Flying in my gondola

Written by  Gordana Andjelic-Davila      Friday, 27 March 2015 16:22 Laughter, it's said, is the best medicine. Research has concluded that laughter reduces pain, brings down blood sugar levels and relieves stress. If this is true, then last night’s performances by comedian Russell Peters  and opening act  Gregg Rogell , cured all sorts of ailments, with the exception being sore cheeks. Canadian-Indian comedian  Russell Peters  was born and raised in Toronto, and, according to his recanting, he was clueless as to what career path he should pursue, until one day, he was thinking out loud to a friend, saying that he needed a job which would allow him to sleep all day, and work only a couple of hours in the evening. His friend suggested he become a comedian, so he went for it. Fast forward 26 years,  Peters  has been entertaining packed houses internationally longer than, some of his audience members have been walking the Earth, as he...

Written by  Gordana Andjelic-Davila    Thursday, 10 April 2014 09:15 Ever hear of ‘The Axis of Evil?’ The term was initially coined by former U.S. president George W. Bush in a State of the Union Address back in 2002, when he identified Iran, Iraq and North Korea as governments assisting terrorism and seeking weapons of mass destruction. What about ‘The Axis of Awesome?’ Contrary to what might come to mind,  The Axis of Awesome  does not describe countries which inspire an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, or induces awe, instead it is the name three very talented musicians/comedians have gone by for nearly eight years. Rocking their unique brand of musical comedy and gaining fans from around the globe, including some A-list fans like Ashton Kutcher and Journey,  The Axis of Awesome  are back for their sixth Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) season, to elate audiences with their brilliant quirkiness. The Awesome  tr...

Written by  Gordana Andjelic-Davila    Friday, 11 April 2014 20:48 Singer composer,  Colin Hay  is touring the globe again. Once lead singer of Grammy Award winner Australian band, Men at Work, responsible for such hits as,  Who Can it Be Now ,  Overkill  and the unofficial Australian anthem, renown worldwide  Down Under . Hay  is in town performing at the Arts Centre as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MCIF). At first this may seem unusual, as he is not know for comedy, but,  Colin Hay  is no run-of-of-the-mill kind of artist; he is an accomplished guitarist, and a master story weaver.  Hay  must have been born under a lucky star which has enabled him with the gift of elaborate and extremely witty story telling.  Concert goers are well aware of the gaps and/or breathers which singers fill with some light chit chat and background information of the origins of a particular...

Written by  Gordana Andjelic-Davila    Thursday, 03 April 2014 21:42 Puppetry of the Penis , or The Art of Genital Origami! as it is also referred to, was conceived by Simon Morley and David “Friendly” Friend and first performed at the 1998 Melbourne International Comedy Festival – it was declared ‘the best comedy show of the festival’ by The Age at the time. How apropos that I see the show for the first time, right here in Melbourne part of this year’s MICF. At the infancy of their penis bending careers, Morley and Friend were initially booked for a five-week run at London's Whitehall Theatre, and eventually closed after an astonishing five-month run, due to the overwhelming response by audiences, including some A-listers like Hugh Grant, Bono and the Beckhams. The puppeteers are now many – much like The Blue Man Group – touring throughout the UK, Europe, North America and the Asia Pacific, elating its audiences. I caught  Puppetry of the Penis  at t...