Review: PERTH COMEDY FESTIVAL GALA at Regal Theatre

The Perth Comedy Festival is in town, and there is absolutely no better way to see what this week has to offer than to see the PERTH COMEDY FESTIVAL GALA, a chance to see some of the leading comedians in compacted shows before their big shows throughout the week. There is one gala show each week, and there is no better way to get a sneak peak at the biggest and best the festival has to offer.

To kick off the festival and the first gala, the iconic Bob Downe took on hosting duties. With an incredible CV as a solo comedian and singer, Downe effortlessly won the audience over with his trademark (and delightfully over the top) humour. He warmed the crowd up nicely for an absolute smorgasbord of comedy, Sean Woodland gave an interesting take on middle age in the new millenium, Ed Byrne made the entire audience laugh (and half the audience wince) with a blow-by-blow of getting a vasectomy, and Luke Heggie kept the laughs coming with his deadpan act.

Dan Rath was one of the more interesting acts, giving the audience a rollercoaster of likability with his take on neurodiversity, and Felicity Ward got the audience involved in her ludicrous but absolutely hilarious chicken karaoke (it’s exactly what you worry it is). Ward used all her experience to win the crowd over easily before breaking into chicken noises and life stories. Five contrasting comedians out of the way in less than an hour, and yet we’d only reached the half way mark!

Tom Ballard kicked off the second act with a bit of a hit and miss sketch; he’s definitely sharp and witty (as showcased in a breathless minute long spiel) but struggled to make other parts of his life find the hits he’d have liked. With good reviews from is solo shows, though, it’s fair to say he used the gala to work on some material. Chris Ryan teed off a bit at modern trends but found an agreeable audience on gala night, with several necessary pauses to let laughter die down. South African Schalk Bezuidenhout has lived a life without any frills and really found the humour in that, before then finding himself stuck in front of the stage with no way of getting back up in a riotous two minutes that I suspect will become a part of his show in future. Connor Burns drew laughs from the crowd (and the ire of border security possibly) by highlighting how hard it can be to get in here, before Dave Thornton’s witticisms put the cream on a wonderful night.

With such an array of comedians in Perth for the Perth Comedy Festival, the Gala can serve many purposes. It can be an excellent chance to pick your favourites for the weekend ahead, or it can let you catch a large cross-section of comedy in just one night one out. Either way, the Perth Comedy Festival Gala can be a perfect opener to a big week, or a bite sized snack for those who can’t make the main sets. Two hours to see ten quality comedians is definitely worth it and should be a part of anyone’s Comedy Festival calendar.

The Perth Comedy Festival is on for one more week, with one more gala on May 15. That's not to mention the impressive lineup of comedians that continues on until the Festival closes. Tickets and more information from Perth Comedy Festival.

Photos by Ven Tithing/from Perth Comedy Festival Facebook.

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