1 April 2011
Melbourne Town Hall
to 24 April
www.comedyfestival.com.au
Review by Karla Dondio
Zoe Lyons reminds me of a Leprechaun on crack, except she is neither Irish
nor diminutive. It’s something about her cartoonish physical delivery and
whiplash humour that makes me draws the comparison. She’s actually English and
of medium stature, but oh so very funny. She’s exactly why people show up in
droves every year to see stand out shows at the Melbourne International Comedy
Festival.
Lyons delivers an absolute cracker of show in Clownbusting. You’d think that such an outstanding performance
would be easy to write about but what do you say about a show that’s almost
flawless? It doesn’t help that I was laughing so hard I missed half the
material which was drowned out by my own, and others, snorts and screeches.
Lyons storytelling style is affable and effervescent with the right
amount of wrong. It’s a bit like sitting down with an English mate who’s had
one too many pints and won’t shut up but you keep buying them drinks anyway
because they are so highly amusing. When the show comes to an end you only wish
that the pub was open for another hour.
It makes me wonder how a renowned Melbourne comedian a few years back
stated that female comedians aren’t funny. Obviously he’s a man who, for a
change, must have been busy doing his washing because how did he miss the fact that
female comedians are clever, intelligent and hilarious in their own right. But
why am I even stating the obvious? All I know is Zoe Lyons Clownbusting is funniest stand up show I’ve ever seen.
Melbournians, non-Melbournians, male chauvinists and Leprechauns, alike,
make sure you see this show. I promise that you will not be disappointed and
you might even have to change your mind about female comedians.
This review appears on AussieTheatre.com
