Luke McGregor’s My Soul Mate is Out of My League is a hilarious and mildly-cathartic stand up show, playing in the Garden of Unearthly Delights until March 2.
McGregor has a nervous stage persona. His voice sounds uncertain at the end of most sentences and he seems to embrace awkward silences as part of his act. Normally, a nervous performer would lead to a nervous, uncomfortable audience, but McGregor has found the magical balance that allows the audience to connect with his gauche-ness. His own concerns and uncertainties are so universal, and well-expressed that they create a sort of echo for those felt by the crowd. This means that, for the most part, you are caught up in supporting his character rather than focusing on the unpolished feel of the show.
Admittedly, the universal concerns are somewhat heightened in McGregor’s case. As with most stand-ups, he provides a series of stories to demonstrate what he feels are his failings: the things that make him unable to get through a date successfully, work out what you’re meant to say to children, or just join in normally at a party. Very funny and full of great lines, these anecdotes not only have the crowd laughing throughout but are also the sort to make you chortle two days later over a cup of tea. However, the cleverest thing about these stories is that they connect with some of the things that many people worry about deep down. A tale about his first job cleaning his father’s workplace has shoulders all through the tent shaking with silent (and not-so-silent) laughter. But it is also a story about a kid who isn’t really sure that their parent understands, or even likes, them.
That said, the show doesn’t feel too deep or heavy. Everything is presented as a partially planned chat with a shy-ish bloke. If some of it resonates with the audience, that’s swell, but the main aim is to get everybody laughing and Luke McGregor succeeds. He invites the audience to look at everyday things from a skewed point of view. Make up, small talk and even the PG movie rating all get a turn as the focus of his entertaining musings. He refers to his notebook for reminders and inspirational messages to himself, which he reads aloud with unerring timing.
Luke McGregor is often described as up-and-coming, but with My Soul Mate is Out of My League he shows that he might have arrived.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
My Soul Mate is Out of my League
Luke McGregor
Garden of Earthly Delights, Rundle Park
Adelaide Fringe
www.adelaidefringe.com.au
Until 2 March
