Andrew McClelland’s Guide To Being A Modern Gentleman
It wouldn’t be the Melbourne International Comedy Festival without a show by Andrew McClelland. With this year’s Andrew McClelland’s Guide To Being A Modern Gentleman we got all the elements that are quintessential McClelland as well as some surprising new ones that expand his repertoire.
We got a fact filled comedic lecture containing many historical tidbits that may or not be entirely true. There was an abundance of pop culture and witty word play with the odd literary reference thrown in. Andrew was his typical upbeat and cheeky self with his dapper dress sense involving a cravat of dubious origin, neat shirt, trousers and boater.
As the show began, it was apparent that changes were afoot. Andrew’s opening monologue (his manifesto) was mixed to give him a booming, echoing voice. This was as far from the usual lighthearted Mr. McClelland as you can get! He next launched into a song and dance number that he performed with great pizazz. Not normally being known for his singing, Andrew carried it off by utilising a style that could be described as a mix between lounge crooner and music hall song and dance man. Later in the show we were even treated to a short piece of puppetry, proving that he wasn’t afraid to try new things.
Moving away from his usual PowerPoint heavy presentations, Andrew had gone back to basics by using a flip chart on an easel as his main visual aid. As well as illustrating some of his points, this had the added bonus of creating an olde time feel to the show with it’s title cards and their witty subtitles. Inserted into the proceedings were amusing asides that combined low mood lighting to separate them from the main content of the show. He reused his “manifesto voice” throughout the show with numerous bizzare adjectives to drive home various ideas in a wacky manner. Andrew belted out a couple of songs as conclusions to some of his points that featured the hilarious crowbarring of lyrics to create rhymes.
The concept of the show itself suited Andrew down to a tee. His everyday demeanor and his stage presence just screamed gentleman. His personality is one of few that can successfully pull off this topic with credibility, however crazy the concepts he presents. This level of trust had the audience eating out of the palm of his hand, roaring with laughter throughout the show. It was a triumph in every sense.
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