Leigh Qurban – I’m Drinking About Travelling: Larrikin Comedy at Rhino Room – Adelaide Fringe Review

Rhino Room – Beer Garden, Sat 13 Feb Larrikin comedians are a dime a dozen in Australia, yet Leigh Qurban is as entertaining as they come. Billed as a show about travelling, this is not just a collection of wanky stories about museum visits and Instagram selfies in front of foreign sunsets. Leigh’s success is in opening up the real side of travelling – like the weirdos you meet in hostels and the sketchy men in Asian markets who ask if you want to see their snakes. Much like travelling to a less developed country, explosive diarrhoea is brought up less than 15 minutes after arrival. Yet the nods of recognition, which were just as frequent as the snorts of laughter, indicate this is a universal experience. Poo jokes aside, one of the reasons this show resonates is that the stories of globetrotting are woven through with observational humour about growing up in general. The crowd of mostly Gen Ys were in familiar territory and responded accordingly - with a lot of laughter and more alcohol. I’m Drinking About Travelling is a well-rehearsed show with excellent pacing and just enough self-deprecation to appeal to a broad audience. With a strong narrative thread rarely seen in comedy shows, Leigh Qurban displays a knack for effective storytelling, which goes beyond simply telling jokes. The show is broken up with some artfully-deployed audio gags including an excruciatingly slow talking plane Captain interrupting your entertainment to give a pointless update as they typically do, and a rightfully deployed Dad Joke alert. Above all, this is a funny funny show. Even throughout the finale when you’re asking yourself what the eff is going on, you’re still hysterically laughing. That’s a good sign and ensures Leigh Qurban will be filling out his boarding card with the job description “comedian”, well into the future. Nikki Mott Leigh Qurban – I’m Drinking About Travelling continues at Rhino Room – Beer Garden from 8.45pm until Sat 27 Feb. Book at FringeTIX on 1300 621 255 or adelaidefringe.com.au. Click HERE to purchase your tickets.