From the outset it was apparent that I Want to be a Mokbel was going to be an interesting show. Upon entering the venue you were confronted by Evan Jones dressed as a dodgy Security Guard. He proceeded to scan you for weapons and asked “Do you have any drugs? Would you like some?” before harassing the next punter.
Once everyone was seated, the Security Guard took to the stage to introduce the show, all the while verbally chastising punters as a way of maintaining order. A wonderfully simplistic animated piece, with all sound effects provided by Evan himself, kept us entertained as he readied himself back stage. He soon emerged in casual clothes to begin the show proper.
The show explored Evan’s need to be famous and how joining the Underworld would benefit him rather than taking the “working hard” route. The material alternated between descriptions of his own life and the Melbourne Gangland Underworld, in particular the Mokbel family. Knowledge of the family wasn’t a prerequisite to enjoy the show, as Evan provided plenty of facts and figures, but as this was the main selling point most in the crowd were at least aware of the situation.
Material poked fun at all facets of organised crime with the humour mostly deriving from comparing and contrasting to the law abiding world. He also found a way of inserting some material from his archives in order to provide the audience with some background on himself. The show was peppered with some weak jokes and puns that he playfully acknowledged with a drum roll. The rest of the jokes were witty, clever and kept the audience laughing.
Evan was very animated in his performance and made use of lots of slides and musical cues to illustrate the points. Some of the stage directions puzzled me such as his sitting in a chair after a power point segment only to stand up soon after, although one instance did provide a comically dramatic roll forward across the floor as the lights went up.
There was a spot of audience participation in the form of a short quiz on the Mokbels, with Monopoly money as prizes, and some other questions posed to the punters during the show. We even had a hand in deciding which direction Evan should take in life.
This show wasn’t as absurdist as last year’s Extravaganza, Pandemonium and Comic Spectacular, being pretty much grounded in reality but he once again made a huge impression on me as a very talented performer.
Visit the comedy festival website for bookings and further details