Wil Anderson – Fire at Wil

image: Wil Anderson, ticketmaster 

At rapid-fire pace Wil Anderson aims his latest Melbourne Comedy Festival show, Fire at Wil, at the core of Australian society – and hits a bullseye.

Anderson’s ability to unpack hot button topics – Australia Day, Gay Marriage, Malcolm Turnbull – in a way that is not only funny, but that shines a light on our own hypocrisy, is what makes him such a brilliant comic. Fire at Wil is the perfect example of what he’s capable of.

Having always been a just a wee bit “shouty” and intense for some, Anderson has toned it down a bit in recent years. His fast-paced style of performance hasn’t totally left him though and reveals a true passion for the issues he tackles.

The core of Fire at Wil is Australia, a country that Anderson loves and celebrates in this show, but a country not without its problems. If you have a little niggle in the back of your brain about any of last year’s most debatable issues, you can be sure Anderson will articulate it and tear it apart for you. His take on the Adam Goodes booing controversy was a show highlight.

Those who are at all interested in the craft of comedy itself should see Fire at Wil simply because it is an exercise in true comedic professionalism. Each bit flows on seamlessly from the next. There’s no rambling here, just a tight structure to this show and even if he deviates, each gag seems to fit in perfectly. Anderson is a comedian’s comic – that much is definitely true.

If you’re an inner city lefty you’ll feel all the better for seeing a show with a social conscience. If you’re a right-wing Bolt supporter you should attend too – because you might just have your ideas challenged. But most of all you should see it because it’s just plain funny.

4.5 Stars