Confirming many suspicions about what motivates stand-up comedians, Daniel Townes brings his life story to the microphone and indulges himself and the audience in turns. Glossing over his early swimming career, Townes is quick to remove any easy excuses for his own subsequent self-destruction. Harshly, cuttingly and wittily he describes and examines various mental health issues, his own OCD, addictive substance abuse and the long-term effects of marijuana use. Nothing is sacred, as he holds his lack of career progression, failed relationships and hampered friendships up to the light of his own comedic scrutiny.
A tightly scripted monologue, Townes shows his years of experience as a performer in knowing how and when to throw in the one-liners, non-sequiturs, dad-jokes and call backs. He does not use harsh reality or swear words for shock value, instead quietly deprecating the nature of his own substance abuse and ridiculing his outstanding Pokemon collection. The energy levels of the show rise and fall with each turn in the tale, but despite the intrinsically self-obsessed theme, Townes never lets it fall flat.
Townes impresses with his ability to read the audience, playing the venue intelligently, avoiding the cheap gags at the expense of the gormless youngsters in the front row in favour of building rapport with the whole room. Even more impressive is his ability to deal with an awkwardly timed ‘heckle’ from an 8-week old baby without alienating the audience or derailing the narrative flow of his show.
A stand-up turn with a difference, with quiet moments, food for thought and informative asides well mixed in with the witty froth and bubble, The Other Side offers a respite from the manic pace of the festival as well as solid entertainment on its own terms.
Rating: 3 ½ out of 5 stars
Daniel Townes: The Other Side
The Velvet Lounge, Mount Lawley
Perth International Comedy Festival
www.perthcomedyfest.com.au
1 – 18 May
