cabaret about falling in love and not letting fear stuff it up.

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The show opens with Ado (Adriano Cappelletta) preparing for a first date, full of nervous excitement as he tries on various outfits. This montage both allows Cappelletta to highlight his clowning abilities (having trained at the famous Gaulier clown school), and establishes his story is driven by heart. It is this last point that really makes his show stand out from others that also have an affable protagonist unlucky in the world of romance. Ado has such an adorable heartfelt quality to him (as with Cappelletta), that it is not surprising just how quickly and unexpectedly we become invested in his quest for love.

Cappelletta plays all the characters in his story and his quick transformations between each may only utilise subtle changes in body language and voice, but they are also very distinct. The conversations between Ado and Felix are perfectly timed, and the way he (and he) reacts physically and emotionally to what is being said is so well-executed it begins to feel like there are actually two people on stage.

The original songs in This Boy’s In Love are lyrically engaging and funny and delve further into exploring Ado’s desires and feelings, with “Zomgay” being a perfect example of this: a retort to the gay men who spend all their time at the gym or beach, and going on drug binges every weekend. Apart from possessing a great voice, Cappelletta also has some slick moves that he displays during his drug-infused dance sequence at a Sydney gay nightclub, with simple lighting design used effectively also during these scenes.

According to Ado, a gay reaches his use-by-date at the age of 35. I may have a year to go before this happens to me, but you only have a week left to see this brilliantly charming show. This Boy’s In Love is a big gay love story with plenty of laughs and a whole lot of heart.

Venue: The MC Showroom, Level 1, 46 Clifton St. Prahran
Season: until 29 July | Tue – Sat 6:30pm, Sat 2:30pm
Tickets:From $24
Bookings: Provocaré Festival

Image by Karen Lowe

Comedy, Festivals, Review

Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2017: ROMESH RANGANATHAN is IRRATIONAL

Delightfully disarming

By Tania Herbert

A relative newcomer to the comedy scene (he was nominated for Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards in 2013), Romesh Ranganathan has been a regular face across the BBC stand-up and mock-news genres in recent years. At his first appearance in Australia for this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Romesh himself queried “Can it be worth it?” to have travelled from his UK home to present Irrational – a stand-up show which has previously sold over 100,000 tickets in its 2016 run.

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Romesh brings a generally self-deprecating style and continual tongue-in-cheek humour which is full of charm, wit and the occasional ‘awww’ (though Romesh, do you really expect us to believe you are exceedingly unattractive?)

As irrationality tends to be, it was a highly amusing performance, and one which Romesh is clearly comfortable and polished in. The laughs were constant and genuine, and created that lovely and not-so-common feeling of a community of laughter in the audience. There’s no particular single narrative or ‘plot’ – it’s a life-ramble through family, technology, politics, entertainment and sexuality, with an ongoing theme of the comedic opportunities one has as a ‘brown person with a lazy eye’ living in the Western world.

Too often it is the case that one goes to see a beloved BBC comedian on stage rather than screen, and instead finds themselves inundated with unsophisticated adult humour. However, this was not the case in Irrational. Whilst swearing like a trooper (and amusing us by his tales of encouraging his children to do the same), Romesh maintains his charisma throughout, though I probably could have lived without quite such a vivid description of an afterbirth.

Overall, this is a fun show, and very typical of both his usual humour and stand-up generally, though I was actually most entertained by his off-the-cuff stuff, which was infrequent but hilarious.

If you enjoy a bit of charming, slightly awkward and lightly-political British humour, then you’ll have a great time at Irrational.

Irrational is playing at The Pavillion at The Arts Centre until April 23, with new sessions added for the 21st and 22nd

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2017/shows/romesh-ranganathan

Comedy, Festivals, Review

Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2017: JUPLICITY

All the laughs

By Margaret Weiringa

Early on, Phil Jupitus warns the audience that if they are expecting the Phil Jupitus that you’ve seen regularly on QI, chirpy and flirting with Stephen Fry, that you’re mistaken. The man we are watching tonight is far more filthy-mouthed and very, very hilarious. He’s a master of standup, with perfect timing to draw the audience in before slamming the punchlines.

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Jupiter also mentions that it is tricky being a comic in the age of the internet because the audience may have already seen a lot of his recent work. In particular, he refers to the section of a show that he played at The Apollo that raised controversy for the way he included parts of his teenage daughter’s life in his act. I mention this here, because he tells us he picks up this act from the end of that routine and if you are attending, you might want to check it out first.

The show is quite intimate in the Pavilion at the Arts Centre, a room that may be more often used for conferences than performances. There’s not a bad seat in the house, and it was the perfect setting for the stories Jupitus told of his childhood and of his life. Certainly a highlight was the revelation of his youthful misunderstandings about the facts of life and just how confusing hearing about sex can be to a young child.

Juplicity seemed to disappear in a moment, and I left wanting more. I know I’ll be looking for his act from The Apollo, and I hope that he comes back to Australia again in the future.

