Melbourne International Comedy Festival review

This is Ivan Aristeguieta’s show about turning 40 this August, with the title referring to the allegorical term for the milestone that’s used in his native Venezuela.

But despite encroaching middle-age, there’s something quite child-like about his stand-up, from the accent that – rightly or wrongly – lends his observations a charming nativity to his outsiders’ viewpoint on behaviour we all take for granted, like a youngster forever asking: ‘Why?’

One foundation of his work is, of course, the contrast with his former life in a Third World nation. While he spurns any politics as to why Venezuela is in such crisis, the harsh realities of life there lead to one of his best routines as he describes his delight in a small comfort that can be taken for granted in Australia: toilet paper in public conveniences.

The image of ‘needs must’ back at home is hilarious, while the segment also proves celebratory about his new life. That sense of joy pervades the hour, even when his affectionately ribbing his new compatriots’ customs or sharing everyday gripes, which all come with the implied disclaimer that they are definitely First World Problems.

The vagaries of English language provide more fertile ground, as Aristeguieta, in another virtuoso routine, wittily points out our illogical use of prepositions that you’ll have never noticed before.

His performance, too, is perfectly pitched: expressive and energetic, animated where it needs to be, but never over the top. Positive and playful are his watchwords, as he spurns anything too edgy or controversial.

Yet there can be some lack of ambition in some of his routines. Comparing stand-up to sex is the first refuge of many a rookie, yet Aristeguieta serves that up here, along with the notion that anything sounds sexier in Spanish or reminiscing about porn in dial-up era. There’s also a routine about the ineffectiveness of 3M sticky hooks, which is a fresh topic, but unfolds in an entirely predictable way.

His audience have no care for the familiarity of such topics or approaches, however, and the laughs are constant, as Aristeguieta performs with wit and verve, cementing his reputation as one of the most engaging, likeable and positive figures on the Australian circuit.

Review date: 31 Mar 2019
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Melbourne International Comedy Festival