FRINGEWORLD: Jon Bennett: Fire in the Meth Lab (4 stars)

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Review by Kieran Eaton.

Jon Bennett: Fire in the Meth Lab is a real life tale told in a comedic way. The real life story is of how Jon Bennett’s brother became a Meth Amphetamine addict. As Bennett knows this is a complicated concept therefore he explores ALL of his brother’s addictions in his life.

To do this Bennett returns to his childhood, growing up with a tanned Evangelical Minister of a father in rural South Australia. At first you think the brother must have gone through a big jump in experiences to get to where he is now (jail.) However, when Bennett describes the bullying of his big brother you see somebody who likes pushing things to the edge. This is at the expense of Bennett’s well-being, however as discussed with the audience this is quite a normal experience for younger siblings. This explains Bennett’s bonds with pets and farm animals throughout his life.

In this oral tale, Bennett writes letters to his brother asking for approval to do this show. The problem is that his  brother is an angry young man, who says that he would bash his brother up if he goes ahead with the show. Bennett brings light to the show by telling about his brother’s love of Jason Donovan. Throughout, Bennett provides hilarious Power Point slides and an actual Jason Donovan Quiz Board Game! This is met with much laughter, especially when he reads some of the stupid questions it contains.

Bennett is an excellent storyteller with amazing charisma. He has the ability to make the craft seem easy, yet this very show would have failed with at the hands of a lesser skilled comedian. This is a polished production worth staying up for!

When: 26-31 January (10pm)

Where: Circus Theatre, Perth Cultural Centre

Tickets: $17 – $20

Info: Duration 60 mins, recommended 15 +

http://www.fringeworld.com.au/program/event/668fe844-31bd-4ed5-b379-8ba39ba1b746/

http://www.fringeworld.com.au/program/event/668fe844-31bd-4ed5-b379-8ba39ba1b746/