I’m struggling to even start this review. If you’d seen Colour in Stereo then you’d understand what I mean. But then if you’d seen the show you wouldn’t need the review. In the media book this show is plumped as being absurd and unsettling. Well, they are certainly correct there. But I might throw a few other words their way, like fun and silly and beguiling.
The debut of production group This is Siberian Husky, this show is essentially comprised of sketches, with Simon Godfrey and Dan Allemann performing the bulk of the material, and Lach Ryan making occasional, mostly quite creepy, appearances. It’s meant to be a little creepy though, and mysterious, and odd. In a good way. Occasionally in an post modern, ironically appalling way. But mostly in a good way.
There are certain themes which emerge as the show trundles along. There’s some kind of strange obsession with fruit underpinning the show, and more material about buggering cats and owls than most comedians would be comfortable with. There’s some really dark stuff too (because buggering owls isn’t dark enough), like a sexual harassment suite which induces suicide (but not in the way you’d expect), and properly weird material, with Simon Godfrey’s turn as ‘the number ten’ being a stand out. The performances are fairly strong all round, with Ben Allemann getting the gold star for acting. They also used pre-recorded voice overs to great effect.
I often contend that good absurdist comedy is more difficult to pull off than straight comedy. Often young or inexperienced comedians struggle to understand that. Absurd means more than sticky taping a carrot to your cheek and running around in circles saying “Whoop, whoop, whoop, don’t I look smart in my new gusset”. Because absurdism often uses non sequiturs and free form ideas, in a way the artist has to be more disciplined in the way they package them. I think Colour in Stereo have achieved that aim. Whilst not every sketch hit the mark, there certainly was an overall structure underpinning the disjunction of the disparate pieces, which allowed the shiny bits to really shine.
These lads have done a good job putting this show together. It’s tight and it’s cool and fun and there are a lot of lovely little bits in it. It’s not perfect and not terribly slick, but if you have the time and the cash, it’s well worth a go.
For full booking details go to the Melbourne Comedy Festival website