What’s particularly great about the Melbourne International Comedy Festival is that it’s hosted by myriad venues all over Melbourne’s CBD and beyond. The Town Hall may be its focal point, but the comics radiate all around these headquarters.
Once such venue is Storyville Bar, an enchanting fairytale-inspired cocktail bar (with neon mushrooms and enormous book spines). Setting does make a difference to one’s enjoyment and, frankly, after some fancy pre-show drinks, you’re already prepared to enjoy any live performance.
Ting Lim has been seen in Fisk, for those in the know, but she’s also an up-and-coming Singaporean/Australian comedian and, judging by the confidence with which she wields her material, she has a bright future.
The show pivots on Lim getting into awkward situations due to her inability to be unkind. Hence, she finds herself accepting a plus-one invitation to a funeral from her soon-to-be ex-boyfriend. Then there’s her mortifying mooning episode with a medico and several hangers-on, and her version of bathroom performance art in the outback.
Cultural differences are also canvassed with Lim relaying various contretemps between herself and her mother … demon cleansing ceremony (eh?).
Lim is an affable performer, and while some bits aren’t as funny as others, her storytelling is assured.
Read: Comedy review: Alex Hines: Putting on a Show, Malthouse Theatre, MICF 2024Â
Tickets: $24-$30
Ting Lim: Well… This Is Awkward will be performing at Storyville Melbourne until 21 April 2024 as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF 2024).
