Guest Reviewer: Andrew McClelland's ... Roman Empire

MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL 2010
Andrew McClelland's Somewhat Accurate History of the Fall of the Roman Empire
27 April 2010
Melbourne Town Hall Lunch Room

Guest Reviewer John Richards (from Boxcutters and The Outland Institute)

Just like clothing and venereal diseases, comedy is also affected by fashion. Something that seems new and exciting this year may well be ubiquitous the next, but even the overlying tone can be noticeably changable. Some years it’s blokes doing bloke humour (even the sheilas), other years are edgy and political, and the popularity of surrealism comes and goes on a regular cycle.

Last year comedy impresario Janet McLeod appeared on The Outland Institute radio show to discuss a trend she called “The New Niceness”. People were getting tired of shocking/offensive/gratuitous humour and were looking for something gentler. This year, for example, sees Sammy J, Tim Key and Josie Long all doing well, and Spicks & Specks continues to be a powerhouse for the ABC, driven by The Axis Of Adorable: Alan Brough, Myf Warhurst and Adam Hills.

This isn’t to say these comedians are lightweight, or sanitised in any way (Tim Key has a superb joke in his show featuring the “c” word, for example, but even that is more a play on the language of manners). It’s just that not every comedian now feels the need to treat the stage like it’s sodden with beer and they’re warming up before the Angels tribute band come on.

Which brings us to Andrew McClelland.

Andrew McClelland is nice. Brilliantly nice. Charmingly, engagingly nice and very funny to boot. His shows (whether by himself or with occasional co-conspirator Lawrence Leung) tend to take a theme and then explore it thoroughly, whether that be pirates, secret societies, or how to make the perfect mix tape. His newest show, Andrew McClelland's Somewhat Accurate History of the Fall of the Roman Empire is – unsurprisingly – about the Roman Empire. But it’s really about the Roman Empire. You will be amused, you will be entertained, but you’ll also be educated. McClelland knows his stuff, even asking the audience at one point to shout out names of Roman Emperors so he can share trivia about them, possibly the least hardcore thing you will see on a stage all year.

It’s a fast paced show, McClelland’s enthusiasm is always infectious, and this year he’s even brought some effects pedals with him. A historical theme plays to McClelland’s strengths as there’s always been something intriguingly out-of-time about him – he’s like an Edwardian gent who constructed a time-travel cabinet and is so excited to be visiting this land of the future. With his love of knowledge, wide-eyed eagerness and slightly camp persona he’s reminiscent of old-school Doctor Who (before it became all about kissing and EastEnders references).

A warning, there is audience participation – this reviewer was dragged out of his seat and instructed to stab Caesar to death with a shoehorn – so perhaps sit further back if you want to avoid that.

If you like your comedy erudite and slightly cuddly, Andrew McClelland is the man for you.

This review appears on AussieTheatre.com

Andrew McClelland's Somewhat Accurate History of Pirates

MELBOURNE FRINGE 2008

Andrew McClelland's Somewhat Accurate History of Pirates (1550–2017)

Australian Comedy Management

26 September 2008

Festival Hub, Lithuanian Club

 Ahhh … now that I’ve realised that Andrew McClelland's Somewhat Accurate History of Pirates (1550–2017) is a return season of a 2003 show, I’m much more comfortable with it. For one thing, it proves just how far McClelland has come as a performer and writer, and I changed my opinion from ‘Argh! - walk the plank ya scurvy tossser‘ to ‘Arrrr, yee be a fine and amusing lad’.

Pirates is presented as a “lecture” about the history of piracy, specifically the pirates of the Caribbean (and not a Johnny Depp in sight!) The information is more year 8 project than honours thesis, but it appears as somewhat accurate as the title suggests. (And I will proudly file my Bachelor of Piratology with my other well-used academic qualifications.)

McClelland is one of the most likable comedians around, and his Mix Tape is one of my favourite stand up shows in recentish times. Much of his success is based on him being a delightfully likeable nerd. Pirates is presented by a likeable-but-not-quite-as-likeable professor, who becomes much more likeable when McClelland drops the character and takes over. It’s a very dodgy character performance, but the professor needed McClelland’s intervention when the show lagged. The character created distance, while Andrew created intimacy.

As a return show, McClelland spent his time enjoying the visit to his past and soaking in the obvious love from his very full audience. He also seemed determined to include every possible joke, which slowed the pace down considerably and resulted in a very rushed conclusion. 

It was kind of nice to see where McClelland came from, Pirates was fun, but it’s no where near as good as his recent work, and I’m very glad that he’s sailed into more complex waters.

This review appeared on AussieThearte.com

Andrew McClelland's Mix Tape (C-90 Edition)

MELBOURNE FRINGE 2006
Andrew McClelland's Mix Tape (C-90 Edition)
Australian Comedy Management
29 September 2006
Festival Hub, Czech House

Andrew McClelland is totally delightful. I’d pop his tape into my cassette player anytime. Andrew McClelland’s Mix Tape sold out at the 2006 Melbourne International Comedy Festival. This is the special Fringe extended (C90) edition. If you’ve ever used a song to try and impress someone, see this show. 

Mix Tape is all about our love of music and the soundtrack it gives our lives. The mix tape may be a rough and almost antiquated art form, but it requires so much more skill and finesse than making a folder of mp3 files. Like the mix tape, the show selects some of the best “tracks” of stand up comedy and combines them into a personal and irresistible format. It’s not slick and commercial. It’s personal and fun, made even better by its flaws.

McClelland and director Alan Brough (from the ABC’s Spicks & Specks) really know their music. The tape includes Sesame Street hits, jazz, gangster rap, Australian urban pop and, the very densely complicated genre; metal.

This show speaks perfectly to its chosen audience - 30 something, live in Melbourne’s inner north, university educated and listened to far too many records or CDs as a teenager. However McClelland’s engaging personality has a much broader appeal. This tape is enjoyable even if the only ghetto blaster you have seen is in your parents’ photo album, or if you think M&M is spelt correctly and even if you don’t know why “summer of the 17th dole payment” is a very funny lyric.

Mixed Tape naturally finishes with a sing along that everyone in the audience joined in. However, we did have to sing a Monkees parody, because Michael Jackson won’t let us sing The Beatles.

This review originally appeared on AussieTheatre.com.