All reviews published on www.grooveguide.co.nz
REVIEW: Urzila Carlson ‘Poise Control’ @ San Francisco Bath House Wellington, Tues 6th May 2014
Carlson’s delivery is well paced and consistent. She owns the stage without stamping the ‘for sale’ stickers everywhere. It’s an enjoyable night and offers a few good insights into the mind of the enemy. Now I know NOT to get in the car when my wife is upset with me – the argument will last all the way to the BBQ, seethe through the evening and fully rage again on the ride home! I’ll be trapped in a cage, at the mercy of irrational woman’s logic and rage. What’s that about? It’s about an hour of fantastic fun. And finally I learned why we’re all pent up due to a national political correctness overdose. It’s because of bad coffee. Of course, Carlson knows where to find the best Baristas.
Thank God-ess!
REVIEW: Eamon Marra – Man on the verge of a nervous breakdown, Puppies Wellington, Monday 5th May 2014
The Monday night Puppies crowd were probably all friends and consequently they were very kind, and just as well. Marra started by bribing his audience with chippies and lollies to get him to like him. He gave them a list of compliments to read out and he had flip charts and a guitar intentionally out-of-tuned. His show was loosely structured around mental illness, not an original plot. He referred to stage fright, which was probably real, and social dysfunction in the age of Twitter and the (Da Vinci Code) Illuminati. His jokes were there but unfortunately if you ignored the delivery and retold them to yourself later. Marra referred to his notes a lot, lost his place, and awkwardly bumbled about between the signposts of his script. He was lucky there were no hecklers in the room – that would of completely thrown him. He managed to do that all by himself. I hope tomorrow night goes well because underneath Eamon Marra seems like a funny man – I just didn’t really see that tonight. Sorry.
REVIEW: The Big Show featuring John Gordillo, John Robins, Tim FitzHigham Sara Pascoe and hosted by Michael Legge, Hannah Playhouse – Wellington Comedy Festival Tuesday 20 April
In comparison to Ego’s luke-warm effort earlier, Legge has a huger presence on the same stage. Being Irish helps. He’s a natural for a bit of the crack, warming the audience up with a tried and true method of picking on guys in the front row – this time Brendan and Noel are the victims de jour. Legge has written for most of the UK TV channels and is a long term collaborator with stage-mate John Gordillo, who have both made beautiful Theatresports moments together over the years. He’s even been nominated for a BAFTA for writing an episode of The Osbornes. He was clearly comfortable on the boards working a quiet, polite and slightly nervous group of Wellingtonians into an outgoing bunch of yobs by the end of the night. Gordillo was first out opening what he called “various opinions from every type of white middle class person.” His particular opinion was very proper analysis of the difference between theatre-spin and stand-up comedy. His self-deprecating BBC delivery mostly hit the mark. One highlight in particular was his impersonation of an award winning Russian novelist and Jennifer Anniston presenting at a fantasy Oscar-pimped up Nobel Peace prize ceremony. Following on was Sara Pascoe. She had a nervous, twitchy style. Also a resident of Lewisham her material was more down to earth, in a gritty modern feminist sort of way. Sadly, John Robins, who opened the second half didn’t entirely fire. Jokes about paedophilia and homophobia are a little passé these days, despite a well-practiced execution. Adding medical misadventures like contracting gout did not help either. Tim FitzHigham, who was billed as a potential guest for the night was the last appearance of the night. Still panting from his run across town after closing his own show he was pumped. His material was a sliver from a night about bizarre gambling wagers and claiming ‘freckless’ as an occupation on his US immigrations form. It was a great high to the end of the night, with his energy positively radiating off the stage.
REVIEW: Paul Ego – Amazing Balls – Hannah Playhouse – Wellington Comedy Festival Tuesday 20 April
What’s the most awkward disposition a comedy reviewer should put themselves in before attending a season opening? How about recovering from stomach surgery? Yep. That was yours truly. So naturally I was a little apprehensive I’d be risking stitches and newly repaired innards when I sat down to ingest 7 Days star Paul Ego’s new show Amazing Balls. Alas, there was nothing really upset my surgeon. Ego somehow lacked the quick fire naughty-boy, shock jock presence he has on TV. Instead his well-meaning slideshow effort was a chatty, anecdotal based ramble about searching for a new career in the light of audience dejection from his 7 year old. Ego’s 47 year old parental ponderings were based on a failed attempt to tell a decent joke to his son. That, in itself would have been a perfect narrative for the night. However his self-confessed ‘messy’ delivery seemed to have conspired against him as he faltered initially to get into top gear by front loading with a pile of hot-aerated irrelevances. Even the show’s title didn’t quite gel with the general themes. With only an hour it’s essential to get those belly laughs in early. Sadly there were no sides split tonight.
freshthinking 