Bonus Stage

Big Head Mode has now provided a locally based fortress of solitude with Bonus Stage, held at The Chaser’s Red Dwarf Theatre. The first show was so successful that another has already been scheduled for later this month.

Audience members felt immediately at ease in the lounge room setting as they watched hosts Carlo Ritchie (The Bear Pack) and Ben O’Brien (Big Head Mode) shoot the video game breeze with guests such as Rae Johnston (Kotaku, Gizmodo, Lifehacker), Jordan Raskopoulos (The Axis Of Awesome) and Seaton Kay-Smith (The Roast, Paper Moose). The latest gaming news was discussed, as was animal cruelty in the world of Pokemon and #Gamergate. The aim was clearly to invoke a sense of home – just a bunch of mates cracking wise about games to an audience who would actually get the jokes. It worked.

The chatter was permeated by hilarious musical performances by Raskopoulos and Benny Davis and The Triforce, as well as some truly great sketch clips. A couple of my personal favourites were Hex from Good Game declaring her co-host Bajo to be a mere digital construct whom Andrew Denton stood in for, as well as Bob Carr declaring that his favourite game is Blood Dragon.

Another highlight was the use of character creators to play several rounds of Celebrity Head, one of whom was Steve Buscemi, which resulted in me loudly demanding that the sex appeal be maxed out.

So if you’re a fan of games and comedy, I highly recommend you check out the Bonus Stage sequel on Wednesday April 29. If you’re still not convinced – I laughed so hard that I had a mild asthma attack.

5/5 stars