From the moment Peter Helliar dances out onto the stage, you could tell you were in for some fun. Peter Helliar is bringing sexy back, or so he claims, and he’s doing it with the same cheeky charm of his that has made him so popular. Don’t come expecting to see Strauchanie, because this is an hour of pure Pete. He is wise not to resort to easy laughs or use any footy related humour – and nor does he need to.
Peter utilises the entire stage (and his body) to act out the funny everyday situations he, and most married men find themselves in. He also covers some obligatory budget airline material and explodes on a rant about some of the things that used to make him really angry. Concluding the show with a sing-a-long epitomised Peter’s lively and friendly persona.
Quite often, his gags were not built up, but instead felt rather extended for not much pay off in the end. That’s not to say his theatrics were not enjoyable to watch for the duration, but I believe this could be a stronger show if he covered more topics.
Peter relived the good old primary school days of making your own mixed tape off the radio and smoking Fags after a particularly tough game of down ball. I did start to feel a bit long in the tooth when he had to explain what Fags lollies were for the “younger” people in the audience.
The most hilarious part of the evening was when Peter played an elaborate joke on an audience member who popped out for a moment, which the whole crowd was involved in. I will certainly remember that one for a while.
This is not a thematic show and other than a quick theory for solving the world’s religious battles, does not delve into issues much deeper than sneaking your excess rubbish into the neighbour’s bins. What you get is a fun-filled hour of light and inoffensive stand-up from one of TV’s most loveable larrikins.
For full booking details go to the MICF website