Review by Steve Bennett at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival

She says she’s feeling under the weather, but even so you can’t fault Rose Matafeo’s vibrancy and energy. Sometimes it’s sharply focussed, sometimes it’s firing off in all directions like an errant Catherine Wheel – an erratic tone set by an intense but incomprehensible opening scene that makes the audience warier than they need be.

He sophomore show steps up from the debut which earned this confident Kiwi comic a best newcomer nomination in Melbourne last year, although still the mash-up of stand-up and one-woman sketches struggles to find a form. Yet within the noise are tantalising glimpses into her personality and a smattering of sharp, revealing observations of the wider world – not least the brilliant unmasking of a disturbingly common trope in hip-hop lyrics.

The title comes as she thinks her kooky traits, wisecracking wit – and not to mention naturally curly hair – would make her the perfect casting choice for the boilerplate sassy best friend character of rom-com stereotype.

Such sharp-tongued confidants usually have issues of their own, even if they are sidelined by the main story, and Matafeo drops references to her fragile psyche, from being the awkward girl at high school, to struggling with her recent move to London, to discussing the emotional side-effects of taking the contraceptive pill. It’s a subject rarely, if ever, breached in stand-up and done well here, as Matafeo is one of several young comics reclaiming the mythical ‘period joke’ that has for so long been unfairly used to belittle female stand-ups.

Sticking with the credentials of a sassy best friend, Matafeo certainly has the requisite likeability, which shines through her performance, and she can crack out the inventive one-liners. She sometimes even has to deploy a list format to pack them in, such as suggesting alternative messages for Christmas crackers or cataloguing the things she does when feeling blue.

The sketches, though showcasing a different side of her performance skills, aren't so special in their invention. For example, the composer who cannot read music is the oldest of sketch ideas – a person ill-suited to their job – but here, as in the mini-scenes about losing confidence in things, Matafeo displays a fine, subtle physicality. 

There are many funny moments in Sassy Best Friend, but it’s also a show that seems to have an attention deficit, flitting from one thing to the next, which makes it feel lightweight and disposable. But there are plenty of laughs and a lively energy.

Review date: 10 Apr 2017
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett