Melbourne International Comedy Festival review

Daniel Muggleton is not in the most auspicious of Melbourne venues. Kink is a massive, bland room behind a suspiciously unrowdy sports bar, far from the main festival drag. But it’s apt, for the man himself also offers more than his appearance – in a daggy Adidas tracksuit – would first suggest. Lower your expectations, then be pleasantly surprised.

He starts very gently, with material about how men and women act differently in a specific relationship situation– potentially the hackiest subject there is, although he finds a new angle. Then it’s on to anecdotes about donating sperm and being mean to kids, all in the service of describing how he’s trying to become a father.

Yet by the end of the hour, he’s making dark jokes about China’s Uyghur genocide and Australia’s complicity in failing to condemn the actions of the Communist state for entirely economic reasons. We travel a long way. 

He segues easily between such big topics and the little ones: one moment offering a well-observed, relatable routine about using GPS, the next calling out racism, yet the gears never grate. A meta-commentary on the reaction he’s getting, such as ‘guilty white silence’ appears on screen behind him. The comments, akin to captions that might appear on social media footage of the gig, sugar the pill of the more unpalatable truths.

Muggleton’s never preachy, as he sets himself on a roughly level status with the audience thanks to some gentle crowd work - although he shuts it down whenever it strays too far from its required job of establishing the next routine. He also acknowledges some of the issues he raises are more chewy and complex than a simple knee-jerk reaction. 

It’s a deceptively smart, set delivered by an easy-going comic who - as an aside – has one of the best bits of merch this festival: a face mask with his generously moustachioed face printed on it.

• Daniel Muggleton: White & Wrong (But Mostly White) is at Kicks at 8.15pm until April 23 (no show tomorrow), and 7.15pm on April 24.

Review date: 19 Apr 2022
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Melbourne International Comedy Festival