When I came out of this show, I felt like I had just spent the evening with friends laughing uproariously at the antics of what one of us had come across while on holiday. Al Pitcher, who has won numerous comedy awards, was born in the UK, brought up in NZ and now lives in Sweden. Armed with his camera, his travels have provided the material for which his show is loosely based around – a comedy slide show.
The photos were amusing on their own and they are the type of pictures that do the rounds via FW: Emails, but they were brought to life by his hilarious commentary and comedic observations. Funny signs and funnier looking people did not escape his lens and comedic wrath. Even the try-hard graffiti (which is a polite way of saying drawings of penis – why do people do that?) which would not normally get a second glance, got scrutinised on a rather large screen on the stage.
The show has quite a loose flow and for the most part he spent engaging the audience, he was extremely quick and was able to work with any material – I swear that he could make a paperclip seem funny. What makes the show work is the fact that Al himself is so likeable. Whether laughing at his random pictures or taking the piss out of himself, he has the rare ability to mock people and be funny without the nastiness that would often come from other comedians.
Al claims each show is unique and adds new photos each night, to keep things fresh. It also means that he will show photos of whichever city he is performing in. It also means you have to be wary of where you pick your nose.
This was a show where laughter was a constant up until the end, actually, especially at the end! Definitely go and see him so you can brag to your friends that you saw him before he got real famous.
For full details check out the Melbourne Comedy Festival website