Where: The Pavilion at The Arts Centre

When: April 19-22 at 7pm, April 23 at 6pm

Tickets: $46.90, https://www.comedyfestival.com.au or through Ticketmaster 1300 660 013

Comedy, Festivals, Whats On

Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2017: RENONSENSE MAN

Always a joy

By Leeor Adar

Jimeoin has brought the best of his physical comedy for this 2017 Melbourne International Comedy Festival season. He’s part-time Irishman, and part-time horny T-Rex, who brandishes his guitar for one of the best renditions of a one-night-stand love song I’ve ever heard.

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You just can’t be disappointed with his comic prowess; he steers clear of the political rabbit hole whilst his humour never sinks to the boobs-and-farts dimension lesser comedians use to relate to their audience. Jimeoin is relatable because he’s totally human, and totally willing to laugh along with you. Sitting in a Jimeoin audience is like sitting with your good mates as the funniest one sends you into fits. It’s a social event, a comedy that brings everyone together.

Thrilling Australians since the nineties, Jimeoin can always get audiences in the droves, signifying that his humour through the ages never ceases to endure. Whilst us 20-somethings cackled with glee, we sat next to an older gentleman and his companion, who slapped their knees along with us. This is the mark of a great comedian, and Jimeoin’s star has returned across the seas to the United Kingdom where he’s been thrilling them since the naughties.

Renonsense Man is Jimeoin’s historical account of his life with such energy, humour and absurdity. It’s a return to his Northern-Irish roots; a father who banishes him to be funny elsewhere; a mother without a sense of humour whilst being entirely comic in his retelling; and the everyday all of us can recognise.

You can catch Jimeoin’s performance for the MICF at ACMI until Sunday April 23rd. Performances commence at 8:15pm most nights, and Sunday’s at 7:15pm.

Take your friends, take your neighbours, and maybe for the more daring lot – take your kids.

Cabaret, Festivals, Whats On

Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2017: IMPURE THOUGHTS

Devilishly cheeky

By Myron My

There are times when we find ourselves in situations where our internal voice is saying something completely different to our external one. This is usually because our true thoughts would be something unacceptable, rude or improper. In her latest show presented as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Claire Healy’s Impure Thoughts delves into these urges one by one in a night of striking music and appealing storytelling.

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It’s been over a year since I last saw Healy perform and in that time, it appears she has gone through some form of exciting transformation, as she seems to have really found her voice with Impure Thoughts. It’s loud and commanding, and I was struck by the subtle differences she incorporated into each song.  Her opening number, sung in French, is a powerful beginning, and despite not all understanding the language, her audience are still able to deduce what is being shared.

Healy’s affable nature is evident as she shares anecdotes, from her stint working as a performer in nursing homes in England, to her annoyance at Facebook’s targeted marketing. While the links between story and song were not always clear or strong, both were still highly entertaining.

The show never get too nasty or tries to deal with taboo subject matters, which is in line with Healy’s quirky humour and cheerful view of the world. Even when her rage and frustrations are legitimate, Healy makes sure that the tone of the show is kept light-hearted and fun, such as lampooning an article published in 1895 listing the forty-one don’ts for female cyclists, to highlight enduring issues of sexism and misogyny.

Impure Thoughts might not be as scandalous or salacious as the show title might suggest, but Healy has ensured that we are kept smiling throughout the cabaret. It’s an evening of great songs, clever writing and some excellent wide-eye stares.

Venue: Tasma Terrace, 6 Parliament Place, Melbourne.
Season: until 22 April | Mon – Sat 8:00pm (no shows 14 -1 7 April)
Length: 50 minutes
Tickets: $25.30 Full | $20.30 Conc | $18.30 Tightarse Tuesday
Bookings: MICF website

Comedy, Festivals, Whats On

Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2017: COWBOY MOUTH

By name and by nature

By Myron My

Comedian David Quirk has had four different women located around the world dream about him. These women all contacted Quirk to tell him about their dreams and from these communications , Quirk has created his stand-up show Cowboy Mouth, which is being presented as part of this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

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Quirk cleverly uses the four encounters as touchstones for his anecdotes, in which he takes a step back from the dream and looks at the bigger picture or implications. The first one involves a woman reading a review about one of his shows and talking about this, which leads Quirk to recall a memorable meeting he had with a fan. Watching Quirk on stage for the first time, this story immediately gave me an indication of the type of personality he has and the misadventure and trouble that seems to follow him wherever he goes, and subsequently set the comic tone for the rest of the show.

At one point, Quirk beings to explain that sometimes he completely blanks out as to where he is and what he is doing, which has led to some hilarious encounters, including the one with his neighbour which left everyone stunned with jaws hanging. Quirk never rushes through his stories, which allows us to be fully engrossed by what he is saying, and to break out in laughter as we re-live the moment with him.

