Dinner Hannah Show review | Melbourne International Comedy Festival | Malthouse Theatre

Hannah Camilleri’s new show Dinner Hannah Show takes the audience behind the scenes of a theatre production, giving us a front-row ticket to the chaos and craft of live performance. Through brilliant character work, she combines clowning, improvisation, sketch, and storytelling to create a world that is undeniably strange, but also consistently funny.

The loose plot centres on two key characters who embody this theatrical playground, where ego, art, and absurdity collide. Camilleri’s portrayal of them, along with a few other gems, is a knockout. She captures the essence of inflated egos and artistic ambition with precision, shifting seamlessly between roles. Veronika’s patronising grace and Fondant’s arrogance showcase her versatility across both performance and clowning.

We watch Veronika calmly update her director on the importance of her set arriving, while navigating the inconvenience of a missing scene partner, and Fondant spiral with frustration over a five-star review that somehow fails to mention him at all.

There’s a thread of audience participation throughout, all handled from the safety of your seat, but on this particular night, the crowd proves a slightly odd match. Camilleri takes it in her stride, illustrating exactly what makes her a highly skilled improviser, there is no such thing as a bad offer. She works with whatever she’s given and still manages to make it land.

Props may be uncomplicated, but they’re used to great effect. A wig isn’t simply a wig, it’s a full transformation. A veil, a pair of gloves, even a hastily applied moustache, each becomes a shortcut into a completely realised person. The choices aren’t elaborate or showy but they allow Camilleri to change quickly and convincingly, so we see the character on stage, not the performer. This economy of style pays off in the hilarious finale, when two characters meet. 

Just when you think you can guess where Dinner Hannah Show is heading, Camilleri pulls off one final reveal that reminds you how masterful she is at character work, improvisational comedy, and storytelling, as it leaves you with a clear sense of what’s driving it all. At one point, a character reflects on “the passion, the craft, the obsession” of working in theatre, and Camilleri confidently demonstrates what that looks like when it’s backed by real talent.

SHOW DETAILS

Venue: Malthouse Theatre, 113 Sturt St, Southbank
Season: until 19 April | Tues - Sat 7.30pm, Sun 6.30pm
Duration: 55 minutes
Tickets: $30 - $34 Full | $27 Tightarse Tuesday
Bookings: Melbourne International Comedy Festival