Funny as in strange

And - surprise! - still more comedy festival reviews...

MAEVE HIGGINS & CLAUDIA O'DOHERTY - Ha Ha Yum!
In which Irish comedian Maeve Higgins tells jokes about such diverse topics as catty put-downs disguised as compliments and the Titanic, while her friend Claudia (a Sydneysider, and also one third of Pig Island) makes chocolate crackles on stage, which are handed out to the audience at the end of the show. O'Doherty's dry wit is an appropriate foil to Higgins' light yet lyrical delivery, yet overall I was rather underwhelmed by this slight confectionary-like show, which seemed to lack pace and direction.
Two and a half chuckles out of five


BEST OF THE EDINBURGH FEST
A portmanteau show presented by four comics: Eddie Ifft, Tom Stade, Mickey D and Daliso Chaponda. The weakest link in the show was compere Micky D, an Adelaide boy who's been living overseas for several years and who's just moved to Collingwood; his crude, cheeky material seemed to lack polish, especially in comparison to the rapid-fire delivery of Ifft (USA) and the droll, dry and laconic Stade (Canada). Chaponda (Sth Africa) was also strong, but was thrown off early in his set by some unimaginative heckling. Loved his come-back though. "Now, this is disturbing. See, normally I'm turned on when I'm looking at a cunt." Zing! Ifft and Stade were definitely the highlights, however, and well worth catching if you get the opportunity.
Three loud, long laughs out of five.


THE SUITCASE ROYALE - The Ghosts of Ricketts Hill
Sweet, sweet strangeness! The junkyard theatre aesthetic of local trio The Suitcase Royale is a definite highlight of the festival, but don't go in expecting either a) stand up or b) sanity. Instead, expect madcap adventures that don't just deconstruct narrative - they tear it into confetti and scatter it about the stage! A dextrous, madcap romp about the adventures of a team of desert-crashed aeriallists which had my friend and I in hysterics. Highly recommended.
Four roars of laughter out of five.