Too Clowns review | Damien Warren-Smith | Melbourne International Comedy Festival | The Motley Wherehaus

Most people will recognise Garry Starr more readily than Damien Warren-Smith himself. Garry is Warren-Smith’s over-the-top comedic persona, known for high-energy, absurd productions that parody classic works through exaggerated, physical, and deliberately chaotic storytelling. His show Classic Penguins is currently playing at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and you would be mad to miss it. But Warren-Smith is presenting a work-in-progress during the festival, offering audiences a chance to see another side to his clowning and performance style.

Too Clowns is a silent clown show that explores loneliness, with chalk-written words reading “Bella + Puzzo” introducing us to the characters. Puzzo arrives upbeat and ready to go, but Bella is nowhere to be seen. The show must go on, so Puzzo turns to the full-house at the 11pm showing to help fill the gap. What sets Too Clown apart is its commitment to silence and audience dependency, using participation not as a novelty but as the core structure of the piece, where the performance genuinely shifts based on who steps up.

Robert the Octopus review | Midsumma Festival | Brunswick Mechanics Institute

In Robert the Octopus, Sadie has a crush on a co-worker but thanks to the modern world, their interactions are solely online and via Zoom meetings. In an attempt to gain her co-worker’s attention, Sadie buys a pet octopus named Robert. Eventually, it's enough to lure Georgia over to visit and from there, things begin to get ridiculously complicated as Sadie seeks advice from Robert on what to do next.

Queer emerging writer Alex Duncan has previously shown promise for highlighting the absurdities within the mundane with his work Rakali, but this outing could benefit from further development. What in theory could have been a fascinating narrative, in practice is a script that is light on substance and plot progression. The exchanges between characters are rudimentary and missing a spark, and while there are hints at humour, it rarely builds tension or generates laughs. At one point, it looks like the play is going to go somewhere regarding power and control and who has it, but that concept wraps up shortly after it is introduced.

Kimberley Twiner’s queer world of tentacles and play | Misdumma Festival | Brunswick Mechanics Institute

When Kimberley Twiner takes the stage as a director, audiences know to expect the unexpected. Her latest project for Midsumma Festival, Robert the Octopus, dives into a world where eccentricity and whimsy run wild, where even an octopus can steal the spotlight. We caught up with Twiner where she shares her approach to playful physical theatre, queer storytelling, and bringing this delightfully bizarre production to life.

Robert the Octopus weaves absurdity and romance into a story that promises unexpected twists and whimsical charm. It’s a world that director Kimberley Twiner couldn’t resist exploring on stage. "For starters I love what is possible with a three hander play! I love what becomes possible when we bring animal life onto the stage - one of the characters is an octopus," she tells me. "I also love that the writer, Alex Duncan, has put his faith in a rather irrational sounding plot and handed it to me. For me, this is the beauty of theatre: the suspension of disbelief in real time played in an unsinkable and relentless fashion!"

Top 10 Shows of 2024

Another year gone, another year of extraordinary theatre created and performed in Melbourne. I only managed to get to 111 shows (the shame!), due to being out of the country for four months, but as I have been doing for over a decade, I must compile a top ten list.

I say this every year but it's something that deserves repeating every year: sometimes the show that you remember for a long time after, is not the big splashy extravagant piece with recognisable names and a huge budget, but the one that was on for four nights with ten people in the audience. Support your independent theatre makers and venues - some can cost you as little as $20 and can be the most original, inspiring and thought-provoking performances you might see.

There's already plenty to get excited about in 2025, so I urge you to take a risk, seek something new, unknown and different in the new year.

And here are my top ten shows of 2024:

Gina Rhinestone: Pig Iron Queen of Asstraya review (Melbourne Fringe Festival)

Tina Arena’s "Chains" and Merril Bainbridge’s "Mouth", iconic Australia pop songs, greet us as we take our seats for Kimberley Twiner’s Gina Rhinestone: Pig Iron Queen of Asstraya. The political satire on Australia’s richest woman digs into the life of Gina Rinehart while raising questions about how much wealth and power one person should possess.

Twiner makes a monster of an entrance as she rides atop a bedazzled child’s toy excavator. She performs a number of sketches from “Gina Rhinestone’s” life, including baby Gina’s first words to the valuable “daddy thoughts” she has been raised on, with some incredibly racist comments about Indigenous people made by her father, comments that Rinehart has never publicly condemned.

We are also treated to the more adult events in her life, such as being named Telstra’s Businesswoman of the Year, where she shares her own “me too” ordeal, and the debacle over her demands that a portrait of her hung at the National Gallery of Australia be taken down. Twiner finds marvellous humour in these sketches, sometimes exaggerated and sometimes subtle, but mostly cleverly highlighting the power and influence that Rhinestone’s wealth has afforded her. Some toilet and bodily function gags undermine the thoughtfulness and consideration that Twiner has put into the show and perhaps there's a need to reconsider those moments.

