Off the back of a sell-out season at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, sketch trio Trillcumber bring big laughs to Fringe in Is This Intimacy?, a punchy hour of sketch comedy that shines a light into the shady corners of modern relationships.
At a Christmas party on the two-year anniversary of their friendship, mates Hayley Tantau, Mario Hannah and Simon McCulloch reminisce about their first meeting. Who clicked right off the bat? Who took a while to warm to? Who’s awkward as hell? The verdict: they’re each as out-of-place as the next, and it makes for delectable viewing.
More than anything else, the trio are easy to watch. There’s a genuine sense that they’re enjoying themselves, and you can’t help but be infected with their energy. The material is refreshing in its originality and the trio skilfully subvert convention. A meek fox in the chicken house is bestowed underdog status, while clucky chickens – likening the fox and his kid to a sleeper cell ready to rise at any moment – are outright bullies.
But it’s the attention paid to feminism that really sees the trio shine. A particularly memorable sketch involves self-proclaimed male feminists arguing (increasingly obnoxiously) over the need for men to lend their ears and join the fight. No spoilers, but a woman may or may not be labouring next to them in public. And they may or may not ignore her.
Tantau’s Cindy Salmon, women’s self-help coach and self-proclaimed ‘Australia’s Oprah’, is an ace in the hole. Recently featured on the web series Amateur Hour, the blonde powerhouse of indistinct American descent dishes out the gospel according to Salmon, empowering the ladies with knowledge-bombs and signature air horn. The refrain? Not Amen. A-women!
Director Dan Pavatich (himself starring in his own solo show, Big Strong Boy), manages the space well, and even the show’s more absurd sketches – like McCulloch’s regretful text to a suitor he repeatedly strikes out with – are injected with smart insights (how DO you spell definitely?) and subtle revelations to ensure that the material remains accessible. Jump-cuts – the improviser’s bread and butter – are well articulated with swift sound and lighting changes, lending the show its punchy tone and ensuring that the material resonates with a non-sketch audience.
Taken as a whole, Is This Intimacy? is the perfect gateway into the world of sketch comedy, which is currently experiencing a surge in popularity in the US with shows like Inside Amy Schumer and Portlandia. At home on the new Improv Conspiracy stage – Melbourne’s first dedicated improv theatre – there’s every likelihood that performers like Trillcumber will be leading the Australian charge.
For those curious about the groundswell, make sure you get down to see Trillcumber – before someone gives them their own TV show.
In the words of Cindy Salmon: “You just got empowered.”
Is This Intimacy? will be at The Improv Conspiracy – Theatre until 25 September at 7.45 Tues-Sun, 6.45 Sun. Tickets $10-$15. Book tickets at melbournefringe.com.au or call (03) 9660 9666.
