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American comic Kristen Schaal is one of the bigger acts of the comedy festival. She was well-known to her enthusiastic young crowd who instantly warmed to her quirky, oddball style, high-pitched American accent, hugely infectious smile and cherubic face.

Like many visiting overseas comedians, she opened her show with jokes about Melbourne, commenting on her ability to say the name of our town correctly, hook turns, public sculpture and how good looking Australians are (it’s the high cheekbones, apparently). She was genuinely excited to be here, and the audience feed off that enthusiasm. 

From that warm up, her comedy turned a bit surreal with various random segments, including a short film that involved machine gun-wielding puppets, a long winded and well-told story about her conception in a war prison and the re-enactment of a phone sex conversation in the 16th century between native American Pocahantas and European explorer John Smith. Schaal demonstrates bizarre exercises for practicing her comedic craft and shares some of her self-devised four hour dramatic solo show based on the life of Anne Boleyn.

Some of her routines are genuinely hilarious and her ability to tell a story is sharp. Working between solo segments and duets with “producer”/sidekick/props-man and all-rounder Kurt Braunohler, it was 50 minutes of non-stop action, with topics often recurring and weaving a vague thread of cohesion through proceedings. Having the male and equally manic figure of Braunohler sometimes worked well in tandem with Schaal’s craziness and other times clashed with her over-the-top energy.

Schaal is certainly a talented woman, with a gift for comedic storytelling and a befuddled, awkward persona that suits her act. But, somehow, Kristen Schall As You Have Never Seen Her Before left me a bit flat and without much to take away other than a couple of amusing tidbits. Maybe that is all that should remain in a comedy show whose topics are as random as a pot, lid and spoon enacting a ménage a trios and a missing alcoholic bird’s Dear John letter…but, somehow, I was hoping for a bit more.


As You Have Probably Never Seen Her Before
Kristen Schaal

Venue: Melbourne Town Hall | Cnr Swanston & Collins Sts, Melbourne
Dates: 20th Mar - 13th Apr
Times: Tue-Sat 8.30pm, Sun 7.30pm
Prices: Full Wed, Thu & Sun $25.50, Conc $22 (N/A Sat); Full Fri & Sat $27
Bookings: Ticketmaster 1300 660 013 & at the door