Reviews

Comedy Review: The Best Medicine: Hannah Boland – Factory Theatre (10.09.16)

Promoting herself as a fresh face in ‘clean comedy,’ Hannah Boland presents a refreshing and unique one–woman stand up show as part of Sydney Fringe Comedy. There is something instantly likeable about Boland as she finds her stride on stage. While clearly pre-planned there is a natural flow to the performance as she jumps from anecdotes…

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Comedy Review: Sam Simmons – Not A People Person, The Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne (18.06.16)

The idea of a straight-up solo show is non existent to Sam Simmons. Strewn with all sorts of props on stage, Not A People Person is a show full of random thoughts and solo-sketches that make not laugh at any joke in particular but simply at the absurdity of it all. Simmons gets into a mode…

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Comedy Review: Simon Cumming & Perri Cassie – Simon & Perri Go Large

Both Simon Cumming and Perri Cassie greeted the audience, all very much ready on stage, with some light chatter about the etiquette of introducing their show as they walked into the room at Grand Mecure, and then well… introduced us to their show through a unique little sketch-stylised bit. The sketch stuff was tossed aside from…

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Comedy Review: Joel Creasey – The Crown Prince at Max Watt’s

After appearing in last year’s season of I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, Joel Creasey has fast become one of Australia’s favourite celebrities. Creasey’s show at this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival is appropriately titled The Crown Prince because, well, why not? This latest work from Creasey details all the highlights from his…

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Comedy Review: Jan Van De Stool – I Get The Music In You

The quite pleasurable Jan van de Stool (the character from the mind of theatre performer Queenie van de Sandt) is a woman who really enjoys he singing, dancing and therapy. It sure was a therapy mesh, but an awesome one. Jan questioning why her ‘workshop’ was supposed to be included in a comedy fest. But…

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Comedy Review: Hannah Gadsby – Dogmatic

Hannah Gadsby current comedy show Dogmatic won’t leave the audience feeling warm and fuzzy inside. While a far step away from her manic-depressive character she has become synonymous for playing in break-out success Please Like Me, Gadsby is organically inclined to draw distinction to the somber over the sunny. A self-aware comedian, reflecting on shows…

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Comedy Review: Matt Okine – Supper Room, Melbourne Town Hall

Boy, was it nice to put a 3D human being to the voice that is Matt Okine. Over the years we have become so fond of his vocal prowess and Instagram snaps, but seeing the boy wonder himself in the flesh, staring us right in the face, was an absolute delight. Having spoken to Okine…

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Comedy Review: David O’Doherty – We Are All In The Gutter, But Some of Us Are Looking at David O’Doherty

A seasoned comedian, David O’Doherty is the force de jour in musical comedy. Returning to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival after two years back in his homeland of Ireland, O’Doherty settles back in seamlessly, in an hilarious night of observational comedy- with a healthy sprinkle of melodic ramblings. Still sporting his keyboard from 1986, wearing…

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Comedy Review: Strong Female Character – Brisbane Powerhouse (performances to 20th March)

As a card carrying feminist, my secret desire to be (and, let’s face it, be with) Indiana Jones always felt like something I had to suppress. Not because I didn’t want to get chased by giant boulders or offer up some great one-liners or have someone write “LOVE YOU” on their eyelids (I’ll win the…

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Comedy Review: David Strassman – iTedE

If you’re old enough to recognise Hey, Hey It’s Saturday’s Plucka Duck in the current KFC ads than chances are you’ll also remember David Strassman. The ventriloquist and comedian was often a guest on the show with his two much-loved characters, the naive but sweet Ted E Bare and the foul-mouthed, Chuck Wood. Strassman now…

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Comedy Review: Dawn French in Thirty Million Minutes – State Theatre, Sydney (Touring Australia through 7th April 2016)

Dawn French has been alive for approximately thirty million minutes (that’s 58 years) and over the course of her two hour performance she is determined to let the audience in on what she’s learnt – as a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother and a woman. Incorporating an ever changing screen backdrop and a…

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Comedy Review: Rhys Darby Live – Astor Theatre, Perth (13.10.14)

Comedian Rhys Darby kicked off the Australian tour of his new show Rhys Darby Live! on Monday night with the first of two sold-out shows at Perth’s Astor Theatre. Whilst Darby is perhaps best known as the lovably inept band manager Murray Hewitt from Flight of the Conchords, he has had a long and successful…

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Comedy Review: Monty Python LIVE (Mostly) – O2 Arena, London (Performances to July 20th – Screens in Cinemas August 6th)

This week, the surviving members of iconic British Comedy troupe Monty Python bring their run of “reunion” shows in London to an end. Their first performances under the Python banner since 1980’s infamous Hollywood Bowl gig, their return to the stage was met with as much anticipation as it was trepidation – aren’t they too…

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SXSW Comedy Review ft. Sinbad – Esther’s Follies (11.03.14)

You may have already read about some of my adventures earlier last week at the Hype Machine Party. I mentioned I snuck out during the set, and as it turns out, I actually ended up going to a SXSW comedy event for the first time, to catch “surprise” headliner Sinbad, in a showcase hosted by…

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Comedy Review: Dave Chappelle – State Theatre, Sydney (05.03.14)

It’s not too often you get to say “well now that’s something I never thought I’d see”. I guess the last time was when Neutral Milk Hotel came to town, fulfilling many dreams of my high school years. And tonight was something of a similar feeling. Having never performed shows outside of North America before,…

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Sydney Comedy Festival Review: Stephen K Amos ‘The Spokesman’ – Enmore Theatre (09.05.13)

Stephen K Amos is one of the long running comedians who often swings by Australia for the Melbourne International and Sydney Comedy Festival circuits. He’s been embraced by our audiences thanks to his charming and witty tales and he’s back this time with his show The Spokesman to prove that he’s not worthy of being idolised.

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Sydney Comedy Festival Review: Cameron James ‘Nite Zoo’ – The Factory Theatre (04.05.13)

Sometimes it’s the little shows that can take you by surprise with their quirkiness and ability to combine the things we love all into a neat little package. Cameron James brings us Nite Zoo a stand up comedy performance that twists the tv chat show format into an interactive live action extravaganza with music and games and deep probing…

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Sydney Comedy Festival Live Review: The Kransky Sisters – Seymour Centre (24.02.13)

The Kransky Sisters are back in Australia after an eccentric tour of the European continent, on which the unbalanced spinsters managed some rest and recuperation before launching into their brand new show Piece of Cake back in their homeland. That’s the fictional back-story at least. Sorry, I didn’t mean to break the forth wall. Poor…

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Fringe World Live Review: Zack Adams: A Complete History – The Treasury Cabaret (13.02.12)

Following rave reviews for his previous show Love Song’s for Future Girl Shane Adamczak a.k.a Zack Adams returned to the Perth stage to revive his show Zack Adams: The Complete History for the Fringe World festival. An autobiographical tale peppered with some fine musical moments as well as plenty of laughs. The life of Zack…

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Jerry Springer: The Opera – Sydney Opera House (26.04.09)

While this might seem like a strange thing to be reviewing on theAUreview, While it may seem like a strange thing to be reviewing on theAUreview, featuring some of Australia’s best singers, including Kate Miller-Heidke as Baby Jane, “Jerry Springer: The Opera” was definitely a musical event. Albeit one unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Clocking…

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