With a dose of comedic irony, the audio-visual equipment malfunctioned in the opening moments of Laura Hughes’ science-fiction themed show, Welcome to Planet Earth. Hughes kept it together with nerves of steel while some quick thinking technical staff saved the day, allowing things to properly kick off upstairs at Melbourne’s Portland Hotel.
A Star Wars style introduction via a video projector sets the scene – Hughes is an alien warrior known as a Zarborgian and has taken over the body of a human woman. Her audience are a team of hand-picked, equally alien passengers on course for Planet Earth with a three-pronged plan to assimilate, mate and dominate.
This one woman show, penned and performed by the 2011 National Raw Comedy finalist, is a light-hearted take on the quirks and eccentricities of the human species. The show’s structure – a military-style briefing via a Microsoft Powerpoint presentation – provides a familiar framework for audiences while creating ample opportunity for laughter through a mix of skits, jokes and Will Smith style rapping.
Awkward small talk with strangers, human mating rituals and conversation etiquette are some of the topics explored throughout the ‘briefing’, which includes a mixture of video content and amusing audience role-plays.
A promising talent who brings both warmth and wit to the material, Hughes is at her finest when moving off script and working with the energy of her audience. In contrast, the sequences where she interacts with her pre-recorded video content tends to slightly ‘alienate’ her audience.
It’s admirable to see Hughes taking on the science fiction setting of the show, although the cute concept – an ambitious and creative risk – does not fully pay off, and audiences might struggle at times to suspend their disbelief. A more fully developed alien character and less emphasis on the AV elements of the show are required for the concept to really take off.
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
Laura Hughes – Welcome to Planet Earth
Portland Hotel, Pool Room
28 March – 21 April
Melbourne International Comedy Festival
www.comedyfestival.com.au
27 March – 21 April
