Classic, charismatic and campy good fun!

By Kim Edwards

There were tech problems, the show went up late, and a Sunday night crowd were initially unreceptive. But Andrew Strano and John Frankland ( in order of appearance, lads) worked their considerable charm and won over their audience with aplomb.

Think the Rat Pack meets Lano and Woodley. The Bad Boys are all about on-stage dynamic and the banter is brisk and boisterous. The show itself hinges on the hilarity and harmonics of their (denied) homoerotic relationship: it’s a testament to the lovability of the characters and their love/hate/show-tune chemistry that they even got some ‘aws’ among the laughs as they expounded the perils of bromantic guy love.

Strano’s loud lanky comedy is both cute and clownish. His pace is feverish and his energy frenetic, while Frankland plays the – er – straight man, offering a more subtle and natural comic timing and tone. Last night some glib patter drowned out key jokes with premature reactions, and a few bawdy jokes missed their mark, but it was obvious this was well-tuned material that any other night would chime resoundingly.

Accompanied by the ever-versatile Trevor Jones at the piano and some fun multimedia, the Bad Boys did wonderfully bad and witty things to music theatre lyrics (including their own original song Amazing which you can find on Itunes) and best yet, these guys can really sing. Great warmth of sound together, and their harmonies were lovely as a counterpoint to snappy self-conscious jokes and the tales of their rambunctious relationship.

It’s a familiar formula, but the Bad Boys of Music Theatre hit all the right notes in the classic two-hander cabaret comedy-style. With their brand of sleek slapstick humour and their musical bro-etry, it’s clear these two boys were simply and bromantically meant to be together. Catch them for their last week of their Melbourne International Comedy festival season!

Venue: Chapel Off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel Street, Prahran
Dates: 31st March – 23rd April
Tickets: $25*, Tight Arse Tuesdays $17.50* (*plus transaction fee)
Times: 10:15pm, Sun & Mon 10pm
Bookings: (03) 8290 7000, www.chapeloffchapel.com.au