Vibrant venue, Giant Dwarf, in Redfern is the new home of alternative comedy in Sydney. Previously known as The Performance Space, the theatre produced cutting edge and experimental shows from 1983 to 2007.
A RATIONAL FEAR, described as “60 minutes of evidence-based shit stirring, fast, funny and topical, like Q&A on crack!”, has taken up residence at Giant Dwarf once a month and broadcasts live to air on FBi Radio. Initiated by comedian and broadcaster, Dan Ilic, it started at FBi Social, moved to Laugh Garage and had one off shows at the Opera House and The Factory. This latest show is their 17th.
Ten months ago, Giant Dwarf was a derelict, drab and echoey building. Dan Ilic and manager Nikita Agzarian, along with the Chaser team, committed to taking on the space and restoring it to its original state. The large red velvet curtain and retro lounges suggest appropriate decadence and the entrance courtyard is very homely with its bar and burgers. The Chaser team use it as their production house (aptly using their nickname for Andrew Denton, Giant Dwarf), and a whole heap of regular events happen there on a similar rotation to A RATIONAL FEAR.
Last Monday, Ilic and his panel produced a fabulous line-up for A RATIONAL FEAR. With DJ Dylabolical on hand, Alice R Fraser warmed up the audience with her wonderfully inappropriate and risqué jokes. Lewis Hobba, Greg Fleet, James Colley and Hannah May Reilly joined Ilic. What followed was a deliciously irreverent combination of sketch, stand-up, video and – the icing on the cake – an interview with Bob Carr, former Premier of NSW and former Labor foreign minister.
Reilly and Colley (both from FBi radio) and Hobba (from Triple J radio) all performed controversial and clever monologues. Experienced comedian, Greg Fleet, prefers to improvise so he was thrown random topics, which he quickly turned around with his absurdist humour.
Bob Carr was invited onstage and his ‘throne’ was unveiled in the form of a double set of Qantas retro airline chairs, first class of course. Accompanied by his latest autobiography, Carr felt quite at home and rebuffed the panel’s cheeky questions with great ease.
A waiter arrived onstage with refreshments for him – a bottle of Penfolds Grange, which he gracefully refused.
The audience – a full house – were on top of the comedy and never stopped laughing. Carr’s parting gift from the panel in a spirit of irony, was a 4L goon cask, to which he responded afterwards: “Is this considered a lower class of alcohol?”
A RATIONAL FEAR should not be missed. Their next show will be on Tuesday 3rd June, 2014 at the Giant Dwarf, 199 Cleveland Street, Redfern and will run from 8pm to 11pm.
For more information, visit their official website:
www.giantdwarf.com.au/arationalfear.