Gordon Southern is one of these English comedians who comes out here to perform & ends up marrying an Aussie girl. It started with Billy Connolly & Ben Elton and is becoming epidemic. The good news about this is that he comes with an impressively well rounded knowledge of Australia and some good gags using his fresh eyed observations. Its rather strange then, that no one has pointed out that the whole theme of his show might be a bit lost on most Australians.
The show is called Gordon Southern’s Unnofficial Annual, you know like those annuals you used to get for Christmas when you were a kid? In the UK? I know about this tradition because I had a Nana in Scotland who would send me such annuals as Blue Peter and Beano and the only one I understood, Dr Who. Gordon sort of explained that the books are full of all manner of bits & pieces and that you tend to flick through them randomly, so the show is going to be like that. It was definitely not a show for kids though.
Gordon was a cheerful, friendly and talented comedian bursting with charm. His well structured show was broken up into segments with headings that he has smartly pre recorded in cute sing-song jingles. Titles included; ‘Bad names for Airlines’, ‘Fun Facts’ and ‘These are my favourite Books’. ‘TV shows that shouldn’t get made’ was an excuse to rag on reality TV. ‘Jokes that are too off colour to suit my cheery persona’ was a cheeky way to get away with some very dodgy material. His final bit was so off colour it left a bit of a sour taste after a very tasty show. A shame because I loved the majority of his work. As well as some cute observations, silly pre-recorded skits, a bit of poetry (remember folks it’s an annual), and some hilarious lists, he really enjoyed getting his teeth into some strong political material. I really enjoyed Gordon’s Annual and am sure you will too.
Visit the Fringe Website for booking details.