Pass the Parcel! review (Melbourne International Comedy Festival)

It's the biggest party of the year and only those who celebrate a birthday are invited. Meg and Elliot have gone all out with decorations, outfits and most importantly, party games. However, there's only one party game to be played in this show, and that's pass the parcel. Presented by Meg Taranto and Elliot Wood, Pass the Parcel! is an interactive examination of power, rules and disappointment through the perspective of a children's party game.

Taranto and Wood are a perfect pairing who have a strong focus on making each other look good. Their energies and personalities are contrasting and complementary and there is not a single misstep in their portrayals. Taranto is absolutely captivating as the hyper excited and super eager keen bean that not only wants to win all the prizes but be involved in the entirety of the game. Wood on the other hand is the slightly more pragmatic one with a touch of spitefulness and nasty. A nasty boy. To be clear though, there are plenty of times when they both need to be put into the naughty corner.

Just Jolks review (Melbourne International Comedy Festival)

I've been reviewing Barnie Duncan's shows in Melbourne since 2017. They have focused on physical theatre and comedy, both on his own or sharing the stage with other performers like Dani Cabs or Trygve Wakenshaw. These have always had Duncan playing a character or telling a story. But not anymore. For his new show Just Jolks, Duncan has removed all gimmicks and distractions and attempts to tell us jokes, the whole jokes and nothing but the jokes. He is a real comedian now.

Having evolved from physical comedy, Duncan needs to ensure we are aware of the advanced rules and conventions of joke telling. We go through what crowd work means and if he's going to do it or not, the mechanics of observational humour and even the apparatus required for this fresh form of comedy. Such is his skill in comedy that even with his matter-of-fact facial expressions and earnest tone, it's impossible to resist laughing at everything he says, particularly with his loose fitting colourful shirt, white singlet and red cap (and everyone knows real comedians wear black).

Greece Lightning review (Melbourne International Comedy Festival)

Garry Starr's Greece Lightning has been doing the rounds for some time and it's a show that has been on my radar, but I’ve never been able to make its seasons. Last night, I finally did, and boy oh boy, do I regret having waited so long, because Greece Lightning is a comedy masterpiece.

This is Damien Warren-Smith’s third outing as the dim but absolutely delightful Garry Starr, (Garry Starr Performs Everything and Garry Starr Conquers Troy), and he is bigger and better than ever before as Garry attempts to perform all of Greek mythology to save his homeland from economic ruin.

Dazza and Keif Reenact the Titanic Movie Playing All the Roles review (Melbourne International Comedy Festival)

They've gone viral, and they've gone into space...where to next for local superstars Dazza and Keif? The movies of course. After spending lockdown together at Dazza's mum's house and watching the masterpiece Titanic on repeat, the two besties (#NoHomo) have decided to reenact the film by playing all the characters. But we are assured this will be fun as they have cut out all the boring chick dialogue and added some fully sick dance moves. Welcome to Dazza and Keif Reenact the Titanic Movie Playing All the Roles.

Having seen the digital delivery of Dazza and Keif Reenact... at Melbourne Fringe last year, I did debate going as I had essentially seen the show. However, this experience was a reminder that nothing can top live theatre and being in the same room as this rapturous audience giving huge applause and cheers made this a completely brand new show with non-stop laughs.

Poncho: Keep it Up! review (Melbourne International Comedy Festival)

It's been five years since Dani Cabs' alter ego Poncho graced Melbourne stages and in that time, while he has definitely matured, his humour has fortunately not waned. In Poncho: Keep it Up!, our charming, orange, good-times seeker brings a mix of physical comedy, clowning and storytelling discussing ideas on who we are and what we should strive to be, that are equally entertaining and honest.

Armed with just a rack consisting of a variety of orange clothing on the stage, all eyes are on Poncho, and he wouldn't have it any other way. Poncho feeds off audience interaction and welcomes the occasional impromptu comment or laughter from the audience. Cabs is so comfortable in his Poncho skin that he is never thrown by audience suggestions or responses and remains and responds in character to whatever happens.

Cabs possesses great comedic timing and shares genuine engagement with his audience. During his storytelling/spoken word moments, even behind the facade of this Latin clown, there are interesting observations and statements made about identity and society that are even more potent given the comedic lens they are told through.

Bunny review (Melbourne International Comedy Fetival)

New Zealand performer Barnie Duncan returns to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival with a show that is quite unlike what he has done in the past. His trademark absurdity is still evident in Bunny, but Duncan's dissection of whether dancing at a nightclub at 3am was a way of dealing with his grief or avoiding it after his mother passed away last year, adds a level of intimacy and vulnerability that is often difficult to convey on stage.

