Melbourne Reviews

Janet A. McLeod presents Miss (you) Melbourne, at Trades Hall, an evening of ladylike comedy promising to pay tribute to the spirited character of Melbourne, the city.

Miss (you) Melbourne is a stand-up show performed by four female comedians, with a variety of guests. Guests vary depending on the night. Made possible by the support of the City of Melbourne Arts Grant Programme, this show is a diverting and generous evening out on a cold winter night. (Yes, I’ve entered into the spirit of the event by mentioning the famed Melbourne weather)

Tanya Losanno, Sandy Gandhi, Celia Pacquola and the vinegary Ethel Chop were our comedians on opening night, along with guest Judith Lucy. The principle performers were humorous and clever, covering a range of material from Byron Bay to Canberra, Coburg to Egypt, and frocks to hippies, but they were not really on target with the intended focus, which unfortunately robbed the show of a sense of purpose. Of course the weather was mentioned, and a little about the culture and public transport, but Melbourne was generally not the focus.

Guest Judith Lucy, a regular Melbourne performer, contrarily had her focus well sorted out. The stand out performer of the night, she plumbed the tawdry depths of her sordid Melbourne formative experiences, telling squalid tales of drunken nights from the perspective of a sexed up harlot. Lucy oozes well worn charm and her uncontained, very funny act is a testament to her experience as a performer and writer.

Overall, this is a jam-packed, fun show, rightfully giving performance space to a group of promising and appealing comedians.