What’s in a name? After seeing Tom Gleeson’s new show, Great, the answer is apparently: everything you need to know. Great is, well, great. Gleeson has made a name for himself with his everyman appeal, it was even the subject matter he started on, but there is nothing ordinary about his comedy. He has a keen sense of observation and the ability to find the common threads of people’s everyday lives which beg for ridicule.
When most people arrive at a comedy show, it is with a secret hope. A hope that the person on stage is going to talk about a particular subject. You’ve read all the news articles about it and talked it to death with friends but no amount of information consumption or conversation circles seems to bring any conclusion. There is something about it that irritates you like a mild rash because no matter how many ways you’ve heard it spoken about, there’s something missing. It is in this gap where Gleeson steps in and delivers the kind of catharsis that only laughter can.
From catching Ubers to stagnating relationships, weird parents and the absurdities of our technological habits, Gleeson scythes all them to pieces with nothing more than a few words and cheeky smile. It’s rare that a comedian can literally have you in stitches, laughing uncontrollably, struggling to breathe but Gleeson does so for almost the entire show.
Fans of his TV work may be used to a more deadpan or cynical style but his live presence is much more playful and cheeky. The live experience is infinitely better for it and Gleeson’s enjoyment at plying his craft is clear. He seems in his natural environment performing live and connects wholeheartedly with his audience. There was no stronger demonstration of this than inviting the audience to shout out the parts of his routine in which he had taken a bit of ‘comedic licence’ with the facts. His responses were candid, sharp and exactly what you want from a man who doesn’t take himself or the world around him to seriously.
That isn’t to say that his material is thoughtless, far from it, but Gleeson is able to show what he needs to, obscure what he needs to, and ultimately produce a bit of magic – the secret of which you have no interest in knowing. Great may be his best show yet.
5 out of 5 stars
Tom Gleeson: Great
Melbourne International Comedy Festival
The Comedy Theatre
7 – 16 April
