Diana Nguyen’s ‘Naked‘ is a little gem of a show. Perfect for an after work pick-me-up, the 5.30pm start gives you just enough time to get out of work, get to The Butterfly Club, get your glass of SSB, and get ready for laughs. This comedian seamlessly blends together self-deprecating humour, anecdotes, songs and audience interaction in her one-woman show. Well, it’s almost a two-woman show when Nguyen impersonates her Vietnamese mother.
Nguyen’s performance (directed by Louise Joy McCrae) was superb throughout, and she had the audience giggling from the first sentence. No mean feat on a Tuesday afternoon. My plus one had just flown in from Perth and within a moment of settling into the show we were both laughing out loud.
Nguyen knows how to read her audience. Just when you think that the performance has become a jokey conversation, she gets you with a poignant reflection about mental health. And just when you think things are going to get all deep and meaningful, she throws in a song about boobs. Nguyen is totally likeable in this show and her crazy mother is totally loveable. What impressed me the most is that she is a clever storyteller who does not seek cheap laughs from crass jokes or the f-bomb. Nguyen’s energetic performance makes the 50-minute show whiz by in a heartbeat.
The intimate performance space at The Butterfly Club supports the up-close-and-personal theme of this show. The quirky pseudo-bohemian venue complements Nguyen’s quirky humour. If you can squeeze in a visit to ‘Naked’ before it ends this weekend, I thoroughly recommend it.
– Katie
Katie Marsh is now celebrating her one year anniversary in Melbourne after having moved from sunny Perth. Overwhelmed by the choice of things to do in Melbourne, she often wonders why it took so long to move here.
‘Diana Nguyen – Naked’ runs daily at 5.30pm until 17 April at The Butterfly Club. Buy tickets here. Contact venue to check accessibility.
Check out our guide to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival for more great shows.
