Sydney Reviews

Photo – Raphael Recht

In Giant Dwarf, a theatre company started by the team behind the Chaser, Broden, Mark and Zach took the stage as the trio Aunty Donna. Making people laugh is harder than making people cry but not for Aunty Donna who make the whole audience laugh while making it look easy.

The show has a vague story line that threads its way through. The Bubble Bath Boys are trying to do away with Aunty Donna as their rivalry has sabotaged their chances of performing. This storyline ties the performance together and works to bookend the show nicely.

The threesome behind Aunty Donna performs sketches that combine the mundane and the absurd. They use characters that the audience can relate to and with a bit of good old fashioned farce and slapstick turn them into sketches worth laughing at. We all know a person who makes the ‘see you next year’ joke on December 31st. We may not have been on one of those party boats but we all have our own ideas as to what happens on board. Aunty Donna are skilled in their ability to take what is normal and turn it into funny. Sketches such as ‘the guy who didn’t realise there was a line’ is so simple in its thought yet the comedy comes from its execution. It is not just comedy, it is physical theatre as Mark, Zach and Broden take body language to a whole new level. Their facial expressions take you from a smile to an awkward eye twitch and then over the edge to belly shaking laugh.

There is a script of sorts but the show has an adlibbed feel to it. You get the sense that it was developed and created by using improvisation techniques. These skills came in handy when things went wrong. A technical hitch when a microphone dislodged did not throw Aunty Donna and they managed to carry on without disrupting the show.

However, there were times when Aunty Donna pushed the edge of their jokes. They left you feeling like they’d gone too far. But it is refreshing to have your perceptions challenged, to feel uncomfortable, and to leave good taste behind.

A quick note on the venue. Friendly staff man the bar and the courtyard gathers the audience allowing them to have a drink and catch up with friends before heading inside to see the show. The space inside is large and welcomes you with some old Victorian chairs. Behind a wall is rows of retro vinyl covered seats. Not the most comfortable in the world but if the show is good enough you won’t notice.


AUNTY DONNA
by Mark Samual Bonanno, Broden Kelly, Zachary Ruane & Sam Lingham

Director Sam Lingham

Venue: Giant Dwarf, 199 Cleveland Street Redfern NSW
Dates: 25 – 27 June, 2015
Tickets: $25
Bookings: giantdwarf.com.au