1. Good
Reviewed by Tim Richards
I wish I had a dollar for every comedian I've seen who dumped a career in law for a career onstage. Tom Cashman is another one on the list, and his story about a dire interview with a law firm convinces me he made the right choice.
Cashman is a funny guy who combines the physicality of a skinny nerd (and cartoonish raised eyebrows) with the confidence that comes from not having been bullied at school; he says he went to a nerdy institution and never learned to cower.
The theme of Cashman's show is his attempts to be good, but that's a slight premise for an act that's largely observational stand-up. He has entertaining stories to relate about awkward escapades in his past, including the time he ogled a couple making out on Sydney's Oxford Street, the time he needed to have quiet sex, and the time he had a very unfortunate encounter with a treadmill.
There's the odd joke that falls flat - some of his sexual material is tacky rather than funny - but Cashman is an amusing new comedian. It'd be interesting to see him tackle a show with a more substantial theme.
[Find details and buy tix for this show here]
2. Don't Worry They're Here
Reviewed by Narrelle Harris
John Kearns wears a tonsured wig (he won't tell us why) and false buck teeth reminiscent of those of Gromit's hapless owner Wallace. He has the air of that world-weary, slightly aggressive older blue collar worker at the back of the pub, intent on sharing his take on life with you. You're almost certain that at some point you're going to be horribly offended, yet you'll have to politely endure.
Luckily, John Kearns turns out to not be that kind of philosopher.
Instead, he delivers an hour of seemingly unconnected pugnacious-melancholic philosophy, pleading with us to seize life's fleeting joys. He's full of non-sequiturs and warns that 40% of us will be disappointed by his show, "but I'll take those odds".
Kearns may seem to ramble, but he returns to themes and references, employing bathos and absurdism to low-key yet surprising effect.
His style is odd and thoughtful. While not filled from wall to (as he says, reassuringly dependable concrete) wall with laughs, it's a refreshing comedic take.
[Find details and buy tix for this show here]
3. The Bear Pack
Reviewed by Tim Richards
Improvised comedy can be bad. Very bad. Or maybe, when the performers know what they're doing, very good. Lucky for us, performing duo Steen Raskopoulos and Carlo Ritchie are in control of their created-on-the-spot art as they work with two topics tossed to them by audience members: a sinking ship, and a pickle.
What follows is an absurd tale of a second mate leaving a stricken ship for help, and being led across a mysterious island to a throne room where a malevolent king turns out to be a gherkin in disguise. This silly stuff is expertly given a soundtrack by Ange Lavoipierre, sitting onstage and playing the cello.
The plot matters less than the opportunities it presents for the actors to challenge and test each other, often pushing into awkward territory: setting up a situation where one of the actors has to play two conversing characters at the same time, for example; or one performer fleeing the stage for a snack break while leaving the other to carry the show.
It's a fun hour of unpredictable story-telling, and well scheduled at 11pm as a wind-down from more cerebral work earlier in the evening. And each night's story is, of course, unique.
[Find details and buy tix for this show here]
More reviews next week. Enjoy the festival!
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