Tuesday 18th November, Comedy @ Marble Bar, Kitty Flanagan headlining
Thursday 20th November, The Comedy Store, Jamie Kilstein headlining

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Comedy @ Marble Bar seems to be developing a nice core of regulars after work on Tuesday evenings, which makes for a pleasant buzz to the room, although they tend to be grinners and chucklers rather than belly-laughers. The regulars might also be harder to impress when they’re familiar with the resident acts and impatient for the featured performers: MC Dave Smiedt seemed to be working harder with them than usual this week.

This week’s support features were Amanda Gray and Dave Bloustien. Amanda is fairly new to stand-up, hitting the ground running in comedy contests over the past year and beginning to build up a strong local following (she’s a finalist in this week’s Quest for the Best Grand Finals staged by Comedy on the Rox). Her dead-pan style and blunt use of four letter words was a startling combination in the marbled pillar zone, but once the room absorbed it they followed her cheerfully enough as she took them on a journey of f*cking disdain.

By the time writer/improvisor/comic-of-all-trades Dave Bloustien took the mic they were starting to loosen up with the occasional guffaw, happy to follow him along weird thought alleys and give him the expected groan in an friendly fashion when he unleashed a truly drastic pun. Dave’s confidence in the writing behind his punchlines means that a listening crowd is his sort of people because he can listen to individual reactions and bounce off them to keep the set fresh. Those keen to see a different side to Dave’s skills can catch him as part of the Man/Raven team in the Theatresports(R) Cranston Cup Grand Final on Dec 6th.

Kitty Flanagan’s years in Britain have, amazingly, only made her routine more rapid-fire than ever. Her tiny frame with its mop of curls and huge smile fills the stage and commands attention. By the time she’d set up three punchlines the chuckles were louder and the guffaws more frequent, as her quiet style kept the crowd listening. Her weaving of improvised banter with set chunks was seamless, and I have little more to add because I stopped taking notes to concentrate on laughing. Kitty’s upcoming gigs can be found at her website.

Next week the Marble Bar features Dave Jory headlining supported by James Lieutenant and Bryan Chandler. [more info]

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Arriving late for The Comedy Store show because my companion Ms Mellie is small and her beer was large, thus taking longer for her to finish it at the pub than she expected, we missed most of the first support act Ben Ellwood, coming in for only the last few minutes, but those who’d been on time were chortling mightily. The second support act, Nick Sun, did his usual free-flight routine with some new material that failed to fully grab the crowd this time out, although there were some appreciative hoots.

MickeyD, as MC, was a larrikin maestro, fast-foot-working around the stage while delivering great big dollops of cheeky to approving roars. Ms Mellie, who hadn’t been to see a comedy show for nearly twenty years, approved of him highly, but she wasn’t so enamoured by efforts from others to be “edgy” with bad taste humour in the name of free speech - if it’s not also entertaining she fails to see the point. However, Ms Mellie luuurrrved the featured support act, Dave Jory. His wry observational style punctuated by the lunges for emphasis won her over, and totally cracked up the room. If his cats and my cat ever get a chance to plot together, the human race is doomed.

Headliner Jamie Kilstein was promoted as part of the New York underground scene, which is apparently comedy code for “no, you haven’t seen him on Letterman or Leno” and “yes, he’s all over YouTube” (which is handy for checking him out before going to a show). His material was rather like a distillation of the sharpest left-leaning American political blogs - talking points with a twist - so it was very much my cup of tea. Kilstein has a relaxed, deceptively rambling style as he skewers the Religious Right and Stateside conservatives, and if you know everybody he’s talking about his points are sharp indeed. Ms Mellie, who is rather less interested in the minutiae of the US culture wars, was lost for reference points for huge chunks of Kilstein’s routine, got bored with the religious critique and wanted more Australian-tailored content. Most of the crowd, who obviously were expecting just what they got, were lapping it up. So he’s not for everybody, but if you like him on YouTube he’s definitely worth seeing in person.

Kilstein finishes tonight at the Comedy Store in Moore Park, Sydney and heads back to NYC - his gigs can be followed on his myspace page. Next week the Comedy Store begins its Christmas Special Show (”a gala lineup every night!”) until Dec 20. [more info]

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Image Credits: Marble Bar photos courtesy of Mediak Services and Michael Kery, promotional photo of Jamie Kilstein courtesy of The Comedy Store.

Tags: Amanda Gray, Ben Ellwood, Comedy Store, Dave Bloustien, Dave Jory, Dave Smiedt, Jamie Kilstein, Kitty Flanagan, Marble Bar, Mickey D, Nick Sun

Next Show Sat 29th October
Roxbury Hotel,
182 Johns Rd, Glebe
Tickets $22 via moshtix

Raucous and huge fun, that’s Red Card Comedy. Comedy on the Rox’s Kathryn Bendall promised me it would be a different kind of comedy night, and indeed it was!

The format involves a string of comedians willing to stand up in front of an audience who is encouraged to demand that they be gonged off at any time. Various audience members were tapped at intervals to be one of three judges on stage who were handed red cards (including me at one point). If two judges held up a red card, the audience was meant to yell to encourage either another card to go up and thus the gong, or to persuade the judges to put their cards down and let the comic continue. Those comics who manage to complete a five minute set then come back after the interval to compete again and see who ends up winning the crown and a cash prize.

Despite their complimentary lollybags to give them some sugar rush aggro, the crowd weren’t quite sure at first, requiring the night’s referee, Jacques Barrett, to cajole them into releasing their “inner arseholes” and to be cruel to the comics if they faltered or went into areas that failed to enthrall. Barrett led by example, mocking with reckless abandon, and they gradually got into the mood.

