Image: Sarah Callaghan; photograph courtesy of Perth Comedy Festival.
An audience of 50 people is here to see Sarah Callaghan at the Perth Comedy Festival. She’s got that ‘innit’ London thing down pat; she rejects being taken on a ‘free’ holiday (in lieu of just nicking their credit card) by a Perth couple to Cornwall and she’s got a pretty tidy narrative drive through this memoir called Elephant. In other words, it’s all very funny.
This is her debut one hour show that she took to Edinburgh Fringe in 2015; she was named ‘One to Watch’ by Time Out in 2014 and was nominated for the Malcolm Hardee Award ‘Act Most Likely To Make A Million Quid’. Quite fitting as she does talk about money quite a bit, or more specifically, the lack of it.
I haven’t heard that many stand up comedians tackle serious topics, like how hard it is to get a mortgage in London and the general ickiness of poverty. Plus how rubbish it is that so many other teenagers and early 20’s of her acquaintance are having three, four or six children and getting supported by her and other taxpayers. Subject that don’t usually rate big in comedy circles and its a refreshing, and funny, change. This is not a comedian who over-relies on swear words to get her laughs.
She goes deep into the idea of nostalgia and our human obsession with capturing the moment in photographs. She roams into the changeability of women’s moods, covering marriage proposals, expectations of love and of course a series of jokes that more or less makes it funny that someone opens their legs a thousand times and has masses of kids. Hard topic to make the punters laugh though. It’s a brave call. Callaghan energetically entertains on the limitations of a poor upbringing, and the narrowness of so many people’s ambition – including a journey into OCD and how best to clean your trainers.
She has an ongoing Tim Robbins obsession which in the classical comedic construct has its three outings and then she comes out with a whammy. There are some quite specific Brit references that provide momentary cultural jarring – but the general gist is pretty clear.
Some of her lines, comparing her bedroom to a prison cell and psychology references, do fall a bit flat, which is surprising for a show she has obviously been doing for over a year now. It seems at times that she wants to dwell further in the bleakness of being funny about these things, rather than truly allowing comedic timing to win the day. And, as an audience member, it is surprising how well tuned we are to those moments of …is this funny? Does this make the comedian almost cry? Or… is it a laugh out loud moment?
The ending, as well, suffers from a lack of coordination; so despite the brilliant intention to break down the fourth wall of theatre which she had previously reinforced with constant references to being hemmed in by her bedroom is somehow not effectively enacted with audience participation in the way the comedian envisages. It could have been be smoother. The awkward ending lingers and you are left thinking that Sarah Callaghan could have finished off much more brilliantly a few gags before she does, for what is overall a surprisingly refreshing and entertaining evening out.
Callaghan is certainly a comedian to watch in the future.
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Written and Performed by Sarah Callaghan
Presented by Century Entertainment and Perth Comedy Festival
Mount Lawley Bowling Club, Perth
11–15 May 2016
