In what is called a work in progress for future shows, Arj Barker returns to Melbourne to experience new comedy material in Keeper or Crapper.

Arj Barker is one of Australia’s favourite international comedians, and in what can be seen as a test run, Barker performed at the Lithuanian Club to experiment his newly written jokes. His jokes ranged from his experiences on planes, to taking selfies until you get the perfect shot. Barker is no stranger to Australian audiences, and his jokes also tailored towards them, such as making fun of the current Prime Minister, Tony Abbott.

Barker’s stage presence was immediately seen when he came out onto the stage, and at that second we could tell how much he loved his Australian audience. It helped maintain his confidence throughout the performance, even when there were slight hiccups.

Ten minutes into the performance, one woman from the audience yelled out “Not funny at all!” and proceeded to leave the theater. Even though Barker noted that he was a little shaken by the heckle, he still made jokes about it throughout the rest of the show. Barker’s sarcastic, misleading, well structured jokes almost left the audience in tears, especially as they were incredibly relatable. One of the most notable jokes in the show was when he referred to our rubbish to see if we had a drinking problem.

Barker’s performance was also lightly heartwarming. There were moments throughout the show where he discussed ambition and being able to achieve happiness. His discussion, combined with his lightly told jokes, were able to make the audience leave with the feeling that they shouldn’t take their life for granted, and to just be happy every single day. Comedians at times want the audience to be able to identify with them and take their experiences away and learn from them, and that is exactly what Barker did.

All in all, Barker’s experimental show was a complete success. Well structured and well thought out, Barker was able to make the audience laugh, cry and applaud. To the woman who left early on in the show – you should have stayed for the whole thing.

Click here for more information and to purchase tickets to the show.