Image via MICF
In Trigger Warning, Pobjie wants to find out what makes us mad. He’s outraged, and he knows we are too. In fact, rage seems to be such a strong undercurrent at this year’s festival it makes you wonder if we all don’t need to take a step back and do some deep breathing. Pobjie does it well, though, and offers us some great tidbits about anyone with the last name Bishop, feminism and lettuce – the latter he devotes an inordinate amount of time to.
Fans of his articles in The Age and those who follow him on Twitter all know that Pobjie can be deliciously funny, so it is disappointing to see that this doesn’t quite carry over to stage. He comes across as stilted, and a little awkward. But after a weakish start, his material gets stronger, climaxing in his ‘ragegasm’, which is a particular highlight.
Comics should avoid the Forum Theatre Carpet Room at all costs, and it’s not Pobjie’s fault that his audience are squeezed into a cupboard space so tight that anyone over five foot five will have leg cramps by the time the hour is over. The backstage area is so small that when Pobjie does his introduction you can literally see his shape underneath the curtain (actually that part was pretty funny). It’s a cold room that isn’t conducive to laughter, and Pobjie does well overcoming the hurdle of the space, especially when the door is left open and you can hear foyer conversations from the stage.
Handing out Fantales as a reward for audience participation is a brilliant idea and his printed programs with instructions for reviewers is also a nice touch, but overall the show feels like it needs something more. Lots of people will find this funny and for fans of his work, he is worth seeing, and trying to interact with as well. He certainly had the front row in hysterics on Thursday evening.
We know Pobjie is funny, we’ve read his words, now if only he can take them from the page into performance mode he’ll make a brilliant comic.
Rating: 2 ½ out of 5 stars
Trigger Warning
The Forum Carpet Room, Flinders St
Melbourne International Comedy Festival
www.comedyfestival.com.au
27 March – 20 April
