We're New Here review (Melbourne Interntational Comedy Festival)

For as long as man has existed, there has always been a rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney. Even the recent news that Melbourne has overtaken Sydney to become Australia's largest city by population has been met boastfully by Melbourne and with derision by Sydney. Two people who have contributed to this "win" for Melbourne are Melbourne-based New South Wales-raised comedians Lotte Beckett and Lily Hensby.

In their comedy show, We're New Here, the two examine the intricacies of Melbourne culture and lifestyle, from our unhealthy obsession with good coffee and the unique experience of hunting for a rental property. There are some brilliant sketches, including scarily accurate digs at Melbourne's impro scene and the premier performing arts school of this city, VCA. Their description of Sydney and Nowra – with extremely detailed and intricate maps - are also a highlight, giving the audience a very clear indication of where they came from.

However, there are moments when the humour and the acts go astray. A slideshow depicting why Sydney is better than Melbourne goes on for too long with the images and accompanying titles needing more substance and backstory to bring the laughter they are hoping for. Towards the end of the show the two mention how they discovered who they are by moving to Melbourne but we don't learn how, and this could have been a really strong direction to go in.

Hensby, who's delivery often makes her sound like a Judith Lucy in the making, and Beckett, are a dynamic duo and it's great to see them bouncing off each other and the flashes of surprise they give to each other with their performance and interactions.

We're New Here might be a little rough around the edges and need some structural changes, but there are still laughs to be had. Hensby and Beckett have the potential be the talk of the Melbourne comedy circuit, provided of course, the pair can keep their Sydney origins on the down-low.

SHOW DETAILS



Venue: Campari House, 23-25 Hardware Lane, Melbourne

Season: until 23 April | 5:50pm
Duration: 55 minutes

Tickets: $25 Full | $22 Conc
Bookings: Melbourne International Comedy Festival