Reviewed on Friday October 17 at the Studio, Sydney Opera House
Part of me always wonders if over the course of a lifetime, I might be able to come up with a solid five-minute stand-up routine that wouldn’t get me booed offstage. Given that most people’s greatest fear is public speaking and my next greatest fear would have to be being heckled at work, a career change may not be on the horizon anytime soon.
As part of this year’s Just For Laughs comedy festival in Sydney, the Opera House has been at full capacity to see some of our most talented local and international comics battle to win our applause. Tonight’s show is somewhat of a festival ‘greatest hits’ show with each performer given 15 minutes, and thanks to The Project’s Dave Thornton playing host, the night gets off to a promising start.
First up is James Smith, a guy who left his job as a Sydney banking and finance lawyer to relocate to New York and try to make it in comedy. He’s about to perform on Conan and you can see why. He’s an affable, understated comic with a sharp edge – and like all the greats in this field, loves to take you out of your comfort zone and test social mores.
The ever-present Ronny Chieng is tonight feeling the rage over our obsession with smartphone preferences. With a sold-out national tour and appearances on the new ABC series, It’s A Date, he is part of a new burgeoning group of young comedians on the scene.
The night is rounded off by a local favourite, the snappy Tom Gleeson. As a new father, he has a gold mine of material at hand, as he leads us through teaching his daughter new words and the worst new trends in serving avocado in cafés. He’s an astute observer and possibly one of our more talented physical comedians.
3.5/5 stars
