B48Y Crash Lands On Earth! review | Lukas Meintjes | Melbourne International Comedy Festival | The Motley Bauhaus

An alien spaceship has crashed into the Peel nightclub in Collingwood, with B48Y left to navigate their new human environment. B48Y Crash Lands On Earth! is a physical comedy and clowning piece that throws itself into absurdity and audience interaction, as this alien creature explores who they are, what identity is, and how it is performed and shaped in different contexts.

I have previously seen Lukas Meintjes on stage, but this marks my first time seeing him in a full clown show, and wow, is the skill undeniable. This is a physically demanding role sustained with impressive precision. His work is not only athletic, but highly detailed, with shifts in posture and facial expression doing as much work as the more hectic play.



One standout sequence centres on B48Y’s missing antenna, involving a volunteer in an increasingly elaborate attempt to restore it. The escalation is expertly handled, with Meintjes displaying a strong instinct for when to pull back and when to push into the moment. He demonstrates a clear awareness of guiding an audience without relying on language. Instances of miscommunication are turned to advantage, with Meintjes improvising and chasing unexpected ideas before organically looping back to the central task.



There is a delight in watching an alien try to communicate when there's no shared language, and Meintjes mines this for humour and connection, leaning into physicality and expression over dialogue. His yellow morph suit, sprouting tufts of purple fur (designed by El Schmiedte), paired with hastily applied makeup, further heightens the character’s otherworldly personality and mannerisms.



Meintjes builds a scrappy but cohesive world, with debris from the crash scattered across the stage, chairs overturned, a Peel St street sign wedged into the wreckage, and a RuPaul poster clinging to a damaged wall. Fragments of the spaceship extend beyond the immediate area, suggesting an event that has rippled through the entire venue.



This design bleed-out and the audience participation has us considering what makes us human as B48Y slowly transforms into a fierce drag queen. It prompts reflection on identity and queerness, and how liberating it can be when you accept yourself and are accepted by those around you.



Despite a smaller crowd on the night I attended, Meintjes works the room with ease, maintaining energy and engagement to the point where audience size becomes irrelevant. There is a constant sense of effort behind the performance, but it never feels strained, translating into a lively and responsive atmosphere as this alien being invites us to embrace who we are and find joy in that. The final twist lands with impact, making B48Y Crash Lands On Earth! one of the most enjoyable and affecting clowning shows of the festival.

SHOW DETAILS

Venue: The Motley Bauhaus, 118 Elgin St, Carlton
Season: until 19 April | 9:40pm

Duration: 60 minutes
Tickets: $33 Full | $30 Conc
Bookings: Melbourne International Comedy Festival 

Image credit: Josh Dykgraaf