After a couple of months at the Hampton RSL, The Chat has been relocated to The Maori Chief Hotel. The first press release did state that they would hold court at the RSL until they got kicked out!
The mention of a Maori theme initially conjures up visions of kitch, but this venue is housed in an old style local pub with plenty of classy New Zealand memorabilia adorning the aubergine walls. Multiple bars and a kitchen cater to you food and drink needs and sports are screened regularly in the front bar. The team takes up residency in the dining room area of the pub which is furnished with Formica tables and matching 50s chairs, giving it a homely feel. The performers set up their barstools next to the entrance to the room so there was lots of traffic passing by the “stage” area. This tended to disrupt the flow of the show as food was delivered and people headed to (and returned from) the bar.
This room began life as a reincarnation of the old Chawfest show in which Matt Parkinson, Matthew Quartermaine, Andrew Goodone, Tim Smith and invited guests performed a curious mix of stand up spots and impro games. One invited guest, Tony Martin, described his experience on The Scrivener’s Fancy . The show has now been transformed into a format where “four grown men in comfortable chairs spill their guts!” Armed with folders and notebooks, the guys read out an often strange or quirky news item plucked from the newspaper or internet and launch into humourous banter about said item. When the laughs are exhausted from a topic, someone offers another and the process repeats.
The format reminds me of the chat segment held many years ago at The Cheese Shop which featured many different comedians (including all these guys on more than one occasion). In this incarnation (as well as the old one) the banter between the comedians was often anarchic and had the odd flat spot, but there were more than enough inspired moments to keep the punters entertained. There were times when the performers seemed to be laughing more than the punters which suggested a little bit of self indulgence but their enthusiasm soon became infectious.
Being off the cuff the material occasionally veered into some questionable territory, all delivered in a cheeky manner so it was hard to take too much offense. This crew have been performing together around the Melbourne scene on and off for over 20 years so they are quick on their feet and bounce off each other perfectly. They are able to maintain a constant barrage of humourous comments and one liners without a single awkward pause. The pace of the show is quite rapid fire and takes some concentration to keep abreast of every line uttered, let your attention lapse for a moment and you’re likely to miss several jokes.
The Chat is an interesting and entertaining way of spending a Friday evening. This group of seasoned performers may have placed themselves in a slightly unconventional venue (performing often to the disinterest of the locals!) but they provide a fun show that is a welcome departure from a bog standard stand up room.
The Chat happens every Friday night at The Maori Chief Hotel starting at about 8:30.