★★★½
Given the regal surrounds of the State Theatre, it’s easy to forget that tonight’s gig is part of Danny Bhoy’s ninth Australian tour. The Edinburgh native has become such a mainstay of our local comedy scene that he has formalised this association by becoming an Australian citizen.
The peculiarities of nationality and identity are central to proceedings as Bhoy opens the show by recalling a recent performance in Texas where locals were confounded by his mixed Scottish-Indian heritage. “To Americans, Scottish and Indian are two very separate characters onThe Simpsons – you mustn’t confuse them,” he chirps.
Tonight’s show, Please Uncheck This Box, speaks to the likeable comic’s fluid style and delivers a witty manifesto on the importance of keeping things simple. The comic riffs effortlessly on such diverse topics as David Cameron and the referendum in Scotland, the perils of long division, his disdain for street food and a particularly funny story about catching someone defacing one of his festival posters. These all provide ample ammunition for Bhoy’s sharp wit and trademark observational humour.
Speaking to the BRAG recently about difficult gigs, Bhoy noted, “It’s when those things go wrong, if you like, that things start to go right.” Tonight is a case in point. After one rowdy punter is ejected for heckling midway, Bhoy artfully manages to weave the patron’s strange ramblings into his punchlines. The show seems to gain momentum rather than lose it in the face of the unwelcome intervention.
Jumping off on a tangent, he delivers one of the highlights of the night recalling the absurdity of completing a questionnaire prior to a recent hair appointment. Bhoy once again shows himself to be a talented performer who freely builds rapport with the audience. His measured performance is fitting of such grand surrounds.
Danny Bhoy was reviewed at the State Theatre on Monday October 26 as part of Just For Laughs Sydney 2015.
