[2015055] Funny Stuff For Happy People
Martin Mor @ Austral Hotel – The Bunka
11:00am, Sat 21 Feb 2015
I’ve taken to seeing a few shows targeting kids – or rather, “family shows” – every Fringe; they often provide opportunities to see performers delivering a more refined version of their acts. They’re usually ensembles, with comedians and physical acts pulled in to fill out a ten- or fifteen-minute spot… but in the case of Funny Stuff For Happy People, Irish comedian Martin Mor takes the whole show on himself.
There’s a fair few families in for this show, and they all seem to be the classic Mum & Dad & Two Kids combo. And when Martin Mor appears – clad in a safari suit, his spectacular grey beard flowing and acting as a humorous counterpoint to his tightly-cropped hair – he quickly pulls the rabble into line with the use of a whistle. This works remarkably well – apart from a few of the smaller children who felt the need to protect their delicate ears from the shrill noise – and Mor proves to have a remarkably good rapport with the youngsters, bribing them with lollies (after seeking parental approval).
Mom’s act is a combination of stories, jokes, magic, and a few short audience-involvement games. He identifies the bubbliest of the children in the crowd early – a pair of boys sitting (with their parents) at the other end of the back row to me – and Tom and Robert became his go-to-guys whenever a bit of material fell flat… and they always offered something to kickstart proceedings.
In short, Funny Stuff For Happy People was, indeed, funny stuff, and I doubt there was anyone in the room that left unhappy. Martin Mor’s comedy and stage manner was pitched absolutely perfectly in a family-friendly event, and even the adults couldn’t help but be entertained.
(55) Funny Stuff For Happy People: Genuinely funny stuff leaves people genuinely happy. Bravo, Tom & Robert. #ff2015 #ADLfringe
— Pete Muller (@festivalfreakAU) February 21, 2015