Luck was the theme for the evening long before we shuffled into the Allende room at Trades Hall for Sarah Bennetto’s show. Dicing with a homicidal mini on the way meant we were running late, so we missed the first few minutes.

Sarah is not only one of those almost mythical creatures who win competitions; she has also been blessed with good fortune in other areas. It is this lifetime’s experience that provides her with a rich vein of material to mine. From winning a car, meeting her favourite band or having an accident and living to tell the tale, it’s an entertaining exploration of a life lived riding the wave of luck, and the inevitable crash that follows.

But it didn’t quite catch me. It was a surprise to me to learn that Sarah has been a working comedian for as long as she has, because this performance was a little unsteady at times. Don’t get me wrong, there is a good show – maybe a great show – in here trying to get out, but her performance suggested that she either hasn’t quite refined the material or is still short of perfecting the delivery.

As it is, maybe a slightly better lubricated audience in a larger venue would serve her better, but there were a still plenty of laughs in the room. For many Melbournites, the footage of Steve Jacobs’ embarrassment (yes, that Steve Jacobs) would be worth the price of admission alone. For me, her conclusion to the show by sharing some of the spoils of her numerous victories with each and every patron was what tipped the scales in her favour.