FRINGE FESTIVAL
COMEDY
NEAL PORTENZA ... TRACEY. ★★★★★
Joshua Ladgrove
Courthouse Hotel, North Melbourne
Until October 2
Joshua Ladgrove's been developing Neal Portenza Has Run Out of Room for His Full Show Title. Tracey. all year. He's been to Adelaide, Melbourne and London, was runner-up for the prestigious Amused Moose award at Edinburgh Fringe, and the BBC is talking to him about a TV show.
So what does a comedian do when he's been playing to hundreds and is welcomed home with an audience of nine?
He abandons script and the safety of Portenza's red-beret-and-lipstick-wearing character and improvises comedy so personalised that he finds everyone's breaking point – even that of the woman who didn't crack a smile for 50 minutes.
There were hints of his award-winning show – Pikachu blood dripping down his underwear is genius, as are his rubber chickens – but the hyperventilating came from discussing misogyny, history and what The Age reviewer should do.
I can't talk about the show, but this performance was one of the most exhilarating and insane nights of comedy I've experienced.
0 reviews
New User? Sign up