The question Jason Chong is posing is why more Australians are not giving blood, and it’s a timely one given that 2009 is the Year of the Blood Donor. He does so without judgement or pressure, rather with an unimposing and upbeat delivery and by sharing of his own personal experiences.
From the moment he arrives on stage and bursts into his first of two parodies, “The Power of Blood” (to the tune of Huey Lewis’ ‘The Power of Love’), we quickly learn that Jason knows how to make facts funny. Jason’s quick wit and numerous pop culture references make for a balanced show, where the entertainment is not forsaken for education for a moment.
It really is all about giving blood, covering everything from the donor questionnaire, the actual process, the motivation behind donating, to the personal rewards and most importantly, the need. However, there were a few brief yet welcome diversions from the topic including a discussion around the side affects of acne medication and some graphic-based evidence of various animals’ tolerance to being ridden.
There are times throughout the show where one might question whether Jason is trying to encourage or discourage his audience from donating blood, as he shares some of his blood-related mishaps; however he admits they were mostly of his own causing. He is clearly more intent on telling us all how much fun donating blood can be and why he goes back every fortnight!
Any doubt is put to rest as Jason leads us in an uplifting closing rendition of “What We Need is Blood” (to The Beatle’s ‘All You Need is Love’). Jason was able to engage every member of the audience with his enthusiasm, sincerity and overall likeability. Jason’s show serves as a very convincing case, for anybody who can, to give blood.
For more info and booking details go to the Melbourne Fringe Festival website
Click here to find out more about donating blood