The Platonic Human Centipede review | Melbourne International Comedy Festival | The Toff in Town

There is no greater gesture to prove your love and loyalty to your bestie, your partner-in-crime, your wingperson, your right-hand man, than by surgically attaching your mouth to their anus. Right? In The Platonic Human Centipede, the sensational duo of Mel & Sam explore the unsung duos of the world and the lengths they would go to, to always allow nothing but the best for each other.

Through an hour of original songs and dance, Mel & Sam search high and low to honour duos that we would expect and some that are quite surprising. There are so many highlights in this show, but the two that are absolutely hysterical are Robert and Bindi Irwin singing to their late father (but with some ulterior motives) and a Willy Wonka and Charlie Bucket reunion years after that fateful Chocolate Factory encounter.

Are You Ready To Take The Law Into Your Own Hands review

It was seven years ago when I saw Kids Killing Kids but I remember it so vividly. The show reflected on a previous collaboration between four Australian theatre makers (David Finnigan, Georgie McAuley, Jordan Prosser and Sam Burns-Warr) and a Filipino theatre group, Sipat Lawin Ensemble, on their season of Battalia Royale. This was based on Japanese writer Koushun Takami's novel Battle Royale, in which high school students are pitted against each other in ways that would give the tributes in The Hunger Games nightmares. It proved to be extremely popular with thousands of people eagerly flocking to see it but also extremely controversial with its immersive depiction of violence. Fast forward to 2020 and the ensemble has brought its newest show to Melbourne, Are You Ready To Take The Law Into Your Own Hands. 

This time round the controversy surrounds the kidnapping of the biggest star of the Philippines, and it is up to three women to rescue her: Selina (Ji-ann Lachica) a social media influencer, her older sister Sanya (Claudia Enriquez) and police officer Sophia (Adrienne Vergara). There is action aplenty as they face-off in rap battles, dance challenges, underwater fighting and encounter corruption at every corner in order to free Gracielle V. Their personalities and circumstances might be outlandish but committed performances by the actors allow for honest and authentic characterisations to develop.

Sneakyville review

Serial killer Charles Manson may be dead, but the infatuation society has with him seems like it will never die. Christopher Bryant's Sneakyville is a darkly comedic look at this obsession through events that took place during that time, events that could have happened and events that could happen when the darker side of our nature is explored.

In the first act, Bryant gives the audience a crash course on who the Manson Family were leading up to the evening of August 9, 1969 when actor and model Sharon Tate - along with five others (including her unborn child who she was 8.5 months pregnant with) -  was brutally murdered. Bryant's script and Daniel Lammin's direction ensure that the tension is dialled up without the need to depict any violent or gruesome scenes. Bryant cleverly speeds through the next 50 year period informing us on the aftermath of the murders, including the Family's eventual arrests, sentencing and parole appeals, and how Manson influenced (and continues to influence) popular culture.

How to Kill the Queen of Pop - Melbourne Fringe Festival review

When How To Kill The Queen of Pop outrageously describes itself as a murderous, drag reimagining of the 2000 Olympic Opening Ceremony, it's comforting to know that this is exactly what it delivers. Written and performed by Tom Halls, Adam Ibrahim and Samuel Russo, this is the sordid story of a pact between three best friends to destroy the Queen of Pop by murder most fab.

Halls, Ibrahim and Russo revel in their roles as Tiffanee D'Brie, Tulfah Ali and Tami Thompson respectively, as they undertake their scandalous plan to commit the unthinkable during Sydney's hosting of the Olympic Games. While they all take to their characters like a drag queen to make-up, Ibrahim in particular is highly entertaining to watch having to deal with the fact that Tulfah deal with the subtle - and not so subtle - racism she experiences.

The three have clearly worked hard at developing this show and know it inside out, so when a plastic fingernail unexpectedly breaks off, their acknowledgement and incorporation of this into the scene shows the confidence they have with the script and their characters. The flashbacks to their childhood - including scenes of them as young girls in their local church choir - are original in their re-enactment with some very clever use of props.

Terror Australis - Melbourne Fringe Festival review

Admittedly, I did walk in to Terror Australis not knowing what to expect at all, and I am so glad I did because the delights it unearthed are so much richer if you have no idea what’s to come (so either go see it now, or read on at your own peril). Through a clever mix of cabaret, burlesque, live art, dance and comedy, the show looks at the dark culture of Australia with gobsmacking flair.

The set design is true Australiana with a hills-hoist used for makeshift pole-dancing, resulting in some pretty slick and sexy routines. Added set pieces such as goon bags, knives and dingo masks further enhance the strong feelings of ambiguous national pride, and while these items are enough to infer what performer Leah Shelton may be referencing, watching as these allusions comes to life takes it to a magnificent other level.

Apologue - Melbourne Fringe Festival review

For those who enjoy the thrill of watching Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud and The Price is Right, you will definitely not want to miss Apologue. Then again, maybe you will, as the game show within the show is not exactly a contestant friendly game show. It is however, a quirky and fun look at how the mass media is used to manipulate and control our thoughts and beliefs.

A hapless contestant is pulled on stage and must answer a series of questions in order to win some inane prizes that are presented as essential and luxurious by the hosts. With each round, the contestant’s comments are taken out of context and opinions and beliefs are pushed down upon her.

Andre Tonight! - Melbourne Fringe Festival review

It's unfortunate when you attend a show only to be told that it has to be cancelled because the band has called in sick, but that is what happens with Melbourne Fringe Festival's Andre Tonight! - or so we are led to believe. However, an audience member drunkenly volunteers her services and once she plays some music for our host, Andre DiVenuto, he decides the show must go on - and so it does. 

Created by Chris Ryan and Mark Winter and performed by music theatre star Ryan, Andre Tonight! is an hour of laughs that just don't seem to end. Ryan encapsulates the late-night variety show, and the European 20-something from Epping (my hometown) perfectly. I'm not sure where Ryan grew up, but he has certainly done his homework as the language, mannerism and style - including the hideous comb-over - scream Epping.

The Curiosity Experiment - Melbourne Fringe Festival review

Performed at this year's Melbourne Fringe Festival, The Curiosity Experiment is a ghost story revolving around a supernatural experience that occurred at the Delamere family home many years ago. The twist however, is that for the majority of the performance, the audience are instructed to wear blindfolds so as the story unravels, they can only rely on their hearing, allowing their imagination to create the haunting visuals for them.

Created and produced by Nathan Schulz and Audrey Cadzow, the show is capped to 13 audience members, which allows for a large enough audience wherein a certain level of intimacy can still be reached. And of course the bad luck that is associated with the number subconsciously helps build the intensity of the performance.

Saving Spiders - Melbourne Fringe Festival review

In Saving Spiders, presented by Darebin Arts Speakeasy and GRANITE for the 2016 Melbourne Fringe Festival,  Tina is a young woman who is living her life as if it is one big party. Between her boyfriend Grant and best friend Gracie, their shared existence consists solely of sex, drugs and good times. There is little responsibility in any of their lives, just a lot of fun - until the moment the fun stops, and things can never be the same again.

Saving Spiders relies on its cast to ensure its success, as it is very much a character driven piece. Fortunately, Zoe Boesen, Paul Blenheim, Ryan Jones and Leila Rodgers (who also wrote the show) all embrace their characters wholeheartedly and their resonant interactions with each other feel as If they have known each other for years.

The Curiosity Experiment - Melbourne Fringe Festival preview

If you prefer your theatrical experiences to be a bit on the creepy side, then you won't want to miss The Curiosity Experiment during this year's Melbourne Fringe Festival. The intimate audience of 13 - not a coincidence - are told a ghost story on Christmas Eve about a supernatural experience had by the Delamere family. The twist is, the entirety of the performance requires the entire audience be blindfolded. 

"The show draws on the inspiration of old fashion radio plays, using the power of storytelling to invite the audience to listen without the distraction of constant moving imagery and creating an almost visceral atmosphere via the auditory route of voice and sound," producer Nathan Schulz tells me. "Although imagery will be used it will be minimal and designed to enhance the story and hopefully impact the audience in such a way that their preconceptions of reality are suspended in a fun but emotionally provocative way." 

Not Another Indie Cabaret - Melbourne Fringe Festival preview

Do you even indie? That's the question cabaret and burlesque performer Jessamae St. James will be asking during her Melbourne Fringe Festival show, Not Another Indie Cabaret. The comedy cabaret takes a nostalgic look at the drunken purchases we make while on eBay.  

"The show is a brand new musical comedy that is part self deprecating reflection, part ode to questionable adult-ing skills and part love letter to making excellent life choices whilst drunk on eBay," St James explains. "It will also be featuring original songs, all written by me, and will be played on ridiculous instruments, including an omnichord."