Melbourne International Comedy Festival review by Steve Bennett

The Stevenson Experience make much of their unique selling point: the fact they are identical twin brothers. As well they might, too, for although this musical comedy duo have bags of entertaining verve, there’s little in the writing to mark them aside from others of their ilk.

They employ the classic bickering double-act crosstalk, heightened by sibling rivalry and a desperate need for oneupmanship. It makes the hour pacy and dynamic which, along with the jaunty songs and spirited audience banter, pretty much guarantee a good time.

The style’s a bit dated, however, and they fall down on substance, with too many broad lyrics on sex and relationships not always suited to the 6pm timeslot. And when they introduce the song entitled Everything I Know About Women, you’d have to be pretty slow not to know what comes next: a three-bar instrumental intro, then nothing. There’s even a number based around emoticons that belongs circa 2003. The blurb for Womb Mates quotes a hyperbolic review that says the Stevensons ‘made Flight Of The Conchords look bland’ – which seems almost insultingly off the mark.

Musically, they are closer to the style of Sammy J, which may be because things are led by Beej on piano, with Jimmy providing back-up on guitar and – if he’s allowed – rap. However they don’t have the the same lyrical dexterity as Mr J, and offer little variation in tune or tone between songs.

Though they are no stranger to cliche, there is nonetheless some promise. They have a number, for example, on ‘clictivist’ liberals, which is astutely accurate about those who are keen to be seen to support the right causes on Twitter and Facebook, but do nothing in real life to progress them. A few more jokes and this could be a hit.

As they approach their conclusion, things get more interesting, more personal and more funny, as they mine the most embarrassing incidents from their past for laughs. Though the climactic set piece is a bit of daggy dancing of the type so often seen in festival shows, and the actual finale is something of a fizzle, the build-up to this section is strong.

Although Womb Mates is fun but lightweight, it does provide base on which something more substantial and original might be built. After all, the twins are just 24, so time to develop is definitely on their side.

Review date: 11 Apr 2014
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett