★★★☆
He may be one of the most respected and hardest-working American comics active today, but Kyle Kinane is a realist – some would say a harsh one at that – about his place in the world.
You might know him as the voice of Comedy Central (“Up next, an all-new Workaholics!”) or as an exceptional storyteller (as we are treated to several times tonight), but Kinane simply views himself as a 39-year-old manchild with nothing to show for his life apart from a few jokes and a case of gout.
This, among a variety of other scattered ideas, makes up the bulk of Kinane’s Sydney debut. It’s not quite a linear story or a singular concept, but that’s never been Kinane’s forte. He’s steeped in reality, jumping between stories with quick-burst punchline pay-off and more drawn-out tales. These appear to be put together in an off-the-cuff manner, as Kinane checks his watch several times toward the end to see which tales he can fit into his hour.
On that note, there is a degree of inconsistency purely because of Terrestrial Woes’ unrehearsed, scattered nature. There is plenty to enjoy, including particularly hilarious stories about fish and doctor’s visits that draw some of the biggest laughs of the evening. Just when he gets the laughs going, however, he’ll draw back and wander (quite literally) about until he’s found his way into the next story. It’s certainly authentic, but it also halts any momentum that has been built up.
When Kinane is ‘on’, he has the entire crowd in the palm of his hands. There are several moments, however, where he has to work at getting back up to that level after a significant, noticeable drop-off. What keeps Terrestrial Woes going – and, eventually, what wins you over – is Kinane’s wry, self-deprecating and entirely likeable personality. However uncertain he may appear to be about his own abilities and worth, he is a formidable entertainer.
Kinane hasn’t created a definitive hour of comedy with Terrestrial Woes, but at the very least he’s put together something that will make you want to shout him a cider and maybe give him an empathetic hug, too.
Kyle Kinane was reviewed at The Comedy Store on Thursday April 21 as part of Sydney Comedy Festival 2016.
