Melbourne International Comedy Festival review

Newcomer Patrick Golamco takes his cue from many of the introverted, awkward comedians who have come before him, deploying such techniques as making swaggering alpha comments while looking nervous and unconvinced.

But his shy manner proves thoroughly endearing. We share his palpable pride when a one-liner lands, and though he admits ‘communication is not my strong suit’, he gently draws us into his world.

He’s not a man for expressing much emotion, preferring the more academic pursuit of creating little puzzles of wordplay, some cheesy, some imaginative and delightful treats. He’s equally smug about both.

After a brief introduction to his Chinese-Filipino background, including some self-effacing gags about his ‘petite’ size and an embarrassing medical incident, Golamco settles in to his story about visiting his ailing 99-year-old grandma in Manila in the hope of a meaningful goodbye.

But it came at the height of Covid, and day after day, he had to busy himself elsewhere as she awaited a negative antigen test. It’s a convenient way to divide up his material into chunks covering each