Friday, 28 March 2025

Jokes About The Time I Went To Prison review (Melbourne International Comedy Festival)

In 2021, Andrew Hamilton was arrested and charged with supplying psychedelic drugs. After spending four months in two Sydney maximum-security prisons, the self-proclaimed Mushroom King of Sydney decided that if he couldn’t help people get high on drugs, he’d help them get high on laughter, and so he turned to stand-up comedy. The Melbourne encore season of his show, Jokes About the Time I Went to Prison, is quite literally just that: jokes about the time he went to prison.

Hamilton has an affable nature and easily draws in his audience. He has a solid grasp of his material and delivers it with confidence. As the narrative structure weaves in and out of his life before, during, and after jail, his reflections, along with a steady stream of dad jokes and one-liners, keep us entertained. One particularly memorable anecdote recalls how his bail conditions required him to be accompanied in public by his 70-year-old parents, so they had to chaperone him to his stand-up gigs.

He also revisits his first experience with mushrooms at a full moon party in Thailand, his detailed prison food reviews from his time behind bars and the camaraderie that can be found in incarceration. These observations add texture to the show, highlighting the strangeness of his circumstances while reinforcing the idea that humour can be a coping mechanism, even in the most unexpected places.

It’s not often you hear a convicted criminal share their time in prison, let alone with plenty of punchlines. Jokes About the Time I Went to Prison's unique premise and Hamilton’s easy going charm are the show's strengths, and it's notable to see him turn what could be a dark and sobering topic into an engaging, and at times absurd reflection on personal growth and the power of comedy.

Show Details

Venue: The Toff in Town, Curtin House, 252 Swanston St, Melbourne
Season: until 6 April | Tues - Sat 7.15pm, Sun 6.15pm
Duration: 60 minutes
Tickets: $30 - $35 | $25 Tightarse Tuesday
Bookings:
 Melbourne International Comedy Festival

No comments:

Post a Comment