by Steve Bennett

Kuah Jenhan: Like This Like Dad

Malaysia’s comedy scene is nascent to say the least. Kuah Jenhan says it was two years before his first open mic spot and his second, due to the scarcity of gigs.

So it’s perhaps forgivable that his debut solo show has flaws… a relatively straightforward narrative that’s light on belly laughs and flairs of invention.

But Like This Like Dad is an affectionate family story about how his mother and father – affectionately nicknamed Cabbage and Ding Dong – met, had him and his sister, 'French Pig'.

In a familiar theme to many recent solo shows, Kuah's father is a traditional man who suppresses his emotions, though finds it hard to accept his son is pursing such an odd career as stand-up. That Kuah Sr is Chinese gives it added interest for Western audiences, though, as the 'strange things your parents say' trope is definitely new on us,

The show is very well put-together - he even crams an efficient set into his tiny Forum Theatre room - and Jenhan is quite the engaging story-teller. Even if his stories of sibling rivalry and dating don't always show him in the best light, you'll leave with a soft spot for this modestly-spoken comedian.

Alice Tovey: Malice

Alice Tovey has a killer cabaret voice, although for a comedy show the content of her songs and banter is left wanting.

She would hope to be a latter-day Tim Minchin, although her lyrics don't have the hooks or complexity of the musical comedy genius.

All-too familiar ideas from feminism, atheism and all the other -isms sit alongside stories of Tinder dating or attacks on the anti-vax idiots; all of which seems like very overfarmed territory.

But he has an appealing, if underdeveloped, strand of 'screw-you' nastiness, and I'd liked to have seen more bitchy interplay with her pianist and co-writer, Ned Dixon.

For at the moment, this dark diva is better than her unexceptional show.

The Consumption: The People Vs Carmen Sandiego

Plodding scenes are usually rooted in pop culture, showing the limited horizons of these twentysomethings. More fatally, the scripts never really go anyway, advancing a premise but then neither twisting nor developing it. Case in point is the Carmen Sandiego device on which they hang the whole show. Mocking the lack of realism of a dated educational video game is fair enough, but is it worth returning to time and again?

This is one of many, many segments that have been shot on video - which can make this seem less like a live show and more like a YouTube binge-watch, which you could well do in the comfort of your own lounge room.

And as performers, there is competence but little of the zing they would need to stand out.

Review date: 17 Apr 2016
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett