Flying in my gondola

Who is  Khaled Khalafalla , and why is he happy exactly? Born in Saudi Arabia to Egyptian parents, Khaled  may discuss identity exploration, and his own fitting-in challenges in everyday Australian culture, but he possesses that special something which Aussies are renown around the globe for, the ability to take a jab at oneself, and everyone else around them. Khaled  successfully pokes fun at his culture, and everyone else’s, carefully walking that dreaded ‘gone too far’ line, and never crossing it. But one thing is for sure, no one is spared in the process. Front row or back row audience members; if  Khaled  makes eye contact with you, you’re becoming part of the show. Fear not though, Khaled  is charismatic and funny, not irritating and offensive. On the night I attended, the award-winning  Khaled , actually started out a little lukewarm, and laughed a bit too hard at his own jokes, and just when it seemed as though perhaps we were going...

Watching a stand-up comedian perform, always makes me envious of his/her talent to get people laughing, but when a comedian is successfully delivering his material to an audience in a foreign language, and is still able to generate laughs, that’s pretty damn incredible. Such is the case with Venezuelan-born  Ivan   Aristeguieta . Aristeguieta , a successful Brew Master (this explains his passion for beer) turned full-time comedian, migrated to Adelaide three years ago, and became an Australian Permanent Resident this past September. Since arriving down under,  Aristeguieta  has taken on the challenge of becoming part of the comedy tapestry of Australia, performing solely in English. Anyone else would be discouraged to do so, but  Aristeguieta  has risen to the challenge. Comparing any foreign country to Australia can be fun, but seeing that Venezuela is such a polar opposite of Aristeguieta ’s new home, it makes for some hilarious story telling, and a new ...

Written by  Gordana Andjelic-Davila    Tuesday, 15 April 2014 08:29 Flying Fruit Fly Circus , Australia’s National Youth Circus, known for its training excellence and its award-winning performing arts company, was established back in 1979, and based in the twin border towns of Albury-Wodonga, on the Murray River. Since then the company has been training and touring young circus artists up to the age of 19, with many graduating artists going on to such companies like  Circus Oz, Cirque du Soleil, Circa  among many others around the world. The  Flying Fruit Fly Circus ’ latest  Circus Under My Bed , part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, is a a fabulously choreographed, directed and executed little show for all ages. Circus Under My Bed  is a story about a young girl, Celeste , who is in the process of moving houses with her family. This has brought  Celeste’s  mood down, but through the help of an imaginary circus ring ...

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...