On Thursday night, my girlfriend and I attended the opening night of David Geary’s internationally acclaimed  absurdist comedy ‘A Man Walks Into a Bar’.

Showing at the ‘Blood Moon Theatre’ at World Bar in Sydney, it was refreshing to actually spend some quality time at the venue for more than just a dose of nightlife. Presented by Off The Avenue Productions, the entertainment for the evening began with an rather enjoyable performance by country/folk musician Sam Newton. With his personal approach to country and blues, even the sadder songs in Newtons repertoire were made cheerful by virtue of his love of major chords, coupled with his joking about with the audience.

The venue was cozy and detailed, and with only a limited number of seats in the comfy, dimly lit theatre, when the show began it truly did feel as though you were witnessing a man walk into a bar. The story is based around a ‘Man’ and a ‘Woman’ as they attempt to come to terms with the breakdown of their relationship, recounting their story in the format of an open mic competition in which each attempts to outdo the other’s ‘a man walks into a bar…’ jokes.

Chris Yaacoubian (Man) and Nina Marsh (Woman) were fantastic on stage, with Sam Newton backing up from his solo performance to provide the soothing soundtrack to the couple’s jokes. The chemistry between the two performers is what carried the show, and their enthusiasm had the audience laughing at even the oldest of jokes. As the show progressed, it at times became slightly hard to tell if we were watching a present day interaction between a bartender and patron, a young couple, an older couple, or two comedians, however this all just added to the chemistry between the two, keeping the audience guessing as to where the show may take us next.

For our first time attending an absurdist comedy, we had a great time watching the production, with some of the jokes most certainly being saved for future reference. Providing a great hours worth of entertainment, A Man Walks Into a Bar is an affordable, and thoroughly enjoyable way to spend the evening.

The production is showing between the 21st of April and the 7th of May at The Blood Moon Theatre (World Bar) (24 Bayswater Road, Kings Cross)

Doors open at 7pm for the performance by Sam Newton with the show beginning at 7:30pm

Tickets are available from www.offtheavenue.com.au

– Harry

Harry Russell is a 20 year old law student from Sydney who enjoys good music, good movies, good books and good company.