★★★★½
The Just For Laughs Sydney comedy festival turned five this year, and to celebrate it held two all-star comedy galas at the iconic Sydney Opera House. The lineup of seven comedians included top-notch international and local talent giving us all about ten to 15 minutes of their funniest, A-plus material.
Celia Pacquola opened the night, making some great points about Tiger Airways (why would you name an airline after an animal that doesn’t fly and kills people?) as well as modern dating, rings and wristies. It was a cheeky set, almost the opposite of Danny Bhoy’s material, as he made some funny swipes at politics, religion and celebrity.
Dave Hughes and Tommy Tiernan did more personal material about their families. Hughes played the part of the loveable Aussie bogan well, as he described travelling with three young kids in his own unique style. Tiernan, however, was the flattest comedian of the night.
Wil Anderson was a polished performer, with some hilarious material about his osteoarthritis and meeting a crazy survivalist in Alaska. Stephen K Amos was also very well prepared, offering up a thoughtful spot on racism and homophobia, and he even brought in his own bag of Allen’s chicos to really bring the message home.
One of the zaniest performances of the evening was The Pub Landlord, AKA Al Murray. He sloshed beer around the Opera House stage and made some great exchanges with the audience. It was a flying-by-the-seat-of-your-pants-style slot, but it really seemed to suit the gala format and was a good little interlude.
The short and sharp sets from these seven talented comedians left many people wanting more, as they’d each done a stellar job of taking us on a ride and making us laugh.
The Just For Laughs All-Star Gala was reviewed at the Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House on Saturday October 24.
