The Chaser’s Age of Terror Variety Hour
3 June 2008
The Atheneum
I have to admire a group who finish their show by telling
the assembled crowd that they’re the worst audience they’ve ever seen; then
create an instant standing ovation by using one of the most overused jokes in
Australian comedy. The Chaser team are
having a break from the telly and touring with The Chaser’s Age of Terror Variety Hour.
The live show is a
mix of political jokes, sketches, gags and shockingly choreographed dance routines.
It’s more about seeing the boys in the flesh (too much in Craig’s case) than
creating a new Chaser genre.
So what do our favourite satirists do now that little Johnny
has left The Lodge (and Kirribilli House)? Kevin07’s gang gave us some chuckles (like Penny Wong trying
to control harmful emissions - from Peter Garrett), but the biggest laughs
still came from Johnny’s faded team. There was even room for one last Peter
Costello joke. The set up was elaborate and misleading; a musical about Frank
Forde, our shortest serving Prime Minister, who served for only eight days - but
that’s still eight days longer than Costello.
The politically savvy had many giggles, but the leg slapper guffaws
of the night were saved for the arse jokes (not just Craig’s), the internet
dating research and embarrassing the bogans in the audience.
Naturally, the team had to test the satire/offence line. The
joke about plastic bags and Philip Nitschke was close, but a couple of Bill
Henson jokes were the evening’s balancing acts. The topical subject matter is
ripe for the kicking, but maybe the jokes would be better pitched at the
critics (and I use that term in its broadest sense) of Henson’s photography,
rather than the subject matter of his art (jugs too small to be decent).
Chas Licciardello was quoted in The Age this week saying that reviews of the live show haven’t been
positive, but “we’re all so arrogant reviews don't affect us." With
theatres full of appreciative, ticket buying fans, should they care was the
reviews say? Chaser fans will continue to love every minute of The
Chaser’s Age of Terror Variety Hour and non-Chaser fans won’t be
there; so let the boys be arrogant. I enjoyed myself much more than I expected
to and Osama W bin Laden wins my vote for joke of the month.
This review appeared on AussieTheatre.com
