For someone who seems at first like an unknown quantity on these shores,Gabriel Iglesiashas certainly made a significant impact. Tonight’s performance as part of his Unity Through Laughter world tour is his third visit to Australia, and is performed in front of a sell-out crowd.
In a day and age when it is common for top-flight comedians to parlay their success into film and television careers, Iglesias might represent a throwback to another era. That’s not to say that he’s flown entirely under the radar – he’s appeared on TV with Conan and Jay Leno, had comedy specials on the Comedy Central network and voiced characters for Family Guy and Disney films. His YouTube page has, at the time of writing, almost two million views. But this following has largely been cultivated the good old-fashioned way. That is, by hitting the road and touring relentlessly.
Iglesias – or ‘Fluffy’ to his devoted fans, is witty, engaging and charismatic – a larger-than-life character that fills out his trademark Hawaiian shirt. A number of fans tonight have even come bearing gifts, delivering him chocolate cakes and Transformers pre-show (a reference to a joke from 1998 that still endures). The show itself is a mixture of artful storytelling, parodies, characters and sound effects that bring many of the Long Beach native’s personal experiences to life.
He riffs on everything from Australia’s laconic sense of humour and the dangers of fictitious drop bears to his travels through Saudi Arabia and the nuances of the couple who run his favourite local Indian restaurant.
It’s very rare to see a comedian play an arena tour and this venue is a significant step up in capacity from Iglesias’ last show at the Opera House in 2012. By now, though, Fluffy has his crowds eating out of his hand. So much so that many in the audience here are on their feet cheering when he indulges them by retelling old gags from previous tours – some punters are even delivering the punchlines in unison.
No doubt Iglesias’ devoted fans will be playing comedy karaoke with him again soon, probably alongside a few new gags.
4/5.
Reviewed at Qantas Credit Union Arena on Saturday September 27.
