DANIEL TOWNES - YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH
The first real night of the festival, not counting last night's comedy gala, and only a handful of people came to see Sydney comedian Townes in his show at the Portland Hotel. I caught the guy last year and enjoyed him, in a lacksidasical way. Less impressed this year. He has this whole laconic bogan schtick thing happening, which is sporadically funny, but I saw little progression or evolution in his material since 2007. Endearing, but the ultimate impression was that he was lazy. Nonetheless, an intelligent guy who can and should do better if he can be inspired to lift his game.
Two and half ocasional chuckles out of five.
ANDREA POWELL in Gobbeldygook
Part of the Comedy@Trades program at Carlton's Trades Hall, comedian Andrea Powell presents a range of new characters in her latest show; only one of which - a delightfully wrong junkie hippie - has strutted the boards before. The rest of them are new, although the opening character, a wonderfully bitter yoga instruction, seems to have grown out of Powell's 2007 show at Town Hall. Not all of the characters are strong enough to warrant inclusion, particularly a video store clerk, who is the most passive character on show, interacting with an imaginary customer on the phone rather than with the audience, but there are some wicked laughs to be had here if you don't sit in the front two rows...
Three gasps of recognition and wicked cackles out of five.
ANDREW MCCLELLAND'S Guide to Being a Modern Gentleman
Or, Diverse and Entertaining Facts about Dandies, Debonair Role Models, Eccentric Uncles and the Importance of Manners and Style, delivered with chortles, reverb and flair.
The strongest show McClelland has done since he taught us all about pirates several years ago. Richly delivered, well timed, with just the right amount of gentle self-mockery, and of course, cravats and a handy flip-book. Definitely recommended.
Three and a half chortles which set off one's gout out of five.
3 comments:
Hi Richard, even though you've moved on to the next festival - still, I would be interested to know what you thought of the MQFF as a whole this year... what directions you see queer cinema going in.
Sorry I haven't responded to your comment yet, srs - will try and tackle the future of queer cinema once the ComFest is over...
yay! as long as you make it through all that laughing
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