Comedy

Maren May reads between no lines

Maren May Reads Between No Lines

Maren May Reads Between No Lines Rating

★★★★★

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On a Monday night at Tasma Terrace, the after-work crowd could be seen getting ready for a night of comedy and laughs.

German comedian Maren May immediately captured the audience’s attention by introducing herself as the ‘unsure German’ – a character she has been told she plays very well (maybe….. because she isn’t playing a character at all, but just being herself). Reflecting on her most recent comedy shows, she was told by an audience member that he could offer her a free autism diagnosis as he was a psychiatrist.

Thus, set up the central premise of “reading between no lines”. May recounts pondering for days what is meant when a relative says to her “that’s a summery dress” at a wedding, before realising the relative meant that the dress wasn’t appropriate for a church. Later, she asks ChatGPT what this could possibly mean. The audience cracks up, agreeing with May – why can’t people just say what they actually mean?

May cleverly noted that although when navigating everyday life, she felt as though she was missing a script that everyone else had, she liked stand-up comedy as it meant she had a script to go off.

Maren May Reads Between No Lines
Maren May Reads Between No Lines
Maren May Reads Between No Lines

Throughout the show, May reflected on her family, love life, job, and interests with an endearing and joyful spin on even the most awkward stories. Her delightfully literal interpretations and neurodivergent lens were not only hilarious but refreshingly honest. Her stories touched on a cheating ex-boyfriend, an awkward date that felt like a scene straight out of Seinfeld, and weird habits her family has.

There was something uniquely charming about how May navigated her world— overthinking eye contact, and uploading her diary entries to Chat GPT (it’s less awkward than confiding in a therapist, who you may run into in person – whereas “ChatGPT doesn’t even own a bike!”). With just the right mix of awkwardness, wit, and heart, May’s set felt both deeply personal and universally relatable.

May delivered an audience-engaging set of observant and witty jokes, with clever call backs to earlier stories that tied in well together (such as mishearing the lyrics to the classic ABBA song Dancing Queen – “why are you kicking her?”). The show finished with a surprise guest appearance by someone we all know – ChatGPT.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Maren May delivered a delightful night of witty anecdotes and laugh-out-loud jokes. Make sure to check out this show and check out the many other comedians performing during the festival.

To book tickets to Maren May Reads Between No Lines, please visit https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/maren-may-reads-between-no-lines/.

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Jeremy Dooley: Comedy’s Rising Star Brings the Laughs with Daddy Cool

Daddy Cool

Daddy Cool Rating

★★★★★

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Melbourne Comic Jeremy Dooley brings his debut show Daddy Cool to Richmond for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

In an attic on Bridge Road, an intimate crowd gathers for Dooley’s stand up show. The lights are dim and the atmosphere is relaxed for this evening’s show.

Warming up the crowd is Canadian Richard Meneses who cracks jokes about being a backpacker, having left Canada to find himself. It’s a funny set that packs in a lot of laughs in a short time. Having cut his teeth on the Open Mic circuit Richard delivers a great set and performance that is memorable.

Daddy Cool
Daddy Cool
Daddy Cool

Lightly jogging onto the stage is the main act Jeremy Dooley, whose jokes are relatable and delivered perfectly with each punchline landing. He invites the audience to participate, which creates some very funny moments and makes for some great banter.

Being that this is a debut show, one could be mistaken for thinking Dooley has done the act before. He is comfortable being on stage, laughter comes easily, and he’s relaxed.

Dooley presents an hour of great storytelling, with some laugh-out-loud moments that captivate the audience. As the show winds up, Dooley has given the audience a solid hour of laughter and endearing moments that make for a fantastic show.

To book tickets to Daddy Cool, please visit https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/daddy-cool.

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Magpie – Fearless and Brave

Magpie

Magpie Rating

★★★★★

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I had the pleasure of reviewing EJ Mann’s comedy show MAGPIE at Bernie’s Bar Newcastle. In her own words, “It’s a musical comedy show about being brave and living like one of Australia’s most fearless birds- the Magpie.”

EJ Mann is a Brisbane based comedian on tour for the Fringe Festival. She has been gaining great momentum in the comedy circuit and receiving wonderful acclaim and reviews from her shows. In a relatively short period, of only a few years, she has certainly made her mark in the comedic world as a RAW State Finalist, Funny Coast Laughable Finalist, and Brat Pack People’s Choice Winner.

