Rich Naberhood has a banner made up that has pride of place on stage that sums up his act perfectly. It proclaims Rich as “The Suburban Boy” and shows him as a wacky drunk with empty glasses raised to his eyes and displays the larrikin side of his personality.
The majority of Being Rich involves observational jokes about Adelaide’s northern suburb of Elizabeth, his hometown. Despite lots of local references that would be lost on those from out of town, there was the universal appeal of jokes about the roughest suburb of a city. Being from that town gave Rich generous licence to make fun of Elizabeth, much like the way Jeff Foxworthy does with Rednecks, and he gives it a very Aussie bent and makes it his own. The punters who owned up to being fellow Elizabethans were in stitches as they could entirely relate to his jokes and tales of life in the ‘burbs.
The material itself was a mix of stereotypical jokes and some novel ideas. His ventures towards the crude gear where often met with groans at their crassness. He presented sequences of observational one liners and well crafted routines that went down well with the crowd. His apt stage persona was that of a familiar drinking buddy to which everyone warmed to instantly. The approach to the show appeared to be a little rough around the edges but it was well structured beneath the facade.
He was rather animated on stage and was talented at emphasising the material with numerous wacky gestures. His big finale of a nightclub dancing routine was perfectly executed but did he really have to perform it once with explanations and then again to music?
Rich Naberhood has focused his humour on a working class / bogan topics and it works perfectly. You don’t have to be from the suburbs to appreciate Rich’s humour as his affection for his town and the strength of the material will keep you laughing.
Visit the Fringe Website for booking details.