I imagine that being a comedian would be quite a challenging job. Some people are naturally funny, but that doesn’t necessarily make them a “born comedian”, as one may think. To do this for a living, comedians need to be multitalented – they are both specialty writers and actors (cue the timing and the delivery of a joke) with a certain amount of bravery to be up onstage with a microphone. They need to have a quick wit and response time when interacting with an unpredictable audience. I watched Mitch Dale at The Comedy Store Too at Moore Park in Sydney, and he had all of these talents! His one hour set for Umm…What Else? was a hilarious!
Mitch’s comedy style for this show varied from quick quips/ play on words/ short funny interactions with the audience, to delivering longer amusing tales about growing up in Australia. He is a talented storyteller who captured my attention from the beginning. For example, when he talked about casseroles and how after being slow cooked by the end of day, everything has turned to mush, yet the potatoes still have some crunch! And rugby. The interesting thing about Mitch’s delivery of his material was that he did it in a very understated manner where he cleverly picked a point and wove it into his story. It was like a dropped hot chip surrounded by seagulls – there’s a small beat as the audience listened to his words, and then once we realised his point, we jumped on the joke, laughing! “I played rugby, because I’m from Queensland, and I have a dad.”
The topics of the night were ones that were aimed to amuse all ages in the room. Mitch talked about personalised number plates, uber drivers and his trip to Japan – all of which was relatable to most of the audience, going by their enthusiastic responses. Mitch also catered for the older generation. It was interesting that he mentioned his childhood and how his parents had him answer the home phone as if he were in an office. It’s amusing because it’s true – back when families had landline phones, some parents made sure everyone answered in a formal manner. I remember calling my friend on their landline, and the younger five year old sibling of my friend answered the phone like this, it was very cute. I suppose there is a generation now who wouldn’t have had the experience of this, or of waiting a few weeks for a computer to be built so that it could go into it’s own special room in the house lovingly nicknamed “The Computer Room”.
Mitch also talked about how he got his name and shared some experiences with his health, and amazingly, he managed to turn even these more serious subjects into something funny. He had the knack of telling a life situation with honesty and humour.
During this set, Mitch was quick to respond to the audience. Instead of picking on that person and teasing them mercilessly, he interacted in a respectful and humorous manner. He clearly has a talent in quick thinking and response situations. In the lead up to Christmas last year, when he was working for a company, his entire job that weekend was to get busy people out of any social commitment they were trying to dodge. The company set the challenge for people to head into a particular store and Mitch will deliver an excuse for them. “He’ll make the hard call – you get the clean break and a guilt-free afternoon back.” From watching Mitch in Umm…What Else?, I am sure that he would have risen to this challenge.
Keep a lookout for this comedian Mitch Dale. Although this was a one-night show in the lead up to Sydney’s Comedy Festival, it won’t be the last you’ll hear about him. It was a sold out event at The Comedy Store Too tonight, so next time be sure to buy your tickets quickly so you don’t miss out.
To book tickets to Umm…What Else?, please visit https://www.neuralle.com/talent/mitch-dale.
