Skye High Limit

Back at the Tuxedo Cat, I was intrigued by Lisa-Skye's Lovely Tea Party - a late night combination of stand-up and chat show.
Last night her guests were Pajama Party themselves - Sarah Jones and Nicholas J. Johnson.
The show began with Skye welcoming us to her new show in characteristic flamboyance before she invited her guests onto the stage to give the audience a taste of what their show would bring.
This was very funny and gave a good taste of what to expect in their full show which I look forward to reviewing later in the festival.
Skye then asked her guests to pick categories from a board and would ask them questions on their fears, pet peeves and other topics
Skye is the perfect host for this style of irreverent show and if you're seeking something a bit different before you head home at the end of the night I heartily recommend seeing this.
Lisa-Skye's Lovely Tea Party is playing at the Tuxedo Cat on Wills Street in Melbourne at 10:45pm Thursday to Saturday and 9:45pm Sundays until April 20th.

Gentlemanly Misbehaviour

Do you like magic?
If you answered 'No' then we cannot be friends, I'm sorry. I love magic. Particularly the small-scale stuff. None of that making an elephant disappear or walking through the Eiffel Tower for me. I prefer my magic with a bit of personal interaction which is why I was delighted by the latest show from A Modern Deception, the incredibly talented trio of Alex De La Rambelje, Luke Hocking and Vyom Sharma.
Beginning with a mindblowing feat of prediction the astonished the packed audience with almost an hour of sleights, card tricks and other astonishing acts.
Audience members were invited to assist be supplying a shoe or a phone or simply their hand and there was joy to be had with each twist in the proceedings.
The presentation style of this trio is always warm and welcoming and there is never a hint of mockery so the audience know that they are in a safe space and can take part without fear of ridicule.
All due credit to their director Daniel Lammin who keeps the show pacy and tight.
A Modern Deception - Gentlemen Of Deceit is at The Spring Street Conference Centre, Melbourne CBD from 7:30pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings until April 19th.

The Kraken Awaits

A man appears from the side of a stage dressed in jogging pants and lycra t-shirt. He is trying to reach for a pile of clothes on the other side of the stage but his way is hampered by lengths of coloured string tethering him. As he slowly, painfully makes his way across the stage, the tethers remove his clothes one item at a time.
Thus begins Kraken by Trygve Wakenshaw - a one-man mime show where Trygve acts-out a series of odd situations and interacts with the audience when they least expect it.
 There follow a series of scenes where Wakenshaw impresses with his audacity, flexibility and creativity. This is a young performer clearly enjoying his craft - entertaining an audience clearly enjoying what he has to offer.
Wakenshaw's imagination is ferocious and it is a testament to his abilities as a physical performer that the audience were drawn-into his imaginary world, laughing along and gasping in horror at all the right moments.
Although, frankly, what he was doing with that horse I don't think I want to know.
Kraken is on at the Tuxedo Cat on Wills Street in Melbourne at 20:30 until April 19th.