Comedy Theatre until 19 April 2015
Melbourne Comedy Festival
Reviewer:
Kate Herbert
Stars: ****1/2
Review also published in Herald Sun online today, Sat 28 March. KH. KH
Wil
Anderson’s stand-up is fast and furious and his improvised riffs when he goes
off script provide some of the funniest moments in his new show, Free Wil.
If
normal chatter is 3 words per second, Wil must run at 10 per second to keep up
with all his intense and rambling thoughts and theories.
His
material is eclectic, smart and hilarious, covering a dizzying array of topics,
many of which are about his life in Los Angeles where he now lives most of the
time.
Like
other comics, he starts the show talking to, or tormenting (depending where you
are sitting) audience members and latecomers.
“What’s
your name? What do you do for a living?” are his standard icebreakers with alarmed
audience members.
These
harmless questions elicit gems and trigger a high-speed, stream of
consciousness rave from Wil about teenage boys, teachers, bean counters, the typical
Aussie bloke or hipster beards.
His
show is dynamic and cunningly structured, his quips are witty and his comedy
detours are complex and clever, always leading him back to his original topics
– to our amazement.
This
is a two-beer show for Wil, who sucks on a bottle every few gags and ramps up
his pace and his fervour over the hour.
He relates
how he learned about quantum physics and multi-universes from a taxi driver, and
how he baits racist and homophobic Uber drivers in Los Angeles.
We
hear tales of touring his show in the US, how his greatest fear finally came
true (no spoilers) and how he barely escaped with his life on the streets of
LA.
Wil
talks about stuff that comics usually avoid such as the principles of living or
theories about faith or quantum physics and we see tantalising glimpses of
Political Wil, his dedicated political comedy show that is upcoming during the
Comedy Festival.
His
twenty years as a stand-up make Wil Anderson a consummate performer and his
intelligence and wit provide a challenging and riotous hour for an audience.
Oh,
and his first name has only one “L” in it. Wil. Seems fair. At least it doesn’t
have a silent “Q”.
By Kate
Herbert
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