Friday 11 April 2014

Far From Grimm Tales

...And they all lived Happily Ever After.
Ever wondered what happened next? Did Red Riding Hood get on with her life or was the gruesome death of her Grandmother a life-changing experience? Did Snow White go on to live la vida loca after marrying her Prince? And what of the seven dwarves?
In her new show After Ever After, Rama Nicholas continues the stories of the Brothers Grimm some twenty years after they supposedly finished and reveals the fates and misfortunes of various characters so familiar from childhood.
Playing all of the characters herself, Nicholas inhabits a variety of guises from a kung-fu Red Riding Hood to a penitent Big Bad Wolf to all seven dwarves, bringing each to distinct and startling life.
The story has several threads to its plot with various characters headed toward a collision which will change the land of fairy tales forever and the audience were amused, amazed and touched all in the space of an hour.
This is a very polished and professional performance from Nicholas where she smoothly transitions between characters with ease and her costume changes are barely noticeable. Her vocal work throughout never once makes it ambiguous as to which character she is at any one time and this is no mean feat.
Showcasing her considerable acting skills, Nicholas presents a hypnotic show with an impeccable central performance which held the audience's attention throughout.
Highly recommended, After Ever After is on at the Portland Hotel until April 20th.

Nick Capper

Last night I took myself to the Forum on Flinders Street to see Nick Capper's show - Standing Room Only. I was running at a dash, so arrived at the venue hot and bothered and out of breath, but looking for comedy – and comedy was certainly delivered.

Performing in an upstairs room which seems to be a sauna with pews, Capper stands before his packed audience squinting into the stage lights, performing with a style veering from Steven Wright lugubrious torpor to the frantic passion of Billy Connolly.
Seldom cracking a smile and with his halo of tight curly hair, Capper delivers his material with a dry humour which is more slowburn than raucous laughter, which is not to say that there are not moments where the audience is laughing uproariously, just that the predominant reaction is of wry smiles and knowing chuckles.

This is mostly gentle, observational humour with surreal asides and the occasional impassioned rant. Capper quickly establishes a warm rapport with his audience and has already invited us all to become a gang, roaming the streets of Melbourne, within the first five minutes of the act. It is this sort of left-field humour which makes Capper so fresh and interesting and ensures that even though some gags may not quite hit the spot there are plenty which provoke gales of laughter in the room.

His best material comes when he is riffing off observations about the world around him - such as an impromptu Elvis impersonation - rather than some of the longer story segments, and his pitches for musicals and the kids show he has written are just plain bizarre.

If you’re looking for a show which is a bit out-there in its humour and where the gags really seem to come from nowhere to knock you for six with laughter, then this is for you.

Tuesday 1 April 2014

With A Little Help From Her Friends

The Melbourne comedy scene is not short of female comics, fortunately, but many of them use a style of delivery which teeters between cute and ditsy and have never really engaged me. Similarly with male comics projecting an alpha-male, macho image.
Rose Callaghan, however, has arrived on the scene and is anything but ditsy. This comic takes to the stage like a fish to water, confidence just pouring from her.
She tells tales of frank honesty concerning her housemates who judge her slightly dissolute lifestyle; the perils of dating and her sexually adventurous mates. Her delivery style is punchier and more direct than many of her contemporaries which elicits hearty laughter from the audience rather than mildly amused chuckling and she has a great command of the stage. In style she has it all under control and manages a couple of call-backs which round-out her routines in a satisfying manner.
Rose's mates for the evening are Nick Capper and Tom Ballard, both excellent comics.
Nick is a hilarious and surreal comic with a dry wit and comic timing I haven't seen since Steven Wright. His slightly uncertain, slowburn delivery is a welcome change of pace in stand-up and he keeps the audience baffled and laughing with gags about albatross, his life growing-up on a farm and his Father's idea of a valuable life experience.
Tom Ballard will be familiar to many from radio and television and is clearly comfortable on stage, even when performing in front of an audience containing a few seasoned comics, a reviewer and a festival organiser. This was professional comedy, delivered in hilarious fashion, the audience laughing non-stop throughout the set which covered such diverse topics as male topiary, the efficient consumption of chips and a novel solution to the boats situation.
Rose Callaghan And Mates is at the Duke of Wellington Hotel on Flinders Street at 6pm and is a great way to start the evening by anyone's standards.