Melbourne International Comedy Festival review by Steve Bennett

Stick yet another pin in the global map of countries where English-speaking comedians come from: Venezuela.

After spending two years living in Adelaide, Ivan Aristeguieta makes his Melbourne comedy festival debut with a bright-and-breezy hour of playful national stereotypes. And even though a relative newcomer to this land, he’s assimilated one important part of the Australian psyche: not taking himself too seriously.

He’s also careful not to risk alienating anyone who might not want to learn about life in Venezuela, instead choosing to dedicate the lion’s share of his hour on reflecting Australian life back at his audience. Vegemite, sausage rolls, Schapelle Corby, VB, cricket, footy, Crocs and the phrase ‘she’ll be right’ all get a routine, or at least a namecheck.

And when he does talk, almost in passing, about his own background, it comes via the difference between merengue and salsa dancing. Even then, he links his traditional music to iconic Aussie anthems, in an amusing mashup.

In general, his material is not especially distinctive or innovative. Away from the national stuff, he sneers at vegans and coeliacs, and muses on how men should feign attention to their wives’ and girlfriends’ lives, with a point of view that Chris Rock has already nailed. Aristeguieta occasionally suggests he might have more to say than this undemanding fare – there’s one strong gag about the government attitude to refugees, for instance – but generally he doesn’t want to upset the applecart. It’s because he’s only on a bridging visa, he protests, and doesn’t want to get kicked out the country.

Yet weaknesses in the writing are more than compensated for by his animated delivery and upbeat, likeable, self-effacing manner. It’s easy to forget he’s working in a second language, and the hour whips along, almost enough to overcome the stifling heat of this tiny room leaving everyone happy.

Give this man citizenship – as he’s sure to have more to contribute to the Australian comedy scene.

Review date: 16 Apr 2014
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett