The Listies in ROFLSHALBOWCO, 6 April 2021 *****

 

CHILDREN’S THEATRE

Rolling On The Floor Laughing So Hard A Little Bit Of Wee Comes Out! by The Listies

Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne, until 18 April, 2021 (11am Tues-Sun)

Reviewer: Kate Herbert

Stars: *****(5)

This review published only on this blog. KH

Matt Kelly & Richard Higgins - The Listies

Forget about the night-time stand-up comedy and just go see The Listies doing ‘kidult’ comedy in their riotous and ridiculous new show, ROFLSHALBOWCO.

 

Straight jokester, Rich (Richard Higgins), and goofy, rubbery Matt (Matt Kelly) are the hottest cult kids’ duo in and out of town. Just saying the title of their show, ROFLSHALBOWCO, provokes roars of naughty laughter from the kids. (Yes, it means, ‘Rolling On The Floor Laughing So Hard A Little Bit Of Wee Comes Out!’).

 

On an almost empty stage, the pair cavort chaotically, making fart jokes, telling fractured fairy tales and singing Death Metal lullabies – well, Matt sings those.

 

Rich is like the responsible, big brother, echoing the despair of the parent at bedtime as he attempts to get Matt to complete the list of chores so they can get to bed and – Please God! – to sleep.

 

There’s a bum-shaped ‘full moon’ visible out the window, a plant sprayer that squirts ‘wee’ over the front rows (Warning: sit at least six rows back!) and a tap-dancing panto cow called Moo-randa, starring a very courageous parent as the front end.

 

In their demented tale of Jack and the Beans-Talk, Matt, as Jack’s mum, looks and sounds like a cross between a Panto Dame, Scarlett O’Hara and Edna Everage.

 

Gags for the oldies pepper the banter and there are plenty of witty asides about Covid: ‘What’s a music festival?’ ‘Oh, that’s from the old days!’

 

Let’s not spoil the fun. Just buy a family pass and go to the Arts Centre before 18 April. It’s bloody worth it!

 

by Kate Herbert