FRINGEWORLD 2017 – Celtic Comedy Legends (4.5 stars)

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Review by Laura Money

An Irishman, a Scotsman and an audience walk into a room – it’s not a joke but it sure is funny! Celtic Comedy Legends is right, this duo’s split show is nothing short of genius. The luck of the Irish sure was with Aidan Killian when he met and subsequently teamed up with the hyperactive Scotsman, Phil Kay. Both of them present individual material but they compliment each other wonderfully in this truly legendary mix. Now, traditionally I gloss over shows with a title like Celtic Comedy Legends – to me it’s like saying ‘we’re not good enough to have our own shows, or have any prepared material, let’s give a festival show a crack’ but I am willing to admit just how wrong I am on this one! Not only are both individuals hilarious (although I think I’m right about the lack of prepared material!) they both have phenomenal stand-alone shows also featured in FRINGEWORLD 2017.

First cab off the ranks is Killian, the Irishman. This guy’s mind is so twisted and surreal, you’ll see nobody like him anywhere else. Seriously, Killian’s off the leash, so to speak, as his other show – Follow The Money – is so heavily themed that Killian is given the freedom to make as many dick jokes as he likes! He opens with a nob gag like no other that really gives you an insight into how this frenzied man’s brain works. It’s like he is describing his thoughts and the audience is his therapist. I’ve never known anyone to think of their early years quite as far back as when they were just a wee sperm! After a touching, yet roguish story involving the early stages of a relationship, Killian ends on his piece-de-resistance: a rant from his other show about conspiracy theories. Well, it’s not so much a rant as the ravings of a bulging-eyed, yet highly believable, Illuminati-hating conspiracy theorist. Not only does he tie it all together perfectly, Killian deftly weaves in a strong knowledge of how the world works – and who it is run by – in a brilliantly hilarious climax.

Next is Phil Kay. How do I describe Kay’s style of comedy? Afha esFiaef Guisa fo – that was just random letters typed into the keyboard, something akin to how Kay’s brain seems to work! It’s impossible to call his comedy ‘material’ as Kay is just naturally funny. He expresses every thought he has, including frequent bike rides and how they differ in Perth vs Scotland, how much he loves row three (the first two rows of an audience just try too hard!) and of course, his education in shoplifting and where it got him, today. In a moment of pure genius, he points out the obvious – that he doesn’t need a helmet because that’s kind of what the skull is designed for (duh!) Kay is like a restless monkey – leaping and darting from thought to thought, grabbing props from his surroundings (a mop, the sign indicating ‘coarse language’ in the show – a claim he more than covers, and even the Perth Town Hall tourist brochure.) He is so manic that when he reveals that there is more in his bottle than just cola, the audience accepts this readily!

They say that there is a fine line between madness and genius, and Kay is definitely teetering on the tight-rope. Killian and Kay are both such strong acts, but the combination is like using two condoms – highly effective, slightly uncomfortable, but bound to give you an evening you won’t forget in a hurry!

 

When: 13th – 19th February 2017 | 8:15pm

Where: Perth Town Hall | Cathedral Square | PERTH

Tickets: $16 – $21

Info: Duration 60 minutes | Recommended 15+

Link: https://fringeworld.com.au/whats_on/event/celtic_comedy_legends/0017e2be-b011-46c4-b7fa-2b4c1264b379/