How had I only vaguely heard of Dave Bloustien before? The Sydney-based comic and writer for shows such as Good News Week has somewhat of a growing profile, but The Social Contract clearly proves he deserves more attention. From the moment Bloustien greeted every audience member at the door, he had us on side with his great mix of friendliness and biting humour.

It’s a show based around true events – the ridiculous situation Bloustien found himself in a few years ago when he was forced to defend his comedy and its ultimate funniness in court. It sounds almost unbelievable, but Bloustien expertly and genuinely works his account of events in to what ends up being an exploration of the tough existence of a professional comedian just trying to scrape by.

Even when covering a few topics that might come across as unoriginal or overdone in the hands of lesser performers, such as Facebook, or the current global economic crisis, Bloustien manages to put a personal and intelligent spin on things and all is forgiven.

This is tight, professional comedy, and the intimate setting of the Gold Room at the Portland Hotel only serves to confirm this – if you can ignore the sounds of the cover band eminating from the downstairs bar. A deserving recipient of a Moosehead Award (which gave Bloustien the directorial services of Alan Brough, a man that can do no wrong), The Social Contract is a finely honed and spot-on show that provides real insights into the life of a stand-up comic.

Finished reading this article? You might also like:

• PunCast Episode 15 – Dave Bloustien
• Damian Callinan in Is This Thing On? – The Dave Berry Story
• Dave Hughes: Hughesy Rides Again