Intelligent comedy. I think I am officially a ‘Daniel Kitson groupie’ now.
Daniel Kitson’s solo stand-up show, The Impotent Fury Of The Privileged is a comedy like no other. As
he says himself, this is not a show where some comedian yells about the
injustices of the world but does not offer any solutions. This
is a carefully and cleverly scripted wordplay where thoughts tumble
over thoughts, emotions become blurred and one leaves this stand-up
show with a combined sense of shame and hope for humanity. How can a comedian achieve all this?
Apart
from being uproariously funny, Kitson’s comedic style uses clever
language and intellectual content to both entertain and inform his
audience. His beautiful wordplay mesmerizes, while his gawky physique and cheeky demeanour provide the classic cooky comedian identity. Even
when Kitson forgets his own material, as he did on opening night, he
is still entertaining even when simply standing there trying to
remember what it was he was going to say.
Yet it is not Kitson’s appearance or language that has the most impact in this show. It is his compassion. Real, every-day, human compassion. The
type of compassion that gets mad at idiots on public transport, even if
that particular person has simply had a bad day; the type of compassion
that makes one sad when they see World Vision ads, but fails to
motivate them to donate; the type of compassion that sees a homeless
person, but walks straight past them. Kitson’s show is about desensitized compassion, something which we all practice on a daily basis. Is this a bad thing? Kitson isn’t sure. But he is definitely hilarious when he talks about it.
It is a peculiar thing to watch a comedian with a conscience. While
Kitson pokes fun at the most serious of issues, he then turns around
and almost shames the audience for laughing at his jokes. Yet it is not shame in the ‘you are a bad person’ sense. He is simply provoking the audience to ask ‘What can I do to help?’ Kitson’s
ability take the every day actions of people and make them laugh so
much at themselves that they walk away feeling changed somehow, is
equivalent to a great composer turning a quiet piano into a symphonic
masterpiece.
The Impotent Fury Of The Privileged is an awakening. I have never been so happy, hopeful, shamed and lost after a show.
higgledy piggledy enterprises presents The Impotent Fury Of The Privileged performed by Daniel Kitson
SYDNEY | The Factory | 17-27 February | 02 9550 3666 and factorytheatre.com.au BRISBANE | Brisbane Powerhouse | 6-9 March | 07 3358 8600 and brisbanepowerhouse.org ADELAIDE | Adelaide Fringe | The Royalty Theatre | 11-15 March | 1300 374 643 and adelaidefringe.com.au MELBOURNE | Melbourne International Comedy Festival | Athenaeum | 19 March-13 April | 1300 660 013 comedyfestival.com.au and venue 9650 1500
Avenue Q to open in MelbourneFrom Broadway to the West End, and the West End to Melbourne…the wait
is over and AVENUE Q fans can rejoice that the Tony Award Best Musical
winner will finally be enjoyed in Australia.
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Intelligent comedy. I think I am officially a ‘Daniel Kitson groupie’ now.
