Review – Jon Brooks: Shitegeist
In the aptly named Shitegeist, Jon Brooks delivers biting indictments on the shittier parts of modern Australia and with no lack of scatological humour. At once concerned with both the pursuit of truth and faecal discharge, his pacey performance is both reflective and refreshing, rather like the experience of taking a healthy poo (except instead of being left with a turd we find a golden bar of comedy). Brooks covers conservatives, colonialism and cultural decay with a fine balance of wit and dismay, and his unabashed assessment of our current political and social climate delivers consistent laughs in a tight hour of misdirection and simile.
But Brooks does not just simply dump on neo-cons with fart jokes and scat-gags. Pokies, princesses and his personal life are all targets included within the hour. There is hope, too, drawn from the window offered into his own experience and recovery from alcoholism. And this mix of self-deprecation counters the political tone such that the show rarely feels preachy or contemptuous.
Jon Brooks is, in the best way, a performer for adults; he acutely draws attention to the indisputable irony in our culture, and attempts to master the art of genuine social commentary through humour. While the venue may be a little journey from the heart of the festival, Jon Brooks is definitely worth the trip up North Terrace if you have at least a passing interest in history and politics and would like to know how low the shitegeist has sunk.
