Melbourne International Comedy Festival review

Taking the leap from the internet to the live stage is riddled with pitfalls, as any number of online comics will attest. But for her stage debut, Gabbi Bolt proves herself an engaging in-the-flesh presence, as well as the accomplished comic singer-songwriter that her army of TikTok fans – 3.2million likes and counting – already know.

Her repertoire is a familiar list of timely Gen-Z concerns, from internet dating to being priced out of the housing market; from the exercise fanatics in their Lululemons to the hippy-dippy side of meditation. The topics surely reflect her experiences in life, and many will identify with them, but it’s not a list that offers much surprise.

Still, the melodies are sharp and the lyrics nimble, mixing the flippant with the lightly satirical. She’s also a delightful, upbeat, self-aware performer with plenty of charisma. Bolt especially comes into her own when her demeanour doesn’t fit the tone of the songs – for example, matching a jaunty jazz melody to some of her more cynical lyrics, delivered with an eye-roll.

Anxiety about her past embarrassments and terrifying global problems such as climate change simmer under the surface – again not uncommon among her age bracket - but she addresses the stresses with an engaging smile.

Her material is well-observed, too. We all know the overly serious guitar dude she describes, playing in his pub covers band like he’s Bruce Springsteen at Shea Stadium, and she acts it out amusingly. The skit also offers a pointed comment or two about being a woman in music. Later, she transports us back to the rural community where she grew up, a two-horse, 12-pub town.

While fears for her future are a recurring theme, this assured debut suggests she’s probably got less to worry about than most, at least career-wise, especially once she broadens her scope into more distinctive subject matter.

• Gabbi Bolt: I Hope My Keyboard Doesn't Break is on at the Butterfly Club at 5.30pm daily until April 24.

Review date: 14 Apr 2022
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Melbourne International Comedy Festival