The Butterfly Club, South Melbourne
Reviewed on May 19, 2011
Stand & Deliver. Meet two new rising stars of Australian Comedy.
Who wins the grand prize for the worst offending know – all: the players or the brains’ trust from The Einstein Factor? How do contestants from The Biggest Loser really work off those extra calories? If the copious supplies of Ansell products they’re given are any indication, there is less dedication to diet and the treadmill than certain other ‘activities’ never discussed on camera.
Reality television holds a certain fascination with the general public.
Simply put, they’re not as real as we would like to believe. Instead, shows like The Biggest Loser and Masterchef are heavily edited, scripted games intended to keep both our attention glued and ratings fat night after night.
Still, there is nothing more enticing than the notion of being handed tid bits of inside information about these notorious forms of entertainment, than by two people in the know.
He Says / She Says is a fast – paced hour long double act which looks at instant television and the people responsible. Do the local writing duo of Aleisha McCormack and Daniel Burt deliver? The answer is, yes they do, in spades.
What does it take to be a successful TV writer? It seems that the ability to take any negatives like crappy first jobs, or strained family dynamics; and spinning them into comedy gold is a good indication.
McCormack and Burt, both relative newcomers to the Melbourne Comedy circuit, start by exploring their individual upbringings and backgrounds, adding a personal touch to their respective 30 minute sets. Both met working for the 7PM Project and decided to take their talent on the road. Together on stage, there is a real sense of what makes them tick as writers and performers.
First cab off the rank, McCormack’s story – telling is whip smart and confident. As a former Raw Comedy finalist with the show, ‘Dead to Me’, Aleisha presents herself like a budding Tina Fey. (Fey was a featured writer and reluctant star of Saturday Night Live, and the brilliant mind behind the series, 30 Rock). Throw into the mix a little of Joan Rivers’ taste for shock value, and Maria Bamford’s knack for funny voices, and you get the idea.
Covering such topics as the ready fear of being farmed out, or billeted, during school holidays, her mother’s obsession with alternative therapies, to how well she ranks in her grandfather’s annual Christmas letter, McCormack makes sure that no family stone has been left unturned. There were numerous tales everyone in the first night audience could relate to.
The grand slam is that she cancelled her wedding five weeks before the big day, and comedy is the successful shield McCormack uses to defend herself against her underachieving, plasma TV loving, bong – smoking relatives’ criticisms. Where there is a microscopic line between comedy and tragedy, McCormick milks this division to the hilt and never looks back.
Writer and star of the recent one man show, ‘Yes Man Syndrome’, Burt set takes a more gender – specific approach to his routine.
Simply put, in his eyes women are borderline insane, and men are their inept enablers. Burt’s self – deprecating wit drives proceedings. Part rehearsed, part improvised, but always engaging, he takes us into the mind of the female species, all from a struggling blokes’ perspective.
In the style of Dave Hughes, there is a nutty, free form quality to Burt’s routine. Stories ranged far and wide, from recognising the danger signs in relationships ,to trendy clothes that barely promise what they advertise. Can we trust Warnie and his Spinners ever again? The evening is over before we know it.
Whether the strict 60 minute format is imposed by The Butterfly Club or the stars themselves, perhaps future performances could capitalise more on their relaxed comic interaction. Based on the show’s pacy introduction, McCormack and Burt share an easy, spontaneous energy.
Much like the legendary Elaine May and Mike Nicholls, or local icons Noeline Brown and Barry Creyton. who continue to act together on a regular basis, it would be great to see McCormack and Burt’s humorous interplay exploited and expanded upon. The good news is that they are creating a sitcom together, currently in development.
He Says / She Says continues its tour nationally.
Image Source: Daniel Burt