Best of the Fest Late Show at The Gov
A whole ruck of comedians @ The Governor Hindmarsh
10:30pm, Sat 14 Mar 2009
Alright – so my scheduling wasn’t as smooth as expected. Normally, I’d have backed nightlight up with another show at Holden Street, before ambling home for an early night. But I’d seen all the late shows I wanted to see already, and didn’t particularly care for the rest… hence, I found myself wandering home via The Gov.
Arriving right on starting time, the place is teeming with people; it’s at least three-quarters full out back, it’s a ‘mare getting anything from the bar, and there’s already a lot of happiness and laughter in the air. Gordon Southern is our emcee for the evening, and there’s no rocky start in sight. He’s a bloody polished comedian and, after wasting no time identifying his audience mark for the evening (though, it must be said, the chap’s jumper was pretty ordinary), soon had the crowd eating out of his hand.
Lindsay Webb, a likeable Queenslander, was up next. He has a pretty laid-back kind of approach, permanently wide-eyed with a hangdog expression, and his laughs are pretty innocuous but cheery. Tales of police encounters and the birth of his child kept me entertained, but didn’t threaten to split my sides.
Last act before the mandatory beer-break was Dave Thornton. Again, he’s likeable enough as he presents his case on the faux pas inherent in world flags and tales of tennis, and with his typically Australian demeanor there’s a chuckle or two to be had… but it’s up to Southern to get everyone revved up again before the show had a short recess.
The quality zoomed up a notch or seven after the break with the emergence of Felicity Ward. Yes, a lot of her spot this evening was familiar from her current show, but that’s just fine by me – she’s been one of my comedic finds of the Fringe.
The final act of the evening was Daniel Townes. Now, I must admit that I was initially surprised that he headlined above Felicity, but he absolutely nailed his spot and left the crowd absolutely delirious. As I’ve said before, he’s bumbling and iconically laconic, and that’s just magic.
In all, this was a pretty bloody good gig. Two chaps who I wouldn’t have otherwise seen, two fantastic acts, and a quality emcee linking all the bits together… well, that all adds up to a decent night out. The crowd certainly thought so.