EJ Mann’s references to Uber drivers, Elon Musk, and keyboard warriors on neighbourhood Facebook pages made the show incredibly relatable and hilarious. There is a meld of Facebook posts and comments from her neighbourhood page, which EJ brilliantly and most creatively creates into a humorous song. I recommend she join my local page, as there is great content there if she is after new material for her next show. Facebook community pages definitely seem to bring the most brazen characters out of the woodwork.

Magpie
Magpie
Magpie
Magpie

It was most endearing to hear EJ intertwining various quotes and stories from her beloved late grandmother into her performance and songs. She made various mentions regarding her family and personal relationships which created an intimate, personal atmosphere and allowed the audience to feel acquainted, at ease and more receptive to her material.

EJ talked about her self discovery and sexuality in a heartfelt entertaining presentation. What I loved most was how she seamlessly incorporated her original comedic songs, accompanied by her guitar, throughout the show. A very stylish guitar, too, I should mention. EJ sings with an authentic Australian accent and a reminiscent sweetness of Missy Higgins. I could draw comparisons to the comedian Garfunkel (Kate Micucci), whose work I also absolutely adore.

There was a steadfast theme of the brave and fearless Magpie bird which is cleverly intertwined throughout her material. I particularly loved the reference to a ‘Parliament of Magpies’ and their superior efficiency. There were also references to shallow peacocks and rainbow lorikeets which reinforced her ideas beautifully.

EJ Mann is undeniably bold and brave as the Magpie and reveals an authentic, raw, self-exposing performance with skilful comedic light. A solid and professional performance by an up and coming star in her field. It is hard to believe she has only been at this game for just a few years. EJ certainly portrayed the grace and confidence of a seasoned professional. I was truly impressed by her creative witty performance and wish her all the best with her remaining Fringe Festival performances.

To book tickets to Magpie, please visit https://newcastlefringe.com.au/events/magpie/.

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The Pirates of Penzance

The Pirates of Penzance

The Pirates of Penzance Rating

★★★★★

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Hayes Theatre Co has made their way to the Wollongong stage at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, with a fresh and flamboyant flair to Gilbert and Sullivan’s seminal classic of The Pirates of Penzance (or The Slave of Duty).

Usually, a cast of around 40 actors, this delightful production decided to challenge their performers by asking the five of them to play the entire ensemble. This feat could very easily have become confusing and overwhelming for both the actors and the audience, but this cast made the stage their own and gave it their all to create a fast-paced and dynamic performance with seamless or in Billie Palin’s case, intentionally comedic on-stage quick-changes.

The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance

The use of the piano was very well done, becoming a change-room, a monologue-worthy soap box, and an off-stage curtain, all while pouring out beautiful scores. That piano is arguably the sixth and most dynamic cast member. Whilst a few of the cast members played it during the 2-hour performance, it is the dedication and consistency of Trevor Jones that should be commended as he somehow managed to continue playing whilst being carted around and changing costume in the blink of an eye, and have the audience in stitches with his lyric changes and commendable diction and pace during ‘I Am the Very Model’.

It’s a personal favourite when a performance becomes an immersive experience like this one, and I adore it when the theatre staff take the theme in stride as the IPAC has done. From small costume additions to the ushers to a special cocktail for the event, in addition to on-stage seating and audience-actor interactions, The Pirates of Penzance had it all. Some of the audience members really stole the show during their five minutes of fame and it just made for a beautiful and joyful experience.

Amid some technical difficulties, the cast remained cool and level-headed. Aside from one hiccup, where the audience stepped in to maintain morale and keep the energy high, the cast didn’t miss a beat.

The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance

The vocals and dynamic accent work of Brittanie Shipway was absolutely breathtaking. Her operatic range and ability to stay in and switch between such polarising opposite characters is just incredible. She brought the “wow” factor times ten, which is especially hard to maintain when you’re onstage for all but a few moments of a show of this length. In the company of a big name like Jay Laga’aia who exudes passion and charisma, and is just such a treat to watch, Shipway made certain that she was not to be forgotten.

Maxwell Simon was everything that Fredric should be. His voice had such power and his portrayal of a naïve but determined to be self-assured boy was utterly hilarious. His physical comedy was just brilliant, capturing the attention of the audience whether he was in the spotlight or not.

The Pirates of Penzance is the perfect show to watch to end the week, so make sure to grab yourself a ticket before they sail away from Wollongong by heading to the Merrigong Theatre Company’s website for the remaining shows this weekend!

To book tickets to The Pirates of Penzance, please visit https://merrigong.com.au/shows/the-pirates-of-penzance/.

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