Hutson was visibly nervous as she looked her audience in the eye and apologised for needing a script onstage. It set the tone for the evening being a little unpolished, yes, but also totally unpretentious and truthful. When her microphone failed and she pushed it aside, we were gifted with more pure, direct delivery. Signs held up to the audience were fumbled, but the messages written on each one still managed to reach out and touch the heart. A wig slipping off a bald cap only added to the hilarity of her Die Hard re-enactment.

In an interview last month Hutson suggested she intended to make the audience laugh before – surprise! – punching them in the gut, and the third act delivers that punch. Her nervousness and difficulty with lines is directly attributable to this being the first time performing as herself, so it was endearing rather than frustrating when she stumbled over words in difficult passages of memory.  The climax of this gut-punch, when Hutson addresses her 14 year old self, is moving.

The 80s soundtrack was well-curated and high-energy, and fake blood was used hilariously. The cosy venue meant audience participation felt unpretentious and added to the growing feeling that Hutson really was baring it all.

After the 45 minutes with Hutson has flown by, the audience leaves with a new hero but, remarkably, no new enemy. Despite discussing troubling experiences, the resolution of the piece is women-positive without being men-negative. Unlike the films Hutson so admires, her own show triumphs without needing to crush a loser. The positivity is refreshing. A woman onstage alone, less than a metre from her audience, peeling back the layers of her life and revealing her heart. Undoubtedly opening night has sanded off the rough edges, and Hutson’s heart is not to be missed.

Strong Female Character runs from the September 26th – October 3rd at 6:45pm at the Fringe Hub Parlour Room, 521 Queensberry Street, North Melbourne.

See more at: https://www.melbournefringe.com.au/program/event/view/4844bb94-ac38-4c79-b161-3002f3eca8de

One of the most critical problems with the show was the lack of continuity and connection between the two. The royal family’s clothes and palace were presented in a Renaissance-style aesthetic, but jarring scene changes into modern-day Internet phenomenon were not handled well. Potentially rousing speeches fell on confused ears as the audience tried to grapple with how the two aspects were supposed to inform each other. A beautiful comedic moment of characters from the two worlds crossing over was also, ultimately, a little baffling.

A monitor/screen in the centre of the stage above the throne was almost an effective conduit between the two aspects of the show. At one point it showed the princess trying to use Twitter to reach her people, and it was a great example of how the device could have been utilised even more to bring the worlds together. An impressive video played on this screen at the conclusion of the show and hinted at its incredible, albeit untapped, potential.

#PRINCESS relied on the audience recognising each of the viral YouTube videos they re-enacted, and the laughter indicated the audience did, but there seemed no discernable significance to the clips they picked. Intriguing themes of prescription drug dependence and severe Internet trolling were touched upon, but inadequately explored. The show felt somewhat like a presentation of a list of issues facing modern-day society – not inaccurate, but not exactly gripping. None of the characters seemed to be truly grappling with the issues raised, and the audience were left with a sense of ‘so what?’ lingering in the air. The King had his medication forced on him but was never given an adequate opportunity to explore how he felt about it or whether or not he actual suffered any kind of mental illness. The Princess was upset by the cruel tweets as they rolled in, but then didn’t raise the matter again or reflect on it at all.

When the thinly-veiled crosshairs turned to Tony Abbott the criticisms were accurate but unfortunately not fresh enough to get any laughs. A Melbourne Fringe Festival audience normally jump at the chance to enjoy a joke at Abbott’s expense, but nobody laughed at the speech about choosing the (male) Chancellor as the new Minister for Women.

Michael Gosden delivers an excellent performance as the elderly Alfred and a youthful fitness-freak. Chelsea Zeller, as the Princess and the other fitness-freak, was funny and moving at every opportunity that the writing gave her.

Overall, the show is awkward. Actors made impromptu jokes at the beginning of the performance about the lack of audience members, and a very physical masturbation joke relatively early into the show was received with some discomfort. Sporadic moments of eloquence (particularly by Zeller and Alistair Frearson as The Chancellor) were notable, but when the moving speeches finished the confusing dual narrative resumed, removing any inclination for the audience to let themselves be carried away.

#PRINCESS runs from the September 26th – October 3rd at 6:45pm at the Lithuanian Club, 44 Errol Street, North Melbourne. See more at: https://www.melbournefringe.com.au/program/event/view/9b55e61d-c1cf-479a-8b22-ee545f5ecbdd

Davis herself is all of these things, and her stand-up show covers a range of topics from her life that range from seriously morbid to downright silly. The audience is taken from her rural childhood right through to what she thinks is going to happen when she dies.

The first part of Davis’ show is performed with the sheet intact over her head, and the outbursts of deep belly-laughs were rolling in long before she even revealed her face. The unique and deft way she uses her voice means the audience can tell when she is exasperated as opposed to exhausted, confused as opposed to frustrated. Delightful costume alterations keeps things fresh, and the backpack-cum-light contraption is just one aspect of the delightful tech flourishes.

One of her intended tech features failed on opening night but Davis continued, undeterred, making a quick joke and full recovery. Audience participation and the resulting spontaneous quipping is definitely one of her strengths, and she has clearly identified this and makes the most of it. She makes fast jokes and her talent is such that her audience trusts her.

