Review – Best of the Edinburgh Fest

The RMIT Capitol Theatre is a grandiose receptacle for a comedic spectacle. Well it is, at least compared to the broom closet feel that most comedy gets performed in, during the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. And what a place for such a show, huge names in comedy who have wowed and stunned audiences at the recent Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and have since been traveling around the world showcases the best of the best and the new up and comers. The Best of Edinburgh Fest ft. Kai Humphries, Carl Donnelly, and Tom Stade – three beautiful comedians in their own right, however when mixed into a lucky dip of blokes with jokes, the onslaught of mirth is hard to contain. The wall of the Capitol Theatre did it, but only by a bee’s dick.

Kai Humphries was our noble opener and started the show off fast paced, punchy and extremely energetic. His anecdotes from being a young Scouser growing up in a family not too unlike our own were hilarious and inviting, allowing us the audience to get to know him and his origins a little more. His humour was very conversational and allowed the audience to drop their guard and enjoy the show to the fullest. Although it wasn’t exactly laugh a minute the show was unpredictable, and simply put, funny as fuck.

Carl Donnelly was next on the card, after a very warm introduction from Kai, and he did not disappoint. He ran us through a few of the issues that one is likely to go through in the inevitable act of aging and also the inevitable act of divorce. As a story teller Carl is better than a grandfather with a warm lap, he is descriptive, well timed and emotive. I thoroughly enjoyed Carl’s set; he had me hanging on his every word and gave the sense that he would be a lot of fun to hang out with, on or off the stage, which he does apparently whilst in self destruct mode.

Tom Stade graced the stage next – it was like an almost chronologically ordered line up. He brought us to the pangs of being in our 40s and his latest and greatest addiction. His digression into his marriage to his wife caught a lot of us off guard but delivered enough laughs to rattle the crystal chandeliers above us.

In short, The Best of Edinburgh Fest was a great night out of some spectacular standup comedy, back to basics, life, differences between men and women, and the vices we all face. Bravo to our three musketeers. Bravo.