There’s a certain kind of electricity in a comedy show that refuses to slow down. The kind where the jokes come faster than the audience can catch them, where every moment teeters on the edge of chaos, and where no topic—no matter how sacred or taboo—is safe from scrutiny. Crush Hour is that kind of show.
Helmed by Xavier Susai and Evan Willey, two comics with vastly different styles but a shared love for unpredictability, Crush Hour doesn’t ease into the night. It launches itself at full speed, tearing through topics with an urgency that suggests they might not make it to the next punchline. Susai, a veteran of the stage, is the composed assassin, landing precision strikes with his world-traveled wit and effortless crowd work. Willey, on the other hand, is the wildcard, all sharp edges and boundless energy, a man who seems to operate on the understanding that comedy is best served with a side of anarchy.
It’s a pairing that shouldn’t work, yet somehow, in the mess of overlapping jokes and perfectly mistimed interruptions, it does.
A Comedy Show Without Brakes
If there’s a thesis to Crush Hour, it’s that speed is everything. There is no downtime, no filler, no polite moments to sip your drink and regroup. The format is loose by design—one minute you’re listening to a tight, well-crafted bit, the next you’re watching an audience interaction spiral into something that feels dangerously close to unsalvageable, only for it to be yanked back into brilliance at the last possible moment.
It’s stand-up at its most thrilling: a high-wire act with no net, a show where spontaneity isn’t a possibility but a guarantee.
A Two-Man Wrecking Crew
Susai, always the smooth operator, takes the stage with the quiet confidence of a man who knows exactly what he’s doing. He leans into his mastery of accents, his ability to dissect cultural absurdities, his razor-sharp comebacks to unsuspecting audience members who dare to get too comfortable. He knows how to let the moment breathe, how to plant the setup and wait for the right second to strike.
Willey, by contrast, has no interest in breathing room. He thrives in chaos, in the moments where the stage feels too small to contain him. There’s a recklessness to his delivery, a sense that even he might not be entirely sure where the bit is going—but that’s the magic. He keeps the audience on edge, daring them to keep up.
Together, they create something rare in stand-up: a show where the audience isn’t just watching, they’re bracing for impact.
A Fringe Must-See
For all its unpredictability, Crush Hour isn’t just reckless for the sake of it. There’s an art to the madness. Beneath the speed and volume is a show that understands exactly what it’s doing—pushing comedy to its limits and seeing who can keep up.
If you like your stand-up tidy, structured, and carefully rehearsed, Crush Hour is not the show for you. But if you want to be in a room where anything can happen, where the performers are just as exhilarated (and sometimes panicked) as the audience, then this is the only ticket you should be buying at FRINGE WORLD this year.
Just buckle up.
When: Saturday, 1st and 15th of February at 8pm
Where: Ronnie Nights – Freo Fringe Hub
Tickets on Sale now
For more information click here
