Review by Steve Bennett

Organised by the New York-based Jeff Kreisler, Todd Womack and Roger Hailes, the line up of As You Were varies each night. On the night Chortle were in, first up were Stuckey and Murray a musical double act who are doing a show over at the Underbelly. Theirs was an accomplished, enjoyable act, the pair working effortlessly with each other performing songs about the accidental love that blossoms between friends when they drink Mimosas In The Rain and a homage to Eighties soft rock.

In the middle section Kreisler took to the stage with the heavy weight of having received the Bill Hicks Spirit Award. Introducing a comedian by comparing to them to the revered Hicks is always iffy, unless you happen to be able to walk on water.

Nevertheless Kreisler wasn’t bad, with a slick, eloquent routine that wasn’t always bellyachingly funny but certainly amusing and thought-provoking in his opinions on the Bush administration and world politics.

In contrast, Womack had a louder approach and some well-used topics - beggars, tourists, knife violence and some stereotypical observations of the cultures he had experienced while travelling in Europe. Nevertheless his energy and verve and some nice slants on these old chestnuts carried him through.

Altogether an enjoyable slice of comedy from the other side of the Atlantic.

Reviewed by: Marissa Burgess

Review date: 1 Jan 2007
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett