local talent – Theatre Press

Not for everyone, but definitely worth the watch

By Myron My

When I decided to see some new comedians for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, I was instantly attracted to Matt Okine for one particular reason: the name of his show: Being Black & Chicken & S#%t. This was definitely someone with my type of humour.

There was a strong audience warmth projected towards Okine and this is in no doubt the result of the immediate interaction he created with us and within seconds of being on stage. Through his comic discussion of the mundane things in life, Okine connects and bonds with us all including topics such as wheelie bins, sushi trains and – the crux of his routine – fishing.

Okine shares some personal moments with us and the majority of his routine is about a fishing trip with his father and the back-story to that. You can see that when Okine discusses this, he isn’t acting but is being open and honest with his audience, which is an extremely positive quality to have as a comedian.

There were a few moments, which I believe, were a little flat but judging by the audience reaction, I was definitely in the minority. And I am all about not being restricted to political correctness in comedy; it can be offensive and that’s the risk you take as a comedian but used correctly can be extremely funny. I just think there needs to be a build-up to it or a common theme otherwise you run the risk of being controversial for the sake of being controversial.

Okine is definitely a face to keep an eye on. It may not have been the sort of humour I was looking for, but there were enough laughs to consider seeing this rising star of the comedy circuit again. And I also got to learn some very interesting yet disturbing facts about the wonders of sea creatures.

VENUE
Melbourne Town Hall
DATE
Until 22 April
TIMES
Tue-Sat 9.30pm
Sun 8.30pm
PRICES
Full Fri & Sat $19
Full Tue-Thu & Sun $15
BOOKINGS
Ticketmaster: 1300 660 013

A young comedian on the rise

By Myron My

I first saw Joel Creasey perform at the 2010 Melbourne International Comedy Festival. That was his debut on the circuit and I was very impressed with the wit and the casual bitchiness that he delivered.

Fast-forward two years later and I am sitting at the Melbourne Town Hall watching Joel Creasey’s Naked. (Please take note of the ‘s in that sentence).

Two things I notice immediately. There is a lot more confidence and punch to his routine and the room is a bit bigger than his debut gig venue. Creasey is clearly moving up in the stand-up food-chain. On the flip side, the wrist is still limp so I know it’s still the same guy standing on stage making me laugh.

In Naked, Creasey looks at four themes: fear, secrets, nudity and Xena. I’m not quite sure how Xena fits in with the other three, but hey, let’s go with it! And that’s what you need to do when watching one of Creasey’s shows. He’s a bit like a kid in a candy store: talking really excitedly about everything and anything that pops into his head. Fortunately that anything is usually quite funny.

It’s no secret that Creasey is gay (or at least it isn’t now) and the topic of homosexuality is undoubtedly brought up in the show. Even though it is done with humour, there is a hint of seriousness and social commentary on the difficulties that gay youth experience whilst growing up. Thirty seconds later and you’re hearing about Creasey’s grandmother’s speed-dating experience. You just don’t know what is going to come out of his mouth next.

At 21, Creasey definitely has a lot of potential to just get bigger and bigger in the comedy scene. His self-deprecating humour is a winner with audiences and there is even a lovely surprise for them after the “credits roll”.

VENUE
Melb Town Hall – Backstage Room

DATES
Until 22 April

TIMES
Mon 9.30pm
Tue-Sat 9.45pm
Sun 8.45pm

PRICES
Full $22
Concession $18

BOOKINGS
Ticketmaster 1300 660 013 or at the door