All Jeff Green wants is to make us smile, and funnily enough he’s accomplished it by analysing his own pursuit of happiness. In a brand new show, and for one night only as part of this year’s Sydney Comedy Festival, Green examined his own feelings of contentment, joy and pleasure with (at times) outrageous but mostly hilarious results.
With three working bars at the venue, Happy Hour at the Factory Theatre was in full swing once Green took to the stage amid the chorus of Pharrell’s signature tune. With no backdrop or props and armed only with a plastic cup of H2O, he certainly had his work cut out for him.
These days British-born Green is a bona fide Aussie – he’s married to an Australian and they live happily together in Melbourne bringing up two young sons. However, despite his willingness to assimilate, he admits to feeling like an outsider – and that’s when his comedic genius kicks in. His light-hearted observations on local culture, relationships, parenthood and ageing got big laughs, with many couples in the audience nudging each other in agreement.
Green’s intelligent and insightful rhetoric hit the mark – with the occasional lewd comment thrown in to appease those there for a cheap laugh.
Towards the end of the hour, things took a philosophical turn. Green explained that the Dalai Lama believes there are two types of happiness: the temporary pleasure derived from material things; and the more enduring comfort that results from self-reflection and development of the mind. Green argues that happiness is not achieved through buying a new plasma TV or owning an expensive car, but rather through enlightenment, understanding and remembering to put the bins out.
Jeff Green was reviewed on Saturday May 9 at the Factory Theatre as part of Sydney Comedy Festival 2015.
