Review by Steve Bennett

Never mind the quality of the gags or the power of his storytelling, this show is little more than miraculous – because for Adrian Calear, just being able to be on stage is astonishing. For in his 39 years he has nearly died 26 times, and had his heart stop dead half a dozen times (and luckily restart again six times, too). He has undergone operations that have just a two per cent chance of success, and goes one better than Steve Austin in being the $7million man – that being how much it cost to keep him alive.

He’s had crippling arthritis, been savaged by the chemotherapy that treated it, been on 168 codeine tablets A DAY and had his scrotum attacked by the flesh-eating disease necrotising fasciitis and the similarly hardy Fournier gangrene. His body’s been through so much that an hour isn’t enough time to describe it all… he doesn’t even get round to explaining the gunshot wounds and stab injuries he received.

After all that, if he gets a bad review, he’ll probably put it in perspective.

While we’re in the realm of statistics, before he was taken ill, Calear reckons he performed about 2,500 gigs, loving the drugs and casual sex of life on the road, some tales from which he shares here, so that we may live vicariously through them. Such performing experience has given him a commanding presence and effortless onstage manner that lets him talk with casual, entertaining nonchalance about what must have been a uniquely bleak experience.

Based on the maxim ‘what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger,’ Calear must be very strong indeed. And, indeed, this is a rather inspirational story. Not that he labours the point, but such a tale can’t help but be a celebration of life. There are a few barbed comments at the healthcare system that treated him as a case rather than a person – during which he learned the hardest possible way the lesson of challenging the medical experts – but the tone is upbeat.

What is hardly shocking, given the subject matter, is that this isn’t the funniest show on the festival. But it is surprisingly entertaining, given Calear’s easy manner, gallows humour and self-deprecating wit. Clearly his comedy training stood him in good stead, because his twisted mind sees the funny in even the most agonising situations.

And as a compelling tale, it’s hard to beat – though fellow comedians might not be advised to follow in his footsteps in the search for a good festival topic. In the already passé patois of youth: this story is well sick.

Review date: 18 Apr 2010
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett