Andy Muirhead admits he’s a massive nerd about two minutes into his show. There’s no need, really. With the State Library of Victoria as his venue, an intro about the TARDIS, and his nice pair of spectacles, everyone’s already guessed.
You might have seen Andy hosting the show ‘Collectors’ on the ABC. It’s clear most of the audience had, and his fans were laughing hard and giving him a lot of love. He seemed to attract, let’s say, a slightly mature demographic, and he played to this with a few Bill Cosby and ‘Midsomer Murders’-type references.
Glasses jokes also proved a hit with this audience. He ponders if he’ll ever get used to wearing them, then asks audience members for advice. What about when you’re getting intimate, he wonders. When and how is it appropriate to remove your glasses? Plus, he’s afraid of missing something.
Andy describes the experience of eating some home-grown tomatoes that tasted just like tomatoes used to. A quiet murmur of assent and recognition shows that this audience knows exactly what he means. He notes that this was rather an old person thing to say, then ends the story with a very funny twist about the unexpected way the tomatoes were grown.
From federal politics to the bushfires to taxi drivers and yachting, he sure covers a broad range of topics. Yet the lack of a unifying theme or story can make the material seem fragmented at times.
Opening night will always have hiccups, but a couple of cheap shots at emos and binge drinking fell somewhat flat with the middle-brow library crowd. Hopefully future performances will be tweaked to reflect this.
Andy’s enthusiasm, optimism and sheer niceness invite comparisons with more established comics such as Adam Hills. In terms of style, they’re quite similar, but there’s a reason they’re playing very different-sized rooms. Andy’s sweetness makes for a pleasant evening with some great laughs. But these are too few and far between to really satisfy the audience.
The library could have been a great place to spend a Saturday night. And it’s still a good choice. But this show is mainly for the fans.
For more info and booking details go to Andy Muirhead in Saturday Night At The Library