Fun To Funny And A Point In-between

The Age

Friday April 28, 2006

Daniel Ziffer

COMEDY FESTIVAL REVIEW: HIP-HOP 4 DUMMEEZ ***

Victoria Hotel, until May 7

THROBBIE MILLIONS *1/2

Portland Hotel, until May 6

RICHARD McKENZIE - DIGGER ***1/2

Duckboard House until May 6

CANADIAN duo Eli Batalion and Kevin Gillese present the world of hip-hop in a series of five lessons. You need to know the conventions of the genre to get most of the gags, so if "bidness" (business) is a foreign concept, this may not be the shizzle for you.

The likeable pair - The Grafenberg All-Stars - rhyme fast with the lyrical jokes cleverly spelt out on a projection screen. This does telegraph some gags early, muting their impact, but the show would be a muddle without it. Fun for freestyle fans.

TREVOR Major is a double of pop star Robbie Williams, a killer mimic with a strong voice, and the musical talent of former Boom Crash Opera star Richard Pleasance ensures the rip-offs of Williams' songs are note-perfect. But unless you're a Robbie-nut or laugh uproariously at the word "come" this isn't for you.

AN ILLUSTRIOUS - almost ridiculous - military history is the basis for this free-wheeling show. Generations of McKenzie men have served, but not this one. Unlike their great-grandfather (inventor of the atomic bomb trigger) or great uncles (one led the Light Horse charge at Beersheba, another the Australian occupying forces in Japan), the current crop is two comedians, one drummer and an actor. Pierced and pacifist, Richard McKenzie gets great mileage out of his family's feats.

There isn't a big build-up to the end, but a series of tightly held reveals in which the comic shock of the audience gives way to huge roars of laughter.

McKenzie is the recipient of a Moosehead award, which promotes emerging comedians, and his show is well scripted, fully formed and very funny.

© 2006 The Age

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