Quirk’s show give the audience a real insight into how he operates, how he sees the world and his assessment of the situations he finds himself in. His analysis of a particular racial slur he hears is a perfect example of conveying his unique life views to us.

With Cowboy Mouth, we are treated to a near-hour of thoughtful reflection on the world around us as seen through Quirk’s eyes. It’s an evening of great storytelling with plenty of laughs to be had.

Venue: Melbourne Town Hall, Cnr. Swantson and Collins St, Melbourne.
Season: until 23 April | Tues – Sat 9.45pm, Sun 8:45pm
Length: 55 minutes
Tickets: $20 – $32
Bookings: MICF website

Comedy, Festivals, Whats On

Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2017: MANFUL

Reach your potential

By Myron My

Ask any man what type of body they would like to have, and the answer you’d get is most likely going to be something resembling Liam Hemsworth’s. Or perhaps it would be the beefcake Dicky Rosenthal. Dicky is the brains (and brawn) behind the new muscle-gaining protein health shake, Manfül, and in Manfül, we are present at the launch of this drink that Dicky promises will transform us from being puny dweeb bags to real men.

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Presented as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Manfül is a character-comedy piece written and performed by Josh Glanc in which he explores what it means to be a ‘real’ man and how this can sometimes clash with remaining honest to yourself and being what makes you happy.

Glanc delivers a nuanced portrayal of Dicky where he is able to simultaneously convey his anxieties and bravado, and his gradual acceptance that he is not the man he purports to be. Unfortunately the writing is not as sharp as it should be and it feels like ideas and topics are touched on without being fully explored. The jokes sometimes fail to to be anything more than laughing at someone in a muscle suit and/or involving bodily fluids, which is a shame as there was strong potential for Manfül to be an intelligent commentary about modern man and masculinity.

While the final moments of the show force Dicky to face some truths about himself – and the pressures that men feel to be seen as a tough, show-no-fear type of guys – the overall narrative to reaching that point makes it obvious that this is where we are going to end up and therefore there is little impact from the big reveal.

At a time when there is much discussion on what is masculine and feminine and what makes a man a real man, Manfül‘s attempts at picking this apart seems to fall a little short. Glanc has created a great character in Dicky, and now he just needs to work on creating an equally great story for him.

Venue: ACMI, Federation Square
Season: until 23 April | Tues – Sat 8:15pm, Sun 7:15pm
Length: 55 minutes
Tickets: $25 Full | $21 Conc | $19 Tightarse Tuesday
Bookings: MICF website

Festivals, Theatre, Whats On

Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2017: THAT’S AMORE

Fabulously fun

By Tania Herbert

With checkered table cloths, piano accordion music and rather copious amounts of wine, we could have been any Italian restaurant on Lygon St. But the opening announcement: “If you could please turn off your phone and your flashing Jesus and Mary” (our table centrepieces) reminded us that rather we were out the back of the fantastic Howler Bar, watching the best that kitsch has to offer with Annabella Dickson‘s return season of That’s Amore for this year’s Melbourne Comedy Festival..

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It’s West Side Story goes disco as two cheese-crossed lover, Annabella Mozzarella and Johnny Parmigiano (both played by Dickson) find themselves separated by the seas after Johnny leaves their home of Napoli to take a job as a mechanic in Coburg. Annabella is left to contemplate whether to leave her old life behind- and what Eve should do when she reaches for the apple only to find she’s picked a lemon.

Not quite play, cabaret or burlesque show, That’s Amore is more reminiscent of an adult pantomime, with character switching, lip-syncing, cheap laughs and outrageous costuming. There are trinkets for sale and a long interval for additional wine purchases, and what was expected to be a short cabaret was instead a real night of entertainment. Annabella’s switching from the female to male characters is over the top, but also impressive – the great mannerisms and self-aware stereotyping are fun and (just) on the right side of the ‘too much’ line.

Much of the show is pre-recorded film scenes, which are used to smoothly link the dance numbers and allow for interaction between Dickson’s two lovers – in addition to allowing for huge costume (and gender) transformations.

Whilst Annabella is every bit the star, she is backed up by a talented support cast of five, each with their own impressive resumes of dance and music background. Anjelika Thwaites (dancer and choreographer) was the particular eye-catcher – her burlesque performance whilst hanging out the washing being the sexy high point. The dancing ranges from cute choreography (spoofing film great moments from Titania to American Beauty) to some impressive contemporary numbers – particularly a touching male-partnered ‘living statues’ number.

It’s not high art, and best taken with lots of (preferably Italian) wine, but That’s Amore is an awful lot of fun, meticulously produced and absolutely self-confident.

Ridiculous, flamboyant and thoroughly enjoyable, the show is perfectly pitched to the bawdy audience it attracted – and it is not surprising the season has, again, sold out. Also, I want the soundtrack.

That’s Amore is playing as part of the Melbourne Comedy Festival at Howler Bar on 6, 7 and 9 April, 2017.