Comedy
by Rhys Nicholson
Sunset Veranda
29th of January
Review by Rhys Tarling

Picture an immaculately groomed, dapper little man in a suit, simulating masturbation on stage as if it were something mechanical and awkward. If that doesn’t amuse you, or even pique your interest, it’s best to skip Rhys Nicholson’s show and this review. For the rest of us who can take joy in laughing at the uncomfortable and vile, Rhys Nicholson delivers the goods and then some.

There is no topic, whether it be death, religion, sex, bad drugs or llamas, that is safe from Nicholson’s maniacal, yet genuinely curious gaze. Nicholson imbued near every musing or story with innuendo and self deprecation; a workmanlike routine to be sure, but he injected life into the material with his strangled voice and curious tics. His tics never felt like shallow affectation, however; he really does seem to be an offbeat man. Like many stand ups, he mines his own pain for comedy ore, and it’s because of his talent that the more painful parts never felt uncomfortable but rather poignant and affecting; his routine was never too poignant as to be saccharine as the tension was always almost immediately deflated by, say, a musing on dicks.

I fear that perhaps the wrong crowd was there to watch him, as some of his more blunt material on his homosexuality and religion elicited only silence and even a couple of disapproving mutters. However, some talk about a horse tranquilizer he ingested that nearly devolved into what can only be described as sleazecore, was met with riotous laughter. The crowd’s reactions were interestingly all over the place and telling of how polarizing Nicholson is. Yet, he managed to turn the fickle audience problem into comedy gold by making his befuddlement about what they found “acceptable” or “not acceptable” a running gag.

If there’s anything that didn’t work it was Nicholson’s musings on Tony Abbott — a topic that by now is akin to shooting fish in a barrel. I felt his preceding material proved he could be far edgier, and cleverer, than that. He ended by serenading the audience whilst stroking a blow up llama. I’m not sure it was his funniest bit, but it sure was theatrical and surreal, and that’s enough to stick a landing. Four stars.

Rhys Nicholson – Eurgh ran for one night only. You can check out the rest of the Fringe World guide here.