When a show starts with three men in colourful jumpsuits with bibs and bowties, wearing white painted moustaches and jumping about in colourful Crocs, you’d be fairly safe to assume that you’re in for a fairly silly evening. To say that Ongals have a strong stage presence is a big understatement—aside from their physical appearance, their slapstick comedy and clowning sees them up to some ridiculous antics that have even the most uptight patrons in stiches. Not a bad effort, considering about 10 English words are spoken throughout the entire show.
Korean troupe Ongals are back for their second show at MICF after receiving a Special Commendation Director’s Choice award in 2014. Babbling Comedy uses elements of mime, juggling, clowning, magic and beatboxing, making it one of those something-for-everyone types of shows.
On the surface, Babbling Comedy appears to be a group of idiots bouncing around on stage, pulling items out of a toy box in delight. However, there is an exploration of the idea of experiencing things for the first time, as we so often do as children. At times their grunts and exaggerated physical gestures are almost ape-like, alluding to a prehistoric man’s first encounter with modern appliances.
Bewildered by everything they find in the toy box, the Ongals re-imagine the purpose of everyday items with amusing consequences—a paint roller can act as a microphone or a helicopter propeller; a toilet seat becomes a pair of moose antlers or a giant magnet.
The first half of Babbling Comedy is a big, multi-coloured frenzy of clowning with some neat circus tricks, many of which were inventive and visually exciting. While the over-the-top nature of this show mightn’t be an instant hit for everyone, these men are so hilarious just to look at that it almost distracts from the show’s content. The Ongal with glasses somehow manages to resemble both an old lady and an infant, and if you’re not laughing at a joke that was just made, you’ll be laughing at his bizarre facial expressions that go with it.
There are plenty of gross-out shenanigans that kids will love, many based on the use of modelling balloons. Imagine sword swallowing but with a balloon, snorting a balloon through the nostrils and numerous balloon pumps up the behind and you’re on the right track. The use of magic—in particular one fabulous trick featuring a can of coke—are top-quality and fantastically presented.
Just when the show is at risk of going into a lull, a fourth Ongal appears and the show takes a drastic leap in intensity; it’s virtually impossible that every audience member was not completely won over by what followed.
The fourth Ongal fills the Spiegeltent with absolutely astonishing beatboxing skills that blow the previous half of the show out of the water. Babbling Comedy maintains its initial silly, light-hearted feel but with the addition of beat-boxing evolves into something edgier. The show perfectly incorporates these new beats with next-level juggling that is something to see rather than read about.
Ongals are an excellent ensemble—they play to their individual strengths while maintaining excellent comedic timing and cohesiveness. Babbling Comedy is a solid show that is purely entertaining and funny while speaking only a couple of words, which is a testament to their work as performers and audience interaction. Here’s hoping this is just the beginning we see of Ongals and K-Comedy on the Australian stage.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Babbling Comedy
Ongals
The Famous Spiegeltent at Arts Centre Melbourne
26 March – 12 April
Melbourne International Comedy Festival
www.comedyfestival.com.au​
25 March – 19 April​
