Anisa Nandaula’s childhood dream was to move from Uganda to Australia where her mother promised they would find a multicultural environment. Instead, they ended up in predominantly white Rockhampton. Drawing on her personal experience, Nandaula has many hilarious anecdotes that explore racial dimensions, relationships and the quirks of the Australian experience. Playing off the title of the show, Nandaula takes advantage of her status as a black woman to make jokes that most of the audience would not dare to.Â
This is a show with a high level of audience interaction. Nandaula engages by asking questions, such as ‘what you do for work?’ and ‘who did you come to the show with?’ She then skilfully weaves the answers into her performance. The amount of improvised content does mean You Can’t Say That will vary from night to night depending on the audience members and Nandaula’s response to them. On the night this reviewer attended, it worked well with only the occasional moments of awkwardness.Â
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The mixed nature of the show does mean that it can feel a bit disjointed, but Nandaula’s charming stage presence and engaging storytelling makes it a fun evening of comedy.
Tickets: $25-$30
Anisa Nandaula: You Can’t Say That will be performed at various venues (Powder Room Town Hall, Boardroom Victoria Hotel and The Westin) until 20 April as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF 2025).
