Peter Rowsthorn – Keen

Peter Rowsthorn - Keen

Peter Rowsthorn – Keen Rating

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If you’re like most Australians and Kath & Kim has been part of your regular viewing over the years, then Peter Rowsthorn is undoubtedly a household name. He’s the kind of person you instantly want to be friends with. Warm, familiar, and effortlessly charming, even if you’ve never met him.

From the moment he stepped on stage at the beautifully refurbished Rechabite Hall (updated in 2019), Peter put the audience completely at ease. Endearing, relatable, and unpretentious, he’s as lovable and bubbly as you’d expect. The way he casually throws around the f-bomb just adds to that feeling that he’s your best mate from way back.

This was the first time Peter had performed as part of The Perth Comedy Festival since the ’80s, and it was an absolute treat. I wasn’t surprised to hear he was one of the few acts at the Perth Comedy Festival open to being reviewed. A reflection of his humility and openness to feedback.

He kicked things off with a relaxed ‘chat’ to the first few rows (yes, I was in the splash zone), which was a great way to break the ice and set the tone. These casual interactions cleverly led into off-the-cuff stories, ranging from accidentally running over his dog to his father choosing euthanasia. That he can make an audience laugh through such heavy material is a true mark of a comedy master.

Peter’s physical comedy was a real standout. It’s not a technique all stand-ups use, but he executed it with a flair that had the audience in stitches. His dance routines were hilarious throwbacks to his iconic Kath & Kim character, Brett, and his behind-the-scenes stories about working with stars like Kylie Minogue and Shane Warne were crowd-pleasers. I loved the insider scoop!

If there was one area that could use refinement, it would be the structure of the show. At times, the transitions felt a bit loose, and a comedic director might have helped shape the flow for a more cohesive experience. While the energy and content were strong, a bit more structure would have made the journey feel more grounded for both Peter and the audience.

That said, Peter is so incredibly likeable and naturally funny that, honestly, he could have done anything and the crowd would have loved it. He had Perth eating out of the palm of his hand, and I have no doubt any future shows would sell out in a flash.

I’d tell you to run and grab a ticket, but sadly, it was a one-night-only event!

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Perth Comedy Festival: Daniel Muggleton – You May Be White, I May Be Crazy

Daniel Muggleton - You May Be White, I May Be Crazy

Daniel Muggleton – You May Be White, I May Be Crazy Rating

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Daniel Muggleton is no stranger to comedy. Having been in the business for more than 10 years, his observational comedic style was a hit with the audience at the Goodwill Club of The Rechabite for the 2025 Perth Comedy Festival.

His show You May be White, I May Be Crazy covered an array of topics from the controversial Welcome to Country acknowledgements to living in London, disputes with his wife and fatherhood. Which given the title of his show, it was not what I was expecting.

One of my favourite parts of the show were his footnote disclaimers. He would say something that may be a little contentious, for example, he said he would raise his newborn son to be gay because society has become too woke and now it’s too difficult to teach him how a ‘real man’ is ought to behave. After having said that he would sit at the edge of stage stating his newborn son is not actually gay. Then he would standup again and continue with the show.

His crack at politicians was also gold. I think it’s fair to say that most Australians are quite familiar with our Prime Minister mentioning his ‘special friendship’ with the President of the United States yet Muggleton likened the friendship to knowing a girl you like but she doesn’t even know you exist.

As Australians, we love to poke fun of ourselves so when he mentioned about the difficulty some immigrants have in trying fit in with the Australian culture and wanting to make an effort, the crowd roared with laughter when he said that’s the whole problem. Making an effort, when as Australians, we prefer not to. That is what he did best, his critique of Australian culture.

There was so much Muggleton covered in his show which a lot of the material resonated with the audience last night. He doesn’t stick with one thing too long. You can also tell he does his research in the town he’s performing in because he was quite knowledgeable about Perth traffic in comparison to his hometown of Sydney.

If he’s ever in town and you need a good laugh, Muggleton will not disappoint.

For information on upcoming Daniel Muggleton tour dates, please visit https://danielmuggleton.com.au/.

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Perth Comedy Festival: Rohan Arneil – The Never-Ending Smoko

Rohan Arneil - The Never-Ending Smoko

Rohan Arneil – The Never-Ending Smoko Rating

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Sydney based comedian Rohan Arneil was in town for the Perth Comedy Festival performing upstairs at the Chorus Room of the Regal Theatre.

With the entrance to the Chorus Room tucked to the side around the main entrance of the Regal Theatre, we made our way up the winding stairs. We knew we made it to the little theatre because the sign displayed said “You’ve Made It”.

It is an intimate space with a small stage fitted with red velvet curtains. With festive moonlights strung up above the audience, Rohan hilariously noted that if there’s any lighting, it should be directed at him, not the audience.

Rohan is a relaxed stand-up comedian taking sips of wine and flavoured water throughout his show with plenty to say about anything and everything. At the start he touched quite a lot on money which he even acknowledged he would be talking about for a fair amount of time. I found it quite refreshing for a person to be talking about a topic which can seem a bit taboo in society or impolite to talk about.

He also got the crowd laughing with his work as a stonemason and how with technology rapidly evolving the profession doesn’t seem so lucrative as it once was 5 thousand years ago, and acting as a mentor to young guys at Tafe which he refers to his Good-Will Hunting moments.

Rohan is a talented comedian. He’s able to move seamlessly from one top to another without losing the attention of the audience.

He knows how to work the crowd, which for most part of the show it was as if you were at a friend’s house having a few drinks and this friend is re-telling funny stories of his life.

Reverting back to money, he wrapped-up his performance by taking a call from his Uber driver telling the audience he had to rush to another gig to get his $400.

The Perth Comedy Festival runs from 21 Apr to 18 May. To book tickets to a show, please visit https://www.perthcomedyfestival.com/.

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Perth Comedy Festival:- Kieran Hodgson – Sounds American

Kieran Hodgson - Sounds American

Kieran Hodgson – Sounds American Rating

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Applauded for his culinary acting adventures as the “Sandwich Guy” in The Flash (2023), Kieran Hodgson is on a quest to make America great again. Failing that, he certainly made Perth great during his Saturday night show on 10th May 2025 for the Perth Comedy Festival.

With an undeniable talent extending well beyond stand-up, some of Kieran’s most provocative roles have cast him as the fallen prince in the TV show “Prince Andrew: The Musical,” which he also wrote. He’s also the creator of “Bad TV Impressions” on X (formerly Twitter), also available on YouTube.

After witnessing some of his impressions, including Hugh Grant, Bob Katter, Bill Clinton and John F. Kennedy, it soon becomes apparent that Kieran’s humour is as unhinged as he is unapologetically British.

Held in the upstairs Chorus Room of the Regal Theatre, “Kieran Hodgson – Sounds American” is fast paced and jam-packed with insightful humour as deranged as the state of America. Truly one of the most endearing performers, his delightful demeanour was tested by the couple who talked loudly throughout his act before abruptly leaving – Kieran handled it with all the grace of the Bridgertons and the royal family, impersonations he has also nailed.

It’s easy to see why Kieran is a four-time Edinburgh Comedy Award Nominee, most recently in 2023 for his “Big in Scotland” show. He’s playing at the Sydney Comedy Festival on 15th and 16th May before returning to the UK, where he’ll be touring throughout the year.

The Perth Comedy Festival runs from 21 Apr to 18 May. To book tickets to a show, please visit https://www.perthcomedyfestival.com/.

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