The doors of the Melbourne Town Hall Supper Room had only just opened and people were still filing in, only to discover Josie Long already on the stage, chatting with the growing audience and informing them of what to expect from her show. This created an immediate feeling of intimacy, with the English comedian’s disarming style quickly warming up the crowd.
After this informal discourse, Long ducked out of sight, the lights dimmed and she introduced herself before returning to the stage. Her first act was to set the audience straight on the title of the show, acknowledging that it was perhaps more indicative of what she wanted in life rather than the actual content of the night. She suggested that a more apt title might have been ‘how to keep going when you’re in the pit of despair’, though noting that title may not have attracted many punters.
Fairly early in the show, Long expressed her strong passion for social justice and went on to talk at length about how upset she is at what the conservative party is doing to Britain. This was the point where things went off track in terms of comedy, although Long never totally lost the crowd. Much of the material was written for British audiences; however she went to some effort to try to keep things relatable. Surprisingly, given the large amount of political content, there was no mention of the recent passing of Margaret Thatcher.
Long stated that she has made a conscious decision to try to use her comedy as a forum to inform people of the difficulties that Britain faces under its current government. Unfortunately there was a lack of sophistication in how this delivered, and her earnestness occasionally made for uneasy listening. She also spoke briefly about the break-up of her relationship a few years ago – this was perhaps still a little too raw to be comfortably funny for the audience – but she was back on track with a hilarious analysis of a list of things to do before you’re 30, lapsing in and out of ‘film noir speak’ as she did so; something we had been warned about in her pre-show conversation.
Long is instantly engaging; her child-like sense of wonder and animated expressions draw you in, and she is immediately likeable. However, her political content was too heavy-handed at times and not always presented in a manner terribly palatable for a comedy show. Nonetheless, Romance and Adventure was enjoyable overall.
Rating: 3 ½ stars out of 5
Josie Long: Romance and Adventure
Melbourne Town Hall, Supper Room
9 – 21 April
Melbourne International Comedy Festival
www.comedyfestival.com.au
27 March – 21 April
