Review by Steve Bennett

With more than 1,000 applicants whittled down to just 12, it’s no great surprise that most of those who made the Raw Comedy national final showed an aptitude for stand-up. There might not have been an vast diversity of styles – though that’s not a criticism limited to the new-act end of the business – but there are plenty here who have the potential to go further.

The winner, Demi Lardner, was by a long chalk the most distinctive of the dozen, with delightfully odd jokes – a mix of daft one-liners and longer stories – matched with a engagingly quirky performance. She’s a little unpolished, which is easily forgiven, but was nevertheless confident enough to take the high-risk manoeuvre of scrambling off the stage to mess around with the audience for one typically unhinged joke. Different, funny and memorable, she was the clear stand-out of the afternoon.

Second place went to Brisbane’s Cameron Duggan, a more mainstream prospect with a slick, everyman style. His was a straightforward observational set with routines about the Olympics and being attacked by a bird, both explored from several avenues, so maximising his chances of getting the laugh... chances which he firmly seized. Well-paced and confident, he’s pretty much club-ready.

Third went to Andy Mathews, whose snappy writing and quiet, controlled manner are a winning combination. He applies a forensic, geeky mind to his topics, producing some hit local material and a fresh line on the political hot potato of gay marriage, among others. And while one routine nearly outstayed its welcome, he had a witty way out of the repetition to give that section an extra twist – par for the course for this sharp, original voice.

And for the rest, in alphabetical order:

Aaron Chen: Still at school in Sydney, this 17-year-old is comfortable beyond his years on stage. His material is still a bit of a jumble: jokes that rely on him acting cruelly, when that’s not his persona, and a story about his elderly neighbour that has a few clunks. But he got the laughs – plus a sizeable applause break – and a couple more years should see him right.

Sean Conway: With swagger and no-nonsense attitude, Conway easily owns the stage, which he then uses to make points about the dehumanising language used about boat people, or criticising those who maintain homosexuality is a ‘lifestyle choice’, with witty analogy. His material about religion doesn’t quite reach similar heights – though his willingness to let the tension hang when he mentions his issues with some Islamic doctrine underlines his confidence as a performer. There are a couple of other minor misfires with the material, but he’s got the basics of stand-up nailed.

Justin Crooks: It’s always more difficult for the finalists from the Northern Territory, which just doesn’t have enough gigs for a newcomer to hone their set. Indeed, Crooks spent far too much time talking around his points before getting to the funny crux. When he got there, he had some reasonable ideas, but it’s a set that needs severe editing. And bringing on a small table which he never used either needs to be explained, or made a joke in itself, but here just seemed baffling.

Colin Ebsworth: It’s not a good start when your first punchline, after an contrived set-up, is simply to say ‘potato’ in an Irish accent. It wasn’t the only Ebsworth strained to reach bad jokes that weren’t worth the effort of getting their. He’s got charisma, though, and the audience like him, while his portrayal of Australia as the drunk guy at the UN party was well executed, if formulaic. Hopefully he’ll turn his attention to writing and not coast by on his obvious charm alone.

Becky Lucas: A mixed bag from this 24-year-old Queenslander, who hasn’t quite figured out her point of view. There’s a solid routine in response to blokes ‘chasing pussy’ and an oddly harsh reaction to her pet birds settling down which sort-of worked. However the rest of her relationship material was pedestrian, while her ‘character’ of a shallow student was neither strongly performed, not have any relevance to the rest of the set. She seemed more at home on stage than in her own skin, though, so maybe she’ll figure out what she wants to say soon.

Megan McKay: Has the mild-mannered poise of a young Rita Rudner but with ruder payoffs, as she talks about euphemistic ‘animal husbandry’ and the sex lives of pandas. She gets a ‘eeugh’ reaction, but it’s not particularly sophisticated. With less than a year’s experience, it is perhaps not entirely surprising that she’s gone for the shortcut of talking dirty – however other aspects of her ten minutes, notably her honest new version of funeral insurance adverts, suggest she has potential for better.

Chris Menezies: This Tasmanian has a quiet, controlled delivery that has the audience hanging on his every word... but hanging is exactly where he leaves them, with a long story that petered to nothing. Similarly his one-joke ‘demotivational speaker’ telling us ‘you’re worthless, your goals are unattainable and your religion bogus’ went nowhere, then stopped abruptly. A waste of his considerable stage presence.

Jay Morrissey: He seemed nervous, right?, as he came on stage, right?, with a hesitancy and need for affirmation, right? It may or may not have been deliberate, as it led into material about awkward conversation and even more awkward sex, but doesn’t inspire instant confidence. However, low-status tales of his tragic life eventually endeared him; while a Facebook routine provided robust pace and timing to his thoughts, to produce a respectable routine.

Tim Noon: This 19-year-old Canberra lad is something of a sick puppy who tends to put shock over wit, although some of the images certainly generate a reaction. His was another lucky dip of a set, inconsistent in style as dark segments sat alongside cheesy puns and self-deprecating stories. Yet the engaging routine had its strong moments, and he has a strong instinct for timing and callbacks ... even if he unnecessarily finished a couple of gags the audience had, rewardingly, figured out for themselves.

Review date: 15 Apr 2013
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Melbourne International Comedy Festival