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Left - Matt Braunger

Headliners is a showcase for three American comics. The current line up is Matt Braunger, Sean Patton and Marina Franklin and, as would be expected, it's a mixed bag.

The first comic of the night, Braunger, had the most laugh out loud moments. Some of his material was pretty familiar – stories about drinking and house parties and some was more obscure – a hilarious riff about pet owls, with nods to dalmations and pirate kittens. His confident delivery and gentle-giant persona appealed as he brought fresh humour to well-trodden subjects.

Patton immediately presented as a slob comic, calling himself a fat piece of shit as soon as he hit stage. Shaggy, oily-haired, and with an ET t-shirt over a big belly, he spent the first few minutes talking about how out of shape and hideous he was. He had lots of jokes about smoking drugs, an imitation of a Mexican immigrant reciting the lyrics of Everybody Hurts by REM and a long riff about the sandwich artists who work at Subway. When his material veered into detailed and gross descriptions about how to find the elusive G-spot and crude penis talk, it all just felt too try-hard.

After so much testosterone, Marina Franklin had a hard time getting the crowd on side, especially as her delivery style is low-key rather than hyped-up. She commented more than once that it was a hard audience, but her ambling, low-energy delivery might not have helped. Her segment never really found a flow, even though her observations were sharp and she had some awesome jokes. Highlights included white people infiltrating her Harlem neighbourhood and bringing salad to the area, cultural differences between white and black therapists, having a younger, white boyfriend which makes her a "black panther" and the absence of black people in Melbourne's city centre.

Headliners is a nice way to taste three distinct acts, even if it does feel tacked together. With different comics doing 25 minutes each, it's always going to be a lucky dip.


2011 Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Headliners

Venue: Melbourne Town Hall, Lower Town Hall | Cnr Swanston & Collins Sts, Melbourne
Dates: 7 - 24 April, 2011
Times: Tue-Sat 9.45pm, Sun 8.45pm
Duration: 75 minutes
Tickets: $31.50 – $25
Bookings: Ticketmaster 1300 660 013