★★★★☆

Arj Barker has long been a favourite with Australian audiences. Returning to Sydney to record a DVD of his new show Get In My Head, the comic is as popular as ever – so popular, in fact, that an extra show was added to his appearance as part of Sydney Comedy Festival.

Barker really endears himself to his audience, partnering his laid-back Californian vibe with faux narcissism. It’s the shtick that Barker has always used, but it somehow doesn’t seem to get old, as he keeps his jokes fresh enough that people want to keep coming back.

One of the things that is so likeable about Barker’s stand-up is that he’s never mean. He can be crude, or silly, but he doesn’t heckle or pick on his audience, and his humour is largely at his own expense. His Sydney set was really warm and a lot of fun, and he’s a very relatable comic, as the drunk teenage boys next to me kept observing with interjections of “That’s so true” and “That’s totally happened to me” after basically every joke.

The show was definitely a triumph, and I will be hanging out to be able to buy the DVD, which will be the eighth release from Barker – quite a feat for any comic. Hopefully the sold-out shows in Sydney will keep Barker away from his “avocado plantation” in California on the regular, and ensure he spends a lot more time in Oz.

Arj Barker was reviewed at the Capitol Theatre on Saturday May 14 as part of Sydney Comedy Festival 2016.

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