Laughter echoes through Geraldton as comedy roadshow delivers a night of diverse and dazzling acts

West Australian

2 days ago

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow had the walls of Geraldton's Queens Park Theatre shaking with laughter on Thursday night, bringing an event filled with raucous belly guffaws, awkward audience interactions and a variety of comedic styles for everyone in the audience to enjoy.
The evening kicked off with an engaging MC Tim Hewitt who's job it was to warm-up a slightly reserved Geraldton crowd, picking out audience members from the first few rows to bounce off.
His jokes about eastern Australian culture resonated particularly well with attendees from Brisbane (there were more than you would think), eliciting hearty laughter and setting a jovial tune for the rest of the evening.
The first performer Sez — a self-described 'dyslexic bisexual' — captivated the crowd from the get-go as she walked on stage armed with a guitar and a powerful voice.
Her unique blend of comedy and music struck a chord with younger audience members, however, it was her story about her housemate's boyfriend and his weird, and sometimes gross, habits that had the whole audience in stitches — with many seemingly relating to her woeful tale.
She had the audience singing along to her tune about online harassment with a twist, which was a standout from the evening and her ability to write, carry and perform multiple songs in a 20-minute set while also engaging with audience members was a credit to her comedic skill.
Suren Jayemanne had the tough job of following what was a brilliant opening set from Sez, and he absolutely nailed it — until the end.
Jayemanne introduced a humorous concept of tracking the percentage of audience laughter throughout his set, starting at around 14 per cent but aiming for a perfect score.
His anecdote about council kerbside collection had the audience in stitches — not due to the joke itself, but because Geraldton does not have kerbside collection, nor yellow-top recycling bins.
He expertly recovered by finishing his set, acknowledging the oversight by saying, 'I did my research about crayfish but didn't know the frequency of council rubbish would be my downfall'.
With his intelligent and somewhat dry humour, Jayemanne poked fun at his Sri Lankan heritage and told a variety of dark jokes such as one about his appearance and airplanes which had the audience close to tears in the best way possible.
French-British comedian Celya AB took the stage next, delivering one of the evening's standout jokes about societal perceptions of women and what they eat. Her observation that a woman eating an entire pizza would be considered a 'cool girl', whereas consuming a whole quiche alone would lead to lifelong associations with 'Lorraine' drew hearty laughter from the crowd.
AB's ability to weave storytelling with dry comedy was truly a standout.
To conclude the show, Japanese comedian Takashi Wakasugi took to the stage for what could only be described as the most successful set of the night.
Something about his comedic take on Japanese culture and critique on Australian habits resonated deeply with all ages and had the audience applauding after each punchline.
He humorously called-out Aussies who smoke casually and use an air-fryer, urging consistency with the hilarious Japanese mantra, 'be consistent, be samurai.'
Wakasugi's line delivery, use of physical comedy, and stage presence truly had the audience captivated and was an excellent closing to a hilarious show with amazing international and Aussie talent.
While some of the night's jokes were more tailored towards an Eastern States audience, the performers' adaptability and engaging delivery ensured that the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow was a resounding success in Geraldton.