While a few jokes don't land that well, or have been tacked on for a cheap laugh (Will Smith's Oscars behaviour is already such a tired punchline), Duncan shows strong control of the audience and meeting the expectations we have upon entering this surreal show about clubbing and death. The unique way in which Duncan sees and understands the world is clearly presented, and with an open heart he shares the complexities of dealing with grief and mourning the death of a loved one, particularly during a pandemic.

Fabio Motta is off the leash with his Melbourne Comedy Festival show "Spot".

You can't help but see Spot, a fictional puppy from the 80s, as this cute animal always finding himself in all sorts of adventures due to his curiosity and eagerness. But then you probably haven't seen Fabio Motta's Spot. Returning for a second season as part of this year's Melbourne International Comedy Festival, this adorable pup becomes the antagonist in Motta's story that explores just how much of a multicultural haven Australia is. Inspired by true events, Spot is a contemporary immigrant tale of Mario, a young migrant to the country working towards his dream of becoming a “very good English actor!”

A performer for a number of years, the inspiration for Spot came at a surprising moment for Motta. "I was doing a vocal warm-up and out of the blue, found myself unconsciously saying “Why did you take me away?” which ended up with me having a big cry as I recollected, as a small child, never having had a say when my family migrated to Australia from Italy," he recalls.

Dazza and Keif Reenact the Titanic Movie Playing All the Roles - Melbourne Fringe Festival interview

Dazza and Keif. What can one say about these two best mates from the suburbs? There's nothing they can't do, especially after traveling into space two years ago. How do you top that? Easy. You reenact James Cameron's 1997 Oscar winning film, Titanic, where you play all the roles, and so the not so subtly titled show Dazza and Keif Reenact the Titanic Movie Playing All the Roles is born.

With limited actual acting experience, I did have reservations about the quality of the show and asking people to pay for this "experience", but both Dazza and Keif assured me that they definitely have the mad skills and the fully sick talent to pull this off. "Mate, we can do anyfink. We can breakdance obviously, rap battle, cuntemporary dance, DJ, you name it. So we figured acting would be pretty easy. Like, chicks do it all the time so obviously we can do it," Dazza tells me.

"Yeah! And the Tittanic seemed like a pretty easy one to do," Keif chimes in. "Like we conquered all the chicks of the internet and then the galaxy... So going back in time onto a magical boat was pretty much the next logical step for us."

The Pageant - Melbourne Fringe Festival review

It's the beauty pageant to end all beauty pageants. All the nerves, stressing, tears, arguments and tantrums from parents has culminated to this moment. Will their child win the crown? In The Pageant, creators and performers Patrick Dwyer and Laura Trenerry (one third of The Travelling Sisters), reveal the glitz and glamour of the high stakes world of pageantry, with a little help from the rest of the room. 

Dwyer is in his element as former pageant darling Victoria Beavoir, capturing the insecurities of this bombshell as she exudes a public image of flirtatious and frisky behaviours. Trenerry as Victoria's long-term devotee Roger Seahorse brings in her long-history of male impersonations from her Travelling Sisters performances to present this nervous and geeky man as an absolutely charming and loveable co-host. 

There is a lot of audience participation in this show and while many people are generally petrified of being invited to come up on stage for any purpose, Dwyer and Trenerry ensure that their "volunteers" are well looked after. On the night I attended every single person called up was well prepared with what to do and more than enjoyed their time in the spotlight, and it wouldn't be surprising if there were plenty of disappointed faces in the crowd who were not brought up.

Aurora review

Circus Oz returns with a new show of "impossibly intricate foot-juggling to hair-raising balances, breathtaking hula hooping to physical comedy that will leave you speechless". Unfortunately while there are elements in Aurora that are well conceived, their exploration of the ice lands of our world and the ensuing acts don't live up to these grand statements resulting in a very average experience.

The set design is quite impressive with its representation of this frozen land and the lighting design by Jennifer Hector superbly captures the atmosphere of this vast body of ice throughout the show, best shown in Shani Stephen's hand balancing act, where along with a smoke machine, creates some stunning moments. Rhian Hinkley's visual projections on the floor of the stage are fun and imaginative and they are incorporated into the routines without ever feeling like it's a gimmick.

You cannot dispute the ensemble's talent and the high level visual and aural aspects of the show, with music performed by the brilliant Jeremy Hopkins and Selene Messinis, so it's disappointing that there is a lack of excitement and originality within the acts themselves. None of them seem to have a "wow" factor and it is all a little too safe for what we've come to expect from Circus Oz. The rope act by Sam Aldham is run-of-the-mill and despite being visually engaging with the costuming and lighting, Adam Malone's routine on the Washington trapeze feels astonishingly pedestrian.

Dazza and Keif Go Viral in Space with Ya Mum - Melbourne Fringe Festival review

As a child, you're always told to dream big. Well for two boys in Craigieburn, their dream is pretty much as big as it gets. Created and performed by Danni Ray and Keely Windred, Dazza and Keif Go Viral in Space With Ya Mum sees the return of Dazza and Keif and the trials and tribulations that come with forever chasing hot chicks, seeking popularity and in this case, a ticket to the moon.

Frustrated with the lack of female talent around, the boys decide to enter the Penetrate the Sky competition to win one of twenty tickets to move to the moon. The result puts a strain on their relationship as they both must come face to face with some truths about themselves and in being honest with each other. The exploration of gender roles and identity through these characters is not only expressed in the story but also with its music and dance, which there is plenty of.

Thy Thus ‘Twas - Melbourne Fringe Festival preview


Comedy trio The Travelling Sisters are returning to the Melbourne Fringe Festival as the travelling blokes in their new show Thy Thus 'Twas. With their unique sense of humour and absurd comedy that is grounded in the banal, their upcoming show focuses on three mates, Darryl, Vinnie and Berrick, who are out to make their thespian dreams come true.

The brains behind the men, Lucy Fox, Laura Trenerry and Ell Sachs, spent a good part of the last 12 months touring their side-splitting hilarious show Toupe but are now looking forward to hitting the stage with their new baby. "It's like when you're shaking a bottle of bubbly, just before you pop the cork...it's the feeling on the underside of the cork," Trenerry tells me. "This show has been brewing in our collective fantasy world for over a year. It's always exciting when you're birthing a new one. How will it be received, what will it become, what is this new beautiful beast?! Who knows!"

As is evident by their promo picture, the three will be donning some wigs, facial hair and traditional thespian attire in order to portray Darryl, Vinnie and Berrick. But who are these three Aussie dreamers? "They come from the red dust of the Queensland plains and they're all equal parts passionate and dense. They are lifelong friends who are dead-set fixed on making a serious and moving theatre show, yet they are of course derailed at every turn," she explains. "It's always fun to play what you're not, to try to enter the rehearsal space in full disguise. That game never gets old."

Happy-Go-Wrong - Melbourne Fringe Festival preview

It's true, life is what happens to your while you're busy making other plans. Melbourne performer, Andi Snelling, was living an active life with numerous acting projects constantly on the go. However, her life changed drastically in 2014 when she was bitten by a tick. Her return season of Happy-Go-Wrong for this year's Melbourne Fringe Festival is a comical yet candid look at her subsequent diagnosis of Lyme disease and what it's like to be battling with a chronic invisible illness.

Opening up about something as personal and contentious as Lyme disease has involved dealing with a number of obstacles along the way for Snelling. "The most difficult aspect of making Happy-Go-Wrong content-wise has been deciding how much of the specifics around my chronic illness to share. It’s an extremely controversial disease in Australia and I’m conscious of protecting both my own and my family’s safety and privacy around some of the more political elements," she says. "This is why the show only really references Lyme in abstract, indirect ways, which also means it becomes more about the human experience of fate and mortality."

AutoCannibal review

The world is ending. We are facing an intense heatwave, crops and animals are dying and people are starving to death. In Mitch Jones' solo physical theatre work AutoCannibal, we witness one of the last people on Earth spending his final days living with the same ignorance and self-destructive mode that led to civilisation's doom in the first place.

From a design point of view, the show is highly successful in creating a grim and desolate environment. The lighting design by Paul Lim and sound design by Bonnie Knight (with contributions from Marco Cher-Gibard) is a constant reminder of the bleak future that awaits our protagonist (and us). They work together incredibly well to create tension and unease right through to the final moments. Similarly, Michael Baxter's minimal scaffolding set design conveys a reality void of any human warmth.

Happy-Go-Wrong review

The sparkle in Andi Snelling’s eyes is evident throughout Happy-Go-Wrong and I’m not referring to the glitter she is wearing. Snelling was born to be on the stage, so it’s disheartening that chronic illness has kept her from doing this for a number of years. However, this is all changing with her new show that has her opening up about how it feels to not be able to do the thing you love and what it has taught her about life.

In Happy-Go-Wrong, a French angel (because why not?) named Lucky has come from Cloud Nine to seek out Snelling and offer her some guidance and perspective. These scenes are interspersed with Snelling's skilful use of spoken word, physical theatre, clowning, and music to express how being diagnosed with a chronic illness has impacted her. Snelling finds a marvellous balance between humour and sadness that allows the audience to comprehend the seriousness of her illness but not to leave them all wallowing in misery.