MICF review: Josh Thomas

MICF 2013
Josh Thomas: Douchebag
Token Events
31 March 1013
Melbourne Town Hall
to 21 April
comedyfestival.com.au

I'm not Josh Thomas's demographic; he's one of those performers who I knew about and have seen bits of, but wasn't compelled to spend an hour with. This changed because I loved Please Like Me, the tv show he wrote that's just finished on the ABC.

I adored it. It's refreshing and funny and full of the kind of heart, honesty and empathy that brings us back each week. And I so loved the generational mix of characters. People don't become dull or grown up as they get older; we just get greyer and flabbier. ABC, please give him a second season.

Live Josh is delightfully affable and sweet, but I don't think that's the adjectives he wants for with his show. It's just that a 25-year-old man not wanting relationship commitment is as unexpected as a young man not wanting a colostomy bag, and being tempted by a hand job is about as shocking as a 25-year-old man being tempted by a piece of pizza. Douchebag has some lovely stories, but they're not about Josh being a douchebag. Like too many stand ups, he does the stock-standard "I wrote my blurb before I wrote my show" bit and it's the only bit that made me think he is a douchebag for not sitting down and really writing a show about being a douchebag.

Josh Thomas is not a douche. Like, Please Like Me, even his worst stories make him likeable. He's a bit self-involved and not brilliant at being a loving partner, but no more than I was at 25 and given the amount of success he's already had, he's moving along much better than many have. I'm sure there are people who want to tell me I'm wrong and that he's the douchiest dude they've ever met – and these are the stories I would have loved to see in the show. Stage Josh is likeable; I want to see him sharing those moments when he's been a total dickhead.

Douchebag is stand up for fans who want to see him in the pale, skinny flesh (hey Josh, no one bought the "I'm fat" bit); and fans won't be disappointed. It's funny and sweet and he swears and talks about penises, but it's missing a wholeness and that extra writing and structure that makes it stand by itself and do something more than share some sweet funny stories.

In the meantime, Please Like Me is still on iview. Give it a go.

This was on AussieTheatre.com.

MICF review: Ruby Wax

MICF 2013

Ruby Wax: Out of Her Mind

MICF

29 March 2013

Forum Theatre

to 5 April 

comedyfestival.com.au

I love Ruby Wax. I love her for every Ruby Wax Meets interview, because she script edited Absolutely Fabulous (great writers need great script editors – and I love script editing), and because she asks if anyone knows how to behave like an adult.

I've been an adult for a long time now and I've still got no idea how to behave. 

Out of Her Mind is Ruby's story about finally being diagnosed with clinical depression and being so ill that she was institutionalised. That's still such a horrible word. I wanted to tone it down with the less-stigmatised "hospitalised", but is isn't the same. Institutionalised implies being shut away for being nuts, bonkers, crazy, mental; that you have a mental illness. That you have a mental illness. Ruby's show stresses how one in four people suffer from mental illness and how far too many in four still don't see mental illness as an illness.

"It's all in your head." Yes it is. It's a chemical imbalance that in Ruby's case was mis-diagnosed as glandular fever and its likes when she was young and caused her to hear abusive voices no matter how happy or successful she was – so she kept running. By running she meant being constantly busy and striving for more regardless of if that more was going to make her feel any different or any better. 

For us who have enjoyed her work, some of that running helped to create some exceptionally good writing and performances, but she doesn't link her creativity to her illness and continues to stress that our genes don't know or care what we do in life. 

Ruby is not the only comedian using an illness (that ultimately made her stop running by taking away her ability to function) to create a show, but Out of Her Mind stands above some others because she's created a balance of "please understand that clinical depression is nothing about how you feel" with a story telling that's honest, open and very funny. She doesn't let her anger and passion about the subject get in the way of telling a good story and makes her self-indulgence a vital part of her telling.

With diagnosis, treatment and medication, Ruby was able to take control of her abusive voices and realise that the voices that shaped her as a child were wrong. But it's still not a happy story as she explains her belief that humans are built for survival, not happiness.

I don't think she means that we really can't be happy, but more that not being happy isn't unusual and that it's not something to be scared of.

I loved Out of Her Mind and I'm really looking forward to see what she writes next because I suspect that now she's stopped running her brain can give her the freedom to create something amazing.

This was on AussieTheatre.com