Comics' Corner - July
The Darwin Fringe Festival is upon us and, for the comedy connoisseur, a comic smorgasbord awaits.
By Will Crawford
My salivary glands are working overtime in readiness for the taster plate of comic talent at Brown’s Mart that is the Darwin Fringe Comedy Showcase.
Amy Hetherington’s and Danielle Andrews’s Life Advice with Amy and Danielle promises to be full of embarrassing observations from two of Darwin’s most endearing and daring comedians. Also check out their solo shows, Nailed It and Obnoxiously Talented for a second helping of whimsy.
Nicole Stevens was the surprise hit of last year’s Fringe. If you like your one-liners spicy and your truth grenades hidden in ironic comic songs, then the humbly titled Not as Crap as Last Year may once again be one of the picks of the festival.
The Recurring Adventures of Prince Pout III: Pout Planet showcases Roland Bull’s charismatic and slightly cheeky storytelling, simultaneously delighting and shocking audiences as he entices them down his garden path of misadventure.
If you like your comedy quick, uncompromising, garnished with tight one-liners and braised with a marinade of devil-may-care indifference, then Justin Brown’s 50 Shades of Brown is another show to lock in.
An Open Letter to My Son sees the triumphant return of 2017 NT Raw Comedy winner, and new father, Jason Williams, dish out some strange life advice.
Fringe debutant, and youngest Fringe performer, Benjamin Jones is a freakish musical comedy talent and should enthral audiences in the very difficult to book and keep a straight face show, I Can’t Remember What It Was Called But It Was OK.
Awkwards Anonymous features 2018 NT Raw Comedy champ, Ryan McArthur, and several friends engaging in the most awkward dinner party/group counselling session ever witnessed.
Blind Date is my dark horse. Featuring Mon Cherie, this will be full of naughty double-entendres, even cheekier banter – and you might even walk out with a date…
Vaudeville Knockout is equal parts classic show tunes, Peter O’Toole raffish stand up and anarchic silent comedy, all taking aim at the world of high art. Pop on down for some old-school comic laughs.
Of the imported comedy treats, my tip is the award-winning Wank Bank Master Class by Adam Seymour, aka Rural Ranga, who tells the story of how, short on money in New York, he moonlighted as a Taoist erotic masseuse. The show then descends into an interactive and playful masterclass in handling your partner’s – or your own – member for maximum pleasure (and laughter) using garden vegetables.
Alice Spring comedian Chris Little is coming to town with The Point of this Exercise. Chris is the NT’s most original and hilarious comic talent and needs to be seen before he hits the big time.
My interstate dark horse is Sydney based improvisational and stand-up comic Steve Meagher’s Chairman Steve. A Google search accidentally took me to the inventor of the ergonomic chair for every occasion, but this Steve Meagher will have you glued to your chair, losing your proverbial innards, but with adequate spinal support.
Canadian raconteur Gillian English’s Giant and Angry is a feisty, fierce and fast-paced show that reflects on her father handing down Kung Fu scissor-kick self-defence tips and other family heirlooms.
2016 National Raw Comedy finalist, Lewis Garnhem is another one to watch. The Smartest Idiot You’ll Ever Meet received positive reviews and the grapevine whispers of a warm hearted but cynical social commentary for those that like your politics with extra chilli.
DARWIN FRINGE FESTIVAL | FRI 6 - SUN 15 JUL | VARIOUS LOCATIONS | VARIOUS COSTS | darwinfringe.org.au
Will Crawford is an up-and-crawling comic. He moonlights as a land rights lawyer and policy activist.
