Cancer Card review (Melbourne International Comedy Festival)

At 38 years of age, Becky Steepe - just Becky, as she jokingly tells us she wasn’t fancy or cool enough to be named Rebecca - was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer. Not exactly the kind of topic you’d expect to turn into a comedy show, but when you have it, you can do whatever the hell you want: just play the Cancer Card.

Steepe structures her show in three acts. The first act explores her diagnosis and its impact on her life, covering the medical procedures she’s undergone and how they’ve affected her, including her sex life. She allows her vulnerability to shine through as she touches on body image, the possibility of living with a stoma bag, and the dependence illness forces upon you. She delivers sharp one-liners and conjures vivid, memorable images, like when her hospital gown comes undone exposing a single breast like she's a Renaissance painting.

In the second act, she rewinds to the lead-up to her diagnosis, detailing the countless times she was dismissed by medical professionals because she was "too young" to have bowel cancer. Placing the prequel of her journey in the middle of the show is a novel approach that adds a nice variation to the expected rhythm of a stand-up routine. She also uses two balloons as props to represent herself and her doctors, which adds a refreshing change of pace and prevents the show from becoming visually static.

The third act is where, traditionally, everything comes together, offering a revelation or a change in our hero’s journey. Unfortunately, Cancer Card loses some momentum here and doesn’t quite stick the landing. Steepe shifts her attention to campaigning and raising awareness about bowel cancer, and while the parody of the "Slip Slop Slap" jingle is clever, its execution doesn’t fully hit the mark. Similarly, when the show leans into government responsibility and testing processes, it lessens its comedic punch by moving away from her personal story.

It would have been great to see Steepe explore instances where she has actually played the cancer card to get out of tricky situations. As it stands, the show doesn't fully delve into how she has wielded this "secret weapon" as a kind of "get out of jail free" card.

Comedy is an extremely subjective art form, arguably the most divisive in the performing arts. Some might argue that cancer is never funny. Cancer Card certainly has its moments of humour, but it’s more of a personal and reflective show than a straight comedy. Steepe is a likable and engaging performer with a compelling story to tell, but the show doesn’t always hit its comedic stride. While it provides an interesting perspective on living with cancer, a stronger focus on the ‘cancer card’ concept could elevate it further.

Show Details

Venue: The Grace Darling Hotel, 114 Smith St, Collingwood
Season: until 6 April | Tues - Sun 6.15pm
Duration: 50 minutes
Tickets: $25 Full | $20 Concession | $18 Tightarse Tuesday
Bookings: Melbourne International Comedy Festival