It would be too easy to simply label the show as “dark”. More accurately, there is a feeling that Davis has transported seriously adult concerns (mortality, religion, sex) into the mind of a child. The result is not unlike a toddler having too much Red Bull and an existential crisis. A real cleverness is required to carry off this kind of sustained immaturity, and there is no doubt that behind Davis’ crazed, lilting voice, bright neurons are constantly firing.

Ghost Machine is, like Davis herself, wholly unique. Topics like the uselessness of an Arts degree and the ridiculousness of religion, which have been dragged through the mud by stand-ups all over the world, are somehow funny again. She is self-reflective without being self-indulgent, and generously genuine to her audience. This show is not to be missed.

Ghost Machine runs from the September 26th – October 3rd at 9:15pm at the Lithuanian Club, 44 Errol Street, North Melbourne - Find more informationa at: https://www.melbournefringe.com.au/program/event/view/f051e6bb-23e1-419a-9412-04bc4bddcb14 

Co-producer Jax Jacki Brown explains that the theme of this year’s show is “access,” which is often a hot topic in disability communities.

“We really stopped and started thinking about how we could interrogate that word,” she says “What makes it sexy, makes it funny, makes it engaging, and gives people something they weren’t expecting when they think about it.”

If you’ve seen a Quippings show before, you know to expect shock and sex and laughter, but assistant director Jarrod Marrinon explains that Disability Unleashed will be different this time. “In previous Quippings shows each individual has had their own slot, but this time we’re also focusing more on the group as a whole, making things more fluid. We have a group act too.”

Hearing about all the different individual acts being shown, it is abundantly clear that each of the eight individuals has a unique story to tell. Also, that their choice of performance methods are considered and wholly their own. Carly Findlay will be reading a letter to an unborn child, Natalie Corrigan will be debuting her stand-up, Marrinon will be performing what he describes as a “sex-positive eulogy,” plus five other comedy, movement, and music pieces. An eclectic mix of performers and performances, yes, but if anyone can make it work, Quippings can. The dynamic energy of the group is undeniable, and they have that infectious determination you only see in people with a message they’re passionate about.

Disability Unleashed is on at Richmond Theatrette 415 Church Street, Richmond on Saturday 26 September at 7:00pm and Sunday 27 September at 5:00pm. For more information or to book tickets, visit https://www.melbournefringe.com.au/ or call +61 (0)3 9660 9600. Auslan Interpreted Performance: Saturday 26 September.

Hutson describes herself as a “storyteller and a clown” rather than a stand-up comedian, though Strong Female Character required a whole new approach, as it is her first show performing as herself, taking the audience through a loose narrative of her life. “It’s been harder to write because there’s no one to hide behind,” she explains, “it’s completely different because I’m not playing a character this time.”

The show begins with the first six years of her childhood during which she was absolutely convinced she’d been born a boy. Hilarity ensues.

It focuses on the irony of Hutson growing up as “a total hero-worshipper”, before growing into a “card-carrying feminist”, despite all those heroes being “white, male, privileged, and extremely problematic.” She recalls a funny place in her past where she struggled with the decision about whether she wanted to be Indiana Jones, or to be with Indiana Jones [paraphrased from some colourful language].

Most importantly though, Hutson reflects on how these male heroes are always allowed to be funny. When she watched Guardians of the Galaxy she noted that even now, she still wants to be Peter not Gamora (who she calls the “the hero” and “the fembot”, respectively).

“It’s because he gets to be funny, and flawed, and still be the hero, but she has to be perfect. I’m not perfect! I’m a loser! But I’m still funny and a scoundrel, and I love all of that about myself.”

Go see Strong Female Character, and you’ll love all that about Hutson too.

It is showing at Fringe Hub – Parlour Room, Arts House, North Melbourne Town Hall, 521 Queensberry St North Melbourne from Saturday 26 September to Saturday 3 October at 6:45pm each night, but 5:45pm on Sunday. For more information and to book tickets, call +61 (0)3 9660 9600 or visit https://www.melbournefringe.com.au/.

The show is described as “an unapologetic autopsy of Gen-Y’s aspirations, expectations and delusions”, but when asked if it’s going to be an exercise in cynicism, Russo quickly jumps to defend it. “No, definitely not,” he says. “As lame as it sounds, it’s almost more of a celebration of life. And it’s funny!” He backtracks.  “Well, we sure think it’s funny. I mean, we laughed a lot when we were making it.”

Lonely Planet will unpack what “successful” wealth, health, appearance, sex, and employment looks like – both online and in real life. Exploring these themes means dissecting the media, social media, and the images of “success” that Gen-Y has been uniquely, and excessively, exposed to. Russo asks, “If you went on a holiday and don’t post a photo of it, did you really go?” He says it will be “colourful, loud, and intimate,” and you can bet it will be authentic.

BRODASAYSTA are well equipped to tell this story: Russo and his company are the embodiment of the troubling, ongoing battle with image. Comprised of four theatre makers and performers in their mid-twenties, BRODASAYSTA works with what they know and what they’re passionate about. “Our company sat down and said ‘what do we want to make a work about and what is important to us’ and these themes just bubbled up immediately – expectations and identity.” Russo is animated and enthusiastic as he speaks, and it is clear that the line between his thoughts about the show and his thoughts about life were blurred long ago.

Lonely Planet is on at Tuxedo Cat – The Atrium, 293 – 299 La Trobe Street Melbourne from 28 September to 4 October at 8:30pm. For more information or to book tickets, please visit http://www.melbournefringe.com.au or call +61 (0)3 9660 9600.