Best Of The Edinburgh Fest Is Three-Times The Comedy Fun – Adelaide Fringe Review

Comedy SuperNova’s Venus Room, Fri Feb 20 The great thing about a smorgasbord is there’s something for every taste, and this evening’s three-course bill covered a fair range of comedic fare. Starter John Hastings tackled the difficult warm-up role with a handful of jokes about Adelaide and its people seasoned with a liberal dash of audience-member-victim repartée until, properly calibrated to the house, he fell into an assured first-person storytelling style that is surely his trademark and guarantee of longevity. One narrative thread flowed seamlessly to the next, the whole becoming Moranesquely funnier as it stumbled through home truths from Tolkien nerds and left us on a hilarious party tripping piece high. Next, Carl Donnelly leapt into the action with his work cut out to turn the mood towards his more personally engaging style, reminiscent of Noel Fielding, again narrative based but this time heavily introspective, largely surrounding the remaking of self in the aftermath of a failed relationship. All was going well until momentum stalled in an extended wank sequence – enjoyed by some but yawn-inducing for others – that added little to either story or genre and needs editing. Fortunately, his stranger-at-a-party sequence was outstanding and completely rescued the set. To finish, Chris Martin rounded out the preceding intense savouries in a gentle, uplifting sorbet of fun-loving self-effacement and sheer absurdity. The audience was charmed by his ridiculous explorations of the importance of owls at a wedding, the subtle arts of scaring people, and how to carry off taking a cooked chicken to a nightclub: essential survival fare for any vegetarian. Mr Martin is definitely one to watch as his career progresses. Overall, this was an indulgence packed with good laughs that left its audience well satisfied. The venue, one of Adelaide’s finest cinemas, is a welcome addition to the Fringe circuit. Long may it continue. Kate Battersby Best Of The Edinburgh Fest continues at Comedy SuperNova’s Venus Room until Sun Mar 15. Book at FringeTIX on 1300 621 255 or adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix. Click HERE to purchase your tickets.