After winning the prestigious Barry award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2011, Russell Kane has finally returned. It’s taken him four years because he wanted the right show to come back with. There’s no doubt that Smallness is the right show, and that he has only improved since his last MICF run.
Smallness doesn’t just offer plenty of laughs. Kane offers everything from goofy accents, cringeworthy autobiographical stories, opinions on sex education and a language lesson or two. The show explores the little things that make us Âwho we are: our approach to dating, use of language, how we react when someone hurts themselves or what type of sleeper we are.
Kane leads with a detailed assessment and piss-take of English culture before having a crack at Australians and other nationalities, which comes off as purely good-natured. Rather than the odd ‘insert culturally-relevant-reference-here’ tactic of many international acts, Kane has gone to great lengths to adapt his show for the Australian audience, offering an insightful and hilarious comparison of Western cultures.
With a refreshingly original and amusing take on Australians, Kane says he learnt all he knows by studying our ‘documentary series’, Neighbours. Rather than making sweeping generalisations, he shares considered observations about the gears in which a city operates, and how it influences the vibe of a city. It’s rare that an international performer can identify things about us that aren’t already immediately obvious or tediously overdone.
While Kane’s presence is playful and frivolous, it seems he does takes himself and his delivery style seriously. His approach to comedy is unlike anyone that comes to mind – he tackles the stage with such gusto and seems at home in front of an audience, even when addressing important issues. Such a top-notch comedian (and excellent dancer) doesn’t need a fancy stage setting, or any setting at all, as he prances and leaps across the stage while doing an impression, or sometimes just to emphasise a point.
Smallness doesn’t have any obvious flaws or low points, but some parts are definitely stronger than others. Some parts seemed a little out of place, such as his story about eating at buffets and the ‘economic hangover’ that ensues, but they are so clever and downright funny that it just doesn’t matter.
Unsurprisingly, Kane is at his best when he’s interacting with the audience. Often he just riffs until he finds a comedic gem, other times he calls out for people whose situation will relate to a story he wants to share. One bit in particular about the ‘pillars of life’ is both painfully accurate and hilariously relatable. Still, his well-executed tangents are his funniest, such as his envy over a teenager’s relationship with her mum, or simply calling out a man in the second row who laughed like Voldemort.
Each pre-scripted joke is superbly crafted, but whether all these bits make the show or not depends on how excessive his impromptu banter is on the night. The show ran overtime, but Kane managed to wrap things up enough, dubbing himself ‘a sociological Ross Nobel’. This approach to comedy leads to a show that isn’t perfectly constructed, but provides constant, genuine laughs. Kane says every night will be different, so here’s hoping the rest of his run are as good as this show.
Rating: 4 and a half out of 5 stars
Smallness
Russell Kane
Arts Centre Melbourne, Playhouse
8 April – 17 April
Melbourne International Comedy Festival
www.comedyfestival.com.au
March 25 – April 19
