The yellow shirted comedy festival crew ushered a huge crowd into one of the largest rooms at Roxanne on a chilly Tuesday night. The crowd shuffled in mirthlessly but eventually settled in for one of the top international billings of the festival, one Kyle Kinane.
Kinane’s show ‘Terrestrial Woes’ tackles earthly wants and concerns with talent and flair. Kinane is a 39 year old comic from the US who has recently been diagnosed with gout, he is just starting to feel his age and beginning to edge into that golden age for comedians, their early 40s. This show is an hour of pretty relatable comedy with interesting insights, clever philosophical devices and witty social commentary. Kinane confesses that is in a good place in his life right now, his shows are going well, he has a loving stable relationship. And this show answers the question – what is comedy like when everything in a comedian’s life is going pretty well? The answer is surprisingly: very good!
Some of Kinane’s best material comes out of dealing with his conflicted feelings stemming out of his home nation’s predilection (and undeniable talent) for mass killings. This is controversial material which Kinane handles sensitively but manages to adeptly extract the humour from.
The audience was diverse, with a couple of ladies well into their 60’s sitting next to me and chuckling along with many of Kinane’s bluer jokes. I think this show is a safe bet, it’s a classic stand up set with high calibre material that will leave you satisfied with your evening.
-Rian
Rian is a sudden memory of how Wendy’s used to have a sherbet cone, which was just soft-serve dipped mercilessly into sherbert. Yeah that was a good idea to give to children.
You can catch Kyle Kinane for seven shows only between the 11 April and 17 April. You can buy tickets here!
Check out our guide to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival for more great shows.