By the time a few comics had fallen to the gong, the crowd well and truly had the idea, and their dander was up. The urge to gong seemed to come in waves. It took quite a lot for a comic to be allowed to complete 5 minutes, and if the last one up had done so then it was nearly guaranteed that the crowd would want the next one gonged no matter what, thus ensuring that some of Sydney’s funniest rising comics had barely a chance to deliver their first punchline before the punters were yelling to get them off the stage.

At the end of the second stage, we still had three ungonged comics, so another round of 1 minute each broke the deadlock to leave us with Oliver Phommavanh (2007 Quest for the Best champion) as the night’s winner, and new comic Amanda Gray coming runner-up. Well-deserved to both.

Bendall, who introduced the Red Card format at the Roxbury earlier this year, said that she had wanted a change from so many comedy audiences being so politically correct that they hardly heckle anymore. Judging by the grins on the crowd’s faces at the end of the night, they thoroughly enjoyed the freedom to yell at the stage, and will want to come back for more.

Next month’s referee will be Anthony Ackroyd. The last shows have been sellouts, so book early!

Tags: Amanda Gray, Jacques Barrett, Kathryn Bendall, Oliver Phommavanh, Red Card Comedy, Roxbury Hotel

Last week saw the first Preliminary Final of the 2008 Quest for the Best, Australia’s richest comedy competition ($5000 Grand Prize) at Comedy on the Rox. Congratulations to the first two comics to go through to the November 26th Grand Final, Emo Willis and Amanda Gray!

Who will be the next 10 comics to make the Grand Final line-up? The next four weeks at Comedy on the Rox will tell! (If you want to catch any of the remaining preliminary finals, you can find the links on the Comedy on the Rox website (scroll down).)

But the biggest night is always the Grand Final, isn’t it? Last year’s Quest for the Best Grand Final’s 350-strong audience outgrew the Quest home, the Roxbury Hotel. So this year the Grand Final is on at a larger venue: the 600 seat St Scholastica School Hall down the road in Avenue Road, Glebe. (The Roxbury Hotel has been granted a temporary liquor license to serve alcohol at this event, but as with the regular shows the bar is separate from the performance area, so minors may still attend.) It starts early (6pm) to ensure that it’s all over by 10:30pm.

So, don’t delay (as they say), book today! A lot of people were disappointed last year, make sure it doesn’t happen to you this year.

Tags: Amanda Gray, Comedy on the Rox, contest, Emo Willis, Grand Final, Quest For The Best, Roxbury Hotel

Red Card Comedy
Roxbury Hotel, 182 St Johns Rd, Glebe
Next Show: Saturday 25th October 8pm
Tickets: $22.00 via Moshtix

I’m going along to see this one! Perhaps I’ll see you there - an excerpt from the Comedy on the Rox blurb is quoted below:

There’s no comedy night like Red Card Comedy. The audience surprises start from the moment they pick up their tickets till the final gong clangs. Book now to avoid desolation.

An Australian first, it is a sophisticated gong show with 16 up-and-coming comics trying to keep their audience laughing for five minutes.

Last man (or woman) standing is the winner.

Jacques Barrett will be the night’s “referee”.

To help Jacques keep control, three random audience members will be given red cards.

When two of the three judges hold up their red cards, the comic is gonged off.

Other audience members will be encouraged to get involved, urging the judges to put up their cards, or if the comic is a favorite, to take them down.

It promises to be a great night of fun, frivolity and audience interaction.

The large assortment of rising comics taking part in the melee is as follows:

• Jay Sullivan
• Emo Willis
• Paul Warnes
• Michele Mar-Belle
• Oliver Phommavanh
• Ray Cashman
• Evin Donohoe
• Lachlan Williams
• Daniel Connell
• Matthew Wells
• Ron Marriott
• Amanda Gray
• Mick Bradley
• John Cruickshank
• Darryl Cooper
• Dave Henningham

Red Card Comedy has sold out the last three shows - book now to avoid disappointment at the door! (And add our Coming Shows RSS feed to your feed-reader to make sure that you don’t miss being notified for the next one)

Tags: Amanda Gray, Comedy on the Rox, Daniel Connell, Darryl Cooper, Dave Henningham, Emo Williss, Evin Donohoe, Jacques Barrett, Jay Sullivan, John Cruickshank, Lachlan Williams, Matthew Wells, Michele Mar-Belle, Mick Bradley, Oliver Phommavanh, Paul Warnes, Ray Cashman, Red Card Comedy, Ron Marriott, Roxbury Hotel

Head into Glebe to the Roxbury Hotel this Wednesday night, and mark your calendars for June 11 and July 2: the annual Comedy on the Rox Wicked Women series of shows takes on the footy head to head again!

An all-female line-up of top class stand up comics will feature headed by the outrageous Jackie Loeb, fresh from her success at the Edinburgh Comedy Festival, headlining. The MC will be Elissa Hawke.

The all-women cast, including Christina Davis (Christina Ballerina from Big Brother) and Lila Tillman, fresh from her success at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, traditionally pulls the biggest crowds with football widows coming our in force.

Other Wicked Women who will flaunt their talent on Wednesday night include Yvette Lia, Amanda Gray, Cheyanne and Dana Maray.

See the website for details.

Tags: Amanda Gray, Cheyanne, Christina Davis, Comedy on the Rox, Dana Maray, Elissa Hawke, Jackie Loeb, Lila Tillman, State of Origin, Wicked Women, Yvette Lia