When there is four hundred shows or more on offer for the Comedy Festival, even the most dedicated reviewer needs to be discerning about the ones to see. Browsing through the epic-long booklet, I came across Angus Brown’s Get Ready Get Set… Ahhh F*%k It.
Knowing Brown’s constantly high standard as writer, actor and comedian I had high expectations, even as I struggled to find the tiny, (some would say microscopic) room at the Gin Palace. Happily, every expectation was met and exceeded.
Get Ready… is Brown’s second foray into the MICF, with last year’s effort, Mania, being exactly that: a high velocity, hilarity-ensuing romp. And although it isn’t terribly original for comedians to hit the rewind button and give us anecdotes and embarrassing stories from their past, Brown not only engages each and every one of his audience, he is also super aware of his own performance, hitting certain marks he would have made mental notes of along the way – much like an actor would in a traditional theatre show. Which makes sense when you think about it, many of Brown’s funny scenarios are treated like ‘scenes’, and like all comedy scenes, there is a punch line that structures everything else around it.
Among Brown’s many assets is his ability to elevate human situations and dilemmas into the realm of the absurd while keeping it grounded at the same time. Think Monty Python if they had Billy Connolly’s observational skills while being fired through a machine gun.
And like all great live comedy, when ‘mistakes’ happen, they are quite often better than what’s scripted. In this particular performance, the real name of an acquaintance accidentally slipped out during an elaborate scenario that included a well-known venue manager, his cocaine stash, and the prostitutes that happen to be present at a few high flying Sydney bars.
Get Ready… is a raucous and energetic night of witty and candid stories ranging from Bali Belly on a submarine, to a rather important testicle examination, to the responsibilities a ‘real’ man should take on – with every joke hitting the target!
As the title suggests, it is not for the prudish, but the packed house was in stitches. This is an uplifting, fast-paced, energetic and very satisfying show worthy of a bigger (and more visible) venue. It is one of the best the festival has on offer so get ready, get set for a wild night – don’t say ahh, f*%k it! Not to be missed.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Angus Brown: Get Ready Get Set… Ahhh F**k It
The Swamp, Gin Palace, 10 Russell Place, Melbourne
Melbourne International Comedy Festival
www.comedyfestival.com.au
27 March-20 April
