I hate comedy. It makes me so uncomfortable. And why would I want to go and sit a dark room, with strangers, laughing? Surely I need the lights on if you plan at laughing at strangers. Anyway, if you had told me that last night’s Fringeworld review show – Ayden Doherty: Transvestite Space Pirate From The Future – was going to be stand-up comedy…well, I think I might have felt a little uneasy attending.
After all, with a title like that, I was expecting pirates. I love pirates! Throw a wooden leg in your show and I’m there. But alas, ignorant me didn’t read the show blurb and so went, unexpectedly, into the maws of stand-up comedy. But what comedy it was.
Doherty comes from the bitter school of laughs. No, scrap that….Doherty comes from the bitterest school of laughs. His comedic timing is quite on point and he has a presence on stage that commands attention. He was also wearing the most gorgeous capelet cardigan with studded epaulettes, but I digress.
In his short one-man show, Doherty covers what it means to be slightly queer in modern-day Perth. Homophobia and the reactions of rednecks to hot pink sneakers is all covered with aplomb and the most succinct vitriol. But this is all a ruse: Doherty uses his skill to swoop, elegantly, from harsh nasty criticism to a place of genuine sensitivity. Yes, there I was, finding myself feeling terribly uneasy, but the ride there had been worth it.
Needless to say, I don’t particularly hate stand-up comedy as much as I did before attending last nights show. Doherty, while still a little green at his game, has a tenacity and razor-sharp tongue that you must witness. I mean, I thought I was bitter. And while there might not have been a wooden leg, what there was was a performer who wasn’t afraid to bare his soul on stage. And that’s worth seeing for the all the pirates from the future.
You can witness Ayden Doherty: Transvestite Space Pirate From The Future at Noodle Palace, Thursday 12 – Saturday 14th & Wednesday 18th – Saturday 21st February. Tickets available from www.fringeworld.com.au
Scott-Patrick Mitchell
