Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2017: Phill Jupitus – Juplicity

Phill Jupitus has finally got himself back to Australia, after a 30 year absence. I missed seeing him last time, as I had not yet been born, but I’m mighty glad I got to see him in his new show ‘Juplicity’ this time round.

Opening his show in the Arts Centre with an ode to every horrible cliche Coldplay song, giving me some immense flashbacks to Never Mind The Buzzcocks. Phill immediately told the audience to abandon any preconceptions of Telly-Phil, who only exists to pay the rent and flirt with Stephen Fry. This was Holiday Phill, and he gave no f*cks.

Phill began with the obligatory material about how big Australia is (it’s really, really big), and his attempt to become One with us by observing our rituals, describing the AFL game he went to as Glastonbury but without any music – I’ve never been to Glastonbury but honestly, this comparison doesn’t seem 100% wrong.

Phill jumped right into the comedy, referencing his recent Live At The Apollo special where he talked at length about his daughter’s sex life (it’s okay, apparently his daughter is ecstatic at her secondhand fame). He also spoke about his second daughter, and the hilarity of other people’s reactions at finding out she was lesbian, leading to my new favourite quote of all time in response to people asking what it’s like to have a queer child:

“Don’t get them wet after midnight, and you can only feed them hummus.”

The majority of Juplicity was Phill existentially dissecting sexuality and parenthood, reflecting on his own sexual experiences and youth, his relationship with his own mother and stepfather, raising his own children and watching his friends raise theirs – turns out, when they’re not your own kids you can take extra joy in the ridiculous things they say/google when they think nobody can see.

Juplicity definitely wasn’t the most polished show of the festival, Phill seeming slightly jetlagged and lost at points, but whether the audience was cringing from secondhand awkwardness or in hysterics, there was always a reaction to be had.
Here’s hoping it’s not another 30 years before Phil hits these shores again.

Jasmin
Jasmin Ashton is a designer, marketer and freelance writer from Melbourne who has a lot of feelings about everything. Find them at @Jasmanna.

Juplicity runs until April 23rd at the Arts Centre. Purchase tickets now.
The venue is not accessible.

Read The Plus Ones’ guide to MICF 2017, and visit often to see all our reviews.

Disclosure: The Plus Ones were invited guests of Diana O’Neill Publicity.
Image Credit: Comedy Festival.