After a wonderful night of laughter and merriment at Newtown’s Enmore Theatre, the Sydney Comedy Festival went out with a bang!
The End of Festival Gala took place in the spacious, yet intimate venue. The first thing I saw onstage was the band treating us to groovy tunes as our host for the evening, Reuben Kaye, strutted onstage looking absolutely fabulous, and overflowing with scandalous jokes that made the audience gasp and erupt with laughter.
I was amazed by how each and every performer of the night won the audience over so quickly, using their five-or-so minute slots to make us laugh line after line. The frequent changeover offered variety and allowed us to get a taste for so many different comedians and their style. From a humorous slide show presentation, to rating your favourite chips on a scale of platonic to romantic, or dancing to EDM while delivering zingers, the hits were non-stop.
My favourite part of the show was an act by none other than host Reuben Kaye himself. Accompanied by the band, Reuben let their voice soar, telling jokes through song. I loved how interactive Reuben was with the audience, with frequent teasing of the front row. At one stage, Reuben asked a man if he could sit on his lap, then proceeded to lift his legs up either side of the man's head, and leant back to belt the song's money note! I couldn't help but guffaw at the absurdity of the presentation, and was thoroughly impressed by Reuben’s singing chops, while suspended upside down on a stranger's lap no less! Truly hilarious.
The first half ended with Jimmy Rees sneaking onto the stage impersonating Steve Irwin. Cameraman in tow live-streaming to the projector screen, he wove his way through the crowd, cautiously approaching audience members and commentating observations about them as if he was witnessing an animal in its element. It was such a fun way for the audience to become involved in the show, as anyone could become the next exhibit.
The second act continued with more electric humour; Black Peng with their cheeky political humour, and Takeshita Akashi with his slide show of cartoon characters and wordplay particularly tickled my funnybone. It was fantastic to be in a venue full of people enjoying themselves and creating a chorus of laughter. I had such a good time, with hardly a minute passing without a giggle.
I can’t wait for next year's Sydney Comedy Festival to roll around, but in the meantime, there are plenty of comedy shows coming up over the next few months to keep us entertained. Check out sydneycomedyfest.com.au to view the upcoming shows
Reviewed by: Eleanor Edwards