Kristen Schaal – As You Have Probably Never Seen Her Before
Kristen Schaal is wonderful. Her kooky looks, crazed stare and cheeky smile set the audience up to laugh, and she’s got the material to follow through.
Kristen eases the audience into the show with some simple stand-up about Australia being like a fairytale before giving a taste of the strangeness to come with details of her erotic dream with Winston Churchill. Following through with more material on her desire for marriage and an absolutely joyous description of the virtues of the iPhone, the strange story of the show is then allowed to present itself.
With the aid of her oft-abused sidekick Kurt in his dapper grey suit, we’re taken into a weird world of talking alcoholic birds, sexy librarians, Anne Boleyn and the Smithsonian Institute of Historic Inaccuracy. The re-enactment of the first telephone conversation and the screening of “Penelope, Princess of Pets” are highlights are the show descends into absurdity. The show snowballs into more and more craziness as it progresses, pushing stand-up to the wayside and culminating with surely the most energetic dancing you’re likely to find this festival.
A lot of the straight stand-up is fairly simple if examined too closely, but the charm of the delivery and the surrounding absurdity push this show to be something more special. The interaction between Kristen and Kurt is delicious, and every moment they spend on stage together is hilarious.
This is an utterly engaging show from start to finish and sure to leave an impression. See her now while she’s still just “the crazy fan on Flight of The Conchords”, before she steps into the spotlight on her own.
Visit the the comedy festival website for bookings and further details