Wil Anderson was on fire last night. From the moment he walked onto the stage at the Comedy Theatre the jokes and the laughter came thick and fast with barely a moment to spare for a gulp of water (on Wil's part) or a chance to catch your breath (on the part of the audience).Used wisely, laughter can be a powerful weapon allowing us to say things that otherwise might well be considered unacceptable; raising questions about our beliefs, our behaviour, our language, our politics. In the hands of a seasoned comedian, like Wil Anderson, it is able to shine light into some of the darker sides of our society and still leave the audience laughing out loud.
Wil's wit ranged far and wide, from Madonna to toast, and everything in between. Twenty plus years of comedy have allowed him to hone his skills to the smartest, sharpest possible point. No person and no aspect of our society is immune to his bullets and he eloquently expresses views that many of us would like to vent but lack the comic skill to turn into laughter rather than simple abuse.
Wil bemoans that fact that Abbott's demise has robbed him of 45 minutes of jokes. Nevertheless he has little trouble in sniping at the likes of Malcolm Turnbull, Barnaby Joyce, Cory Bernardi and Bill Shorten. Pod coffee, racism, Australia (culture and history), twitter and the internet, America's gun laws (he'll have to change the title of the show if he's to take it to the US), all take a hit or two.
Wil's 65 minutes of non-stop humour flew, feeling more like 45, as he took us on a manic ride, up and down and round about the many things that make Australia and Australians who and what we are.
Fire at Wil offers the audience sixty plus minutes of rapid fire comedy. I was exhausted and had to chill out with a wine and some late night television before I could go to bed. And, I had the best night's sleep in days. Laughter is definitely good for your health.
Highly recommended. What a wonderful upbeat start to the festival.
A Token Event
Fire at Wil
Wil Anderson
Venue: The Comedy Theatre | Cnr Exhibition & Lonsdale Sts, Melbourne
Dates: March 23 – April 17, 2016
Bookings: 1300 660 013 | www.comedyfestival.com.au
