In the depths of Bourke’s Street Spleen Bar the staff pull back the curtains to reveal the showroom like a hidden secret. And, as a perfect match, Lewis Garnham takes the stage after a sweary self introduction to reveal the inner workings of his busy mind.
The show lives up to its name with some chunky stream-of-consciousness jokes rolling through his complex thoughts as an overthinker, with Garnham pulling together humorous connections and meaningful punchlines.
The comedian allows his thoughts to run wild and free down an analytical spiral. Modern society loads him up with lots of material, like the ridiculousness of humans going to mirrored gyms when once our strength was built by building pyramids.
Garnham’s nuanced perceptions and clear interest in psychology allow him to extract humour from some grim realities like the concerning nature of phone addictions and shortening attention spans. He manages to flip thoughtful silences on their heads to create a sort of cathartic laughter time and time again.
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But the comedy goes beyond just laughs. It makes you think, feel and reflect on this world and the absurdity of all its constructs – like why we are gathered in a place named after a bodily organ to laugh at him? Weird show, but a wonderful thing.
Tickets: $25.50-$33
Lewis Garnham: Stream of Contentedness will be performed at Spleen Bar until 19 April as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF 2025).
