Dave Thornton’s Info is themed around the information overload of modern times, covering our language, internet and advertising, but for the most part just bringing together a year’s worth of stand-up.
Dave’s always presented himself as a bit of a bogan on stage. His broad Australian accent, lanky flannel-draped frame and Hughesy impersonations have allowed him to gain a wide acceptance for what is actually some really intelligent comedy. This year’s show seems to be aimed squarely at the lowest common denominator of that audience. The theme is loosely interpreted at best, with other subjects visibly shoehorned into the show. There’s still some really fine stand-up here, but it’s mixed in with enough cheap material to lessen the experience as a whole.
Dave has also made some really lazy choices with the multimedia aspects of the show. Most of the video content is based around the ‘Chuck Norris Facts’ internet meme, which was passé shortly after it gained fame three years ago. The additional material added by Dave didn’t really justify the reading through two slides worth of jokes from the internet or so much of the other non-original content. Using the OK Go on Treadmills clip to open the show without any prior introduction also rubbed me the wrong way, as people unfamiliar with the clip could easily get the impression that perhaps Dave has some part in its creation (it was made clear afterwards, but it was a really discomforting way to open the show).
That all being said, this show did have the almost full house laughing throughout, and there were some genuinely clever and hilarious moments. Ultimately, however, it provided me with more disappointment than amusement. Dave can do better than this – he’s got some fine comedic skills, but this is not the showcase for them.
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