The persona, the content, the delivery. This comic has it sorted.
You may have seen him on Netflix with his quirky style and very well crafted material. If you come with expectations you won't be disappointed but perhaps a little surprised. Because this time Acaster is a bad ass!
Opening the show with funky glasses, jacket and language one may not expect from the English artist, the laughs begin and don't stop. One audience member was reduced to hysteria by the end which he seamlessly incorporated into the show only causing it to spread to others.
It was like watching a sculptor chisel out their marble in front you. With perfectly calculated strokes that continued to reveal beautifully layered jokes which only he knew were underneath until that moment.
There are classic Acaster set ups throughout including a brilliant long play with the audience a true masterstroke.
The finishing touches were his recounts of therapy and steakhouses which sealed the show well. A master at his craft, he left us with a question he did not give the answer to. Walking coolly from the stage, the entire audience realised the answer in unison and erupted in mirth. Masterpiece complete.
2019 Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999
James Acaster
Venue: ACMI | Fed Square Melbourne VIC
Dates: 9 – 21 Apr 2019
Tickets: $30 – $39
Bookings: www.comedyfestival.com.au
