In the Fringe program, Jaymie Wilson Eats Babies comes across as a comedic lecture about B Grade movies and culture, a theme tackled by other performers in the past. I walked into the show expecting a variation of this concept but what I experienced was completely different. It was a theatrical piece that was more accurately advertised in a poster I saw walking out of the venue.
The show began as the expected lecture with Jaymie facing a rather unresponsive audience that resisted all his appeals for interaction. He soon settled into some interesting stories about nerd behaviour that were amusing but lacked confidence; opening night nerves or a deliberate character being played? His constant need for approval and feedback may have smacked of an insecure comedian but Jaymie had ulterior motives, his banter with the punters being a set up for the main plot twist of the show, a zombie infection.
While Jaymie tended to his wounds (and doused himself in fake blood) we were treated to short performances by some “guests”. The techie for the show, Liam, hopped up on stage and performed some amusing yet timid stand up that embraced the nerd theme of the show. In a highlight of the show, we witnessed a set by Fernando and Clive: The Wonder Guinea Pigs that concluded in a predictable manner. I would have preferred if the fury comedy duo had included some Guinea Pig related material instead of a reciting of The Parrot Sketch, but the cuteness factor and the set up won us over.
Upon Jaymie’s return to the stage things got messy, both physically and verbally. His transformation into a zombie was drawn out considerably and the material became quite rambling but there were glimmers of amusing jokes. There was probably plenty of funny stuff amongst the gurgling and bouts of Tourettes but he stuck to the character so well that a lot of it was indecipherable. This created a rather uncomfortable atmosphere that Jaymie may or may not have been aiming for; the punters were probably uncertain whether they should respond to it as if watching a horror movie or as straight stand up.
Being an unticketed show a number of punters saw it as an invitation to come and go as they pleased but they missed the big picture. This may have looked like straight stand up but it was actually a narrative driven show. Anyone walking in halfway would certainly have difficulty working out what was going on and dismissed him as a hack comic.
This was an ambitious project with an intriguing concept that was perfect for inclusion in a Fringe festival. Although it wasn’t wall to wall laughs its certainly worth a look if you want to see something different.
_For more info and booking details go to the Melbourne Fringe Festival website