The Comedy Zone: Bottle Rockets
Advertised as the best new acts in Australia, the four acts that make up the show The Comedy Zone: Bottle Rockets are wildly uneven in talent and charisma.
Neil Sinclair was the first to bound on stage, he was clearly pumped for a great set and while the audience certainly warmed to his obviously fun-loving personality straight away (and seemed like they wanted to laugh), it just didn’t happen – snail jokes just aren’t funny.
Laura Davis was up next and looked uncomfortable from the word go. She stumbled through her jokes, never actually delivering them convincingly. Her stage presence was barely there partly owing to the microphone held so close that it blocked the view to her facial expressions.
Julia Clark was next cab off the rank and while her stage presence was impressive, her jokes were more complaints of the Melbourne way of life if anything else and leaned towards being just plain nasty.
The shining light of the night was Smart Casual and their musical comedy set. Easily eliciting the most laughs of the night with their songs about people from Britney Spears to Jennifer Hawkins, the duo exuded a confidence and magnetism that over-shadowed the three previous acts and were obviously the favourites of the crowd.
The venue was not the best place for the four to perform, with some acts being drowned out by the noise from the show directly next door. While there is definitely some potential here, to call all four acts Australia’s best new talent is a slight exaggeration. There’s really only one act you could say that about and that’s Smart Casual.
I feel completely the opposite way about Smart Casual and Laura Davis. I thought Laura delivers some vibrantly smart material. Although her manner is a little coy, her jokes are multi-layered and intellectual and you can see that with a bit more stage time she’s going to have a great career as a representative of the emerging “Gen-Y nerd” breed of comic.
Smart Casual on the other hand deliver one-joke songs that go nowhere after the first snigger. I found their songs to be half baked ideas that wouldn’t fly as stand up material. Their music is bland and repetitive and their lyrics never jump higher than 1st gear on the laugh-meter. They have a lot to learn from proper comedy musicians like Geraldine Quinn, Oliver Clarke and Anyone For Tennis who know how to use music to complement jokes rather than hide their inadequacies.
What do you mean “snail jokes aren’t funny”
that’s a very strange thing to say, have you heard all the snail jokes in the world?
I once laughed for half an hour at a joke about a homeless snail from Denmark.
Perhaps the snail jokes are little slow paced for your taste?
Your review shows that you clearly prefer comedy that hits you right in the face.
Smart Casual are indeed hilarious and exciting and offer a comedy sugar rush.
however
Neil Sinclair is an excellent comedian who is clever, absurd, very very funny and impossible to second guess. Unfortunately for the writer of this review, he does not refernce britney spears but sticks to things like history, science and movies nobody has seen for his references. If you want a comedian who will stimulate the brain and funny bone simultaneously Neil is your man.
Bottle Rockets is an exciting show with new performers, who are not doing the same tired gags.
watch it and laugh.
I completely disagree with this review, The bottle rockets has been one of my favorite shows at this years festival
Neil was such a joy to watch, his jokes were lovely gentle and downright funny. I look forward to seeing his own festival show in the near future I think it would be a winner!
Laura davis; all I can say a star is born! Its so rare to see a female comic not talk about her boyfriend in some way. Laura jokes are clever, very clever jokes I found myself trying to repeat them at work the next day. Wonderful!
Julia Clark was also very enjoyable, I love an english bitch! ha ha! sure she was nasty but what a character! I thought her delivery and material were outstanding.
Samrt Casual I agree with this section of the review, fantastic act. I am also very excited about seeing these boys do their own show. Laugh out loud funny!
All in all a great show and not worthy of such a review.
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