It’s hard to escape the comedy juggernaut that is Arj Barker, and its no accident he’s so popular, especially here in Australia. Like the stereotypical Aussie, Arj tells it like it is, or what he thinks it is, therefore is. His half sighted, very American, comedic assertiveness drives a punchline harder than most, punchlines that could very well stand up without Arj’s hilarious delivery.
In Arj’s 2010 show, he asks the to sit back, relax and let him do the talking as he preaches and philosophizes, dragging you into his expanded way of thinking. Arj employs some very smart and deceptive set ups and leads the audience down a path, then smacks them in the face with the unexpected, resulting in lots of peak laugh out loud moments in the show.
Most of his jokes revolve around the intention of teaching the audience, expanding their views, or the illusion of it anyway, although some actually do, like why the hell do you have to turn off your mobile on a plane anyway! Arj takes a different path, as he brilliantly displays in his reworking of, what he explains is, an old Seinfeld gag, a gag also worthy of the longest comedy set up in history, witch Arj proudly suggests.
Amongst all this slightly deeper stuff is of course the witty observations, delicious puns and more relaxed antidotes, all marinated with Arj’s finely tuned sense of humor. Most people know what there in for with Arj, and if this show is anything to go by, the aussie love won’t be subsiding anytime soon. A well-woven web of laughs.
For full booking details check out the Melbourne Comedy Festival website