Suren Jayemanne returns to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival with his new show, Surenity Now. This year his show is being held at the Mantra hotel, in their conference rooms where the walls are thin and the noise from other shows can be heard, but Suren takes this in his stride, and rather than try and combat the laughter that can be overheard, he incorporates it into his jokes. If you can’t beat them, join them?
Racism and race related jokes, continue to play a prominent part in Suren’s show. There are jokes about convicts stealing loaves of bread, white privilege and as usual stories about his white girlfriend are peppered through the show.
Surenity Now comes across as a very natural show, rather than one that is prepared. Suren spends a lot of time interacting with audience members, discussing the acoustics of the venue, commenting on the wine he is drinking, and various other topics that are specific to the moment. This strategy shows his versatility and ability to improvise, which is a skill that comedians often lack.
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival give us the opportunity to see many up and coming comedians and Suren Jayemanne falls into this category. Perhaps next year he will be playing at a bigger venue, but for 2018, don’t let the fact that he’s playing in a hotel conference room put you off, he’s still bloody funny.
– Moni
Moni is of Indian heritage, was born in England and has grown up in Australia. As a result, she appreciates all things fusion.
Suren Jayemanne – Surenity Now runs from 5 April to 22 April 2018 (60mins) at The Swiss Club. Purchase tickets now.
The venue is accessible.
Read our guide to the top shows, and all of our 2018 MICF coverage.
