Review by Steve Bennett

It is a cult in the making. John Conway’s surreal, shambolic smash-up of chat show and variety showcase provides a ridiculous onslaught of charming idiocy that its keen devotees devour.

I don’t know whether Conway has seen the groundbreaking British series Vic Reeves Big Night Out; but many elements are there, from the desk cluttered with eclectic paraphernalia, to the dopey sidekick, to the wayward deconstruction of the conventions of TV talk shows.

The New Conway Experience is such a mad all-encompassing world of its own that the only jarring moment is when he tries to parachute a straightforward stand-up into the mix (tonight it’s Danny McGinlay) – exposing how a tightly-written five-minute set is never going to fit into the Conway chaos.

He’s an ultra-enthusiastic, but borderline inept host, starting by reading corny topical one-liners off his cards. But it’s not the jokes that are important, but the way he tries to over-sell them, or punctuate proceeding with asides such as the giant ‘cut it out’ scissors or the hotline to the Pentagon on which he can report on a gag’s progress.

Wingman Dayne Rathbone also interjects with beautiful awkwardness. He’s got a laptop full of sound effects at his disposal, always coming in just a beat off the pace, while his own nervous comments – delighted or baffled at the proceedings – add a brilliant counterpoint to Conway’s supercharged energy. Sometimes he just has to pull a dumbstruck face at the manic proceedings to add laughs for those who spot him.

The hour is nominally based around an interview, today with a game Dan Ilic, who sparked a discussion about whose penis had been seen by the most people, picking up an earlier theme of Conway’s own monologue. But that’s only one dish on this absurdist smorgasbord: there’s also good-natured, but inevitably ill-fated, audience participation; Conway’s own oddball observations, and some brilliantly cack-handed improv when Conway takes suggestions on styles in which to perform his accusatory song Did You Fuck Susan?

Given the ramshackle nature of the show, individual elements might not work in isolation - there’s an ever-present risk of something turning out to be almost painfully embarrassing – but it all adds to a charmingly disorganised atmosphere, enlivened by Conway’s cheery bonhomie.

This weekend’s Barry nomination hasn’t yet worked wonders for his audience numbers, but it’s surely only a matter of time before talk of this refreshingly bonkers gem will spread among the cognoscenti.

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