photo courtesy Dave Warneke
This is a story about the never-ending love between Dave Warneke and Audrey. It is an unconventional love, what with ‘Audrey’ being ’50 odd people sitting in a single room’, but somehow, we’ll make it work.
I’ve seen a lot of comedy, but Dave Warneke Dates the Entire Audience was one of the cleverest takes on stand up I have ever seen. Each audience member acts as part of the oft-indecisive date of Dave, and uses a website on their smart phones to make decisions about the date, its success, and where the night leads. It’s like a really funny Choose Your Own Adventure book, except sometimes only 35% of you want to go back to their place. Audrey (the audience) has a severe multi-personality disorder.
The presence of ‘fun manager’ Sam Peterson on stage adds a whole other dynamic to the show. The two seem like they are completely in tune with each other (I don’t ship them, they just make good comedy) and have rapid fire-dynamics. Sam plays a loveable yet morally bankrupt character perfectly. He also makes a wonderful Kate Winslet to Dave’s very realistic Leo.
The interactivity is next level. Submitted secret confessions were cringeworthy and hilarious. (I found out the date I was with secretly liked Nickelback; so thanks Dave, you helped me dodge a bullet.) The show was really a blossoming partnership: both Audrey and Dave turned the night into a beautiful expression of comedic love. And you get to watch a 52-kilo man chug down egg flip-flavoured Big M, so really, it’s the perfect date.
If only you didn’t know he was dating another person (or 50) the very next night…
I thought what we had was special, Dave.
– Jasmin
Jasmin Ashton is a PR student and designer from Melbourne who has a lot of feelings about pretty much everything and a need to share them.
Dave Warneke Dates The Entire Audience runs 9-19 April at The Tuxedo Cat.
Selected sessions are accessible.
