What makes people become racist? Is it ok to be a little bit racist? And are penguin analogies the answer to solving world racism? Xavier Toby, general nice guy, seems to think so and uses puns and one-liners to back up his opinions and research on evolution.

Standing in front of the Lithuanian Club audience, Toby is part comedian, part preacher, who is genuinely concerned about some Australians’ attitudes towards race. Toby uses his two groups of friends to generalise the everyday Australian, coming to the conclusion that Australians are either racist bogans or anti-racist hipsters who can’t take a joke – two extreme groups that are only united by their love for IKEA and tattoos.

White Trash is thought-provoking, especially regarding the media’s use of hyperbole when reporting asylum seekers and other current affairs, but some of Toby’s arguments against racism can become ranty, often with a cheap joke tacked to the end for a quick laugh, or lead off into unrelated tangents.

The uncertainty in White Trash is with Toby himself. He doesn’t seem comfortable in his comedy persona, and it’s hard to pin-point who he aims to be; at 35 years of age Toby seems unsure whether he is the swearing, smutty young bloke or a dork with Dad-like humour. There is an obvious conflict between the two, almost like there are two different comedians on stage -yet it is Toby’s goofy character which comes through to the audience as more honest and funny. The audience can relate to the self-confessed jasmine tea lover, a single man who loves kids and has a passion for standing up for penguins.

Toby’s take on racism is intelligent but the balance between the information and humour was a bit skewiff. Overall, it is a great show to test your racist mates’ beliefs at and chat about later at the pub.

Xavier Toby – White Trash has finished its run at the Fringe Festival. More information on Xavier Toby’s future projects can be found on his website.