It’s my third day of shows and I feel like I have had more than my fair share of animal loving, and by that I mean “sexy animal loving”. Stevl Shefn has his own take on the genre, this time with cats and chickens. I’m not complaining, I just think next year we should make a bigger effort to share the bestiality around the whole comedy review team!
I digress. 2010 Moosehead recipient Steve Sheehan’s character comedy creation Stevl Shefn is one of a kind. Speaking in his own tongue (which is indefinable except to say that it’s not English) he wanders onto the room while the pre-start music is still playing and “chats” with each of the audience members individually (there were about a dozen of us). This proved a jovial and light hearted way to start the show, and it also served to preface the audience on the show proper.
Just when I was wondering how he was going to manage a full show speaking no English (and what I secretly suspect is no language at all!) he took to the stage and was joined by his interpreter Fatima (Colleen Cross), who arrived dressed in a full burqa. The show didn’t get any less weird from there, with Stevl leading off with a story, interpreted by Fatima, about an impossible hermaphrodite he was attempting to marry, including graphic descriptions of the hermaphrodite’s four sets of genitals. Speaking of genitals, if this show had a theme, that was it. Human genitals, animal genitals and genital associated areas. Don’t get me wrong, while it was, admittedly, a little genital heavy, this show touched on a mind bending plethora of subjects which came and went at a furious pace.
This show was essentially like one big shaggy dog story. Except that every time Stevl Shefn started following a diversion, he didn’t then return to the original story. Rather, he would take a diversion off the diversion and so on, all delivered in a frenetic blather of “something-ese” and calmly interpreted by the silky voiced Fatima.
This is not a show to go and see if you’re expecting conventional jokes. Typical of a Moosehead recipient, this show is quite experimental. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like it. This is a gentler kind of humour, a fantastical tale, including the odd musical interlude, which is so curious it’s almost hypnotizing. If you’re prepared to give this show your full attention there are real gems in the mix (including a memorable sequence with a vacuum which is still making me giggle).
This show is definitely worth a look. It’s often sweet, strangely innocent, funny and eccentric. Go if only to see something that is unlike anything else you’ll see at the festival, possibly ever.
For full booking details go to the Melbourne Comedy Festival website