Melbourne comedy festival review by Steve Bennett

Kel Balnaves has a distinctive opening, taking to the stage as a tradie, quoting up the job of providing a comedy show, repurposing many of the clichés of the building business.

It sets up his working-class outlook as well as serving as a quirky icebreaker. Unfortunately he rarely shows such originality for the rest of his set, even if he is – aptly enough for a DIY devotee – a solid comedy craftsman.

For there’s very little ambition in his work as he sneers at food fads complains about occupational health and safety gone mad, and grumbles about being stuck in traffic when the workmen seem to be doing nothing.

His set list looks like the call sheet for talkback radio  - the everyday concerns of the ordinary Australians, for sure, but there’s not much of a twist as he shares his petty, superficial frustrations. Ordinary is absolutely what he’s aiming for, though: he watches the chefs toil away at an intricate dish on Masterchef and thinks, ‘Just make pasta, mate.’

Balnaves is the Spag Bol of comedy. Simple, straightforward, solid, popular… but also something you suspect almost everyone could rustle up at home if they had the inclination.

A couple of routines transcend this affable bloke-in-the-pub banter. The tips on burying dead animals is darker territory, applying his no-nonsense style to a topic more often swept under the carpet. While his very best story, about indecisive idiots in line at the sausage sizzle, is repeated from last year.

Balnaves a strong performer, hitting all the beats, and building an easy rapport with the audience – so it’s no surprise to hear he gets regular work as an MC. But now he’s reached his eighth solo festival show, you might well expect him to have progressed beyond grabbing the low-hanging fruit he harvests here.

Review date: 3 Apr 2018
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Melbourne International Comedy Festival