Review – Andy Matthews: String Theory
Sometimes it’s hard to pinpoint what makes a comedy show work. Sure, Andy Matthews’ latest effort is low-fi, set in a small room on a small budget, but boy does it have some big ideas.
After a preamble arguably funnier than the show itself, the audience is warned that this show is going to be dense. He wasn’t wrong. A series of narratives, more akin to a theatrical reading than typical stand-up comedy, is strung together (in an ironic way) with hypothesising ideas on string theory, both as a physics framework, but also in relation to social awareness and personal growth. If you think I’m making this all sound far too academic, you’d be right; this show feels incredibly educational. But I did come out of it thinking, “I feel like I learnt something, but I’ve no idea what…”
While String Theory doesn’t offer the guttural chuckles that most would expect from a Comedy Festival show, the few laughs it has derive from some very clever story telling delivered by a very clever story teller. In particular, a bush poem about a farmers addiction to Star Craft is both funny and well thought out, working not only as a piece of comedy but as a beautiful piece of prose. Solid mention must go to Mitch on “audio”, whose musical motifs and acoustic guitar stylings add a sophistication and professionalism to the show that, without, might’ve fallen quite flat.
The shows denseness, however, makes it difficult to fully escape into. Had more of the banter from the start been seeded throughout, it might’ve felt a bit lighter and been a bit more effective. That being said, if you enjoy a good theoretical conversation, narrative stories, metaphorical similes and a whole mess of ‘brain hurty’, this show is a refreshingly different entry into this year’s festival worth checking out.
Andy Matthews’ String Theory is playing at the ACMI Game Room every night except Monday at 9:30pm, 8:30pm Sundays.
