Melbourne International Comedy Festival review by Steve Bennett

Frank Woodley is a one-man variety show. Starting with the spry physical comedy for which he is most famous – courtesy of a rhythmic gymnastics parody – the show encompasses magic, music, stand-up – even a little play what he wrote, acted out by a couple of willing volunteers in period costumes.

Some set pieces are inevitably stronger than others; while the episodic nature means there is not much of a theme. The only real bit of personal information we glean is that the aspect of Woodley’s natural demeanour that he finds best amplified for comic purposes is his patheticness – though that should never be underestimated in a clown’s arsenal.

This particular fool does clumsy, fretful and bewildered well, too, all of which endear, while his nervousness gives an agitated energy. The most socially anxious elements of his personality combine in a stand-out stand-up section, where he ties himself up in politically correct knots after mimicking an Indian man’s accent that is a delightful, elegant and funny piece of work.

Most his routines have less of a grounding in reality, as he shares intricately embellished whimsical stories such as snail threatened by a steamroller, the conversations he has with his mate, a horse, or how the Nazi salute came to be. There is more than a hint of cartoon about some of these charmingly odd images, which is where this unabashedly broad-appeal comic is most at home. For the straightest bit of stand-up – about how ‘fanny’ means different things in the US from here is sadly a lot more pedestrian, hack even.

Taken as a whole, Fool’s Gold is probably not vintage Woodley, though it certainly has its moments. But it would be impossible not to be charmed and amused by this affable idiot.

Review date: 6 Apr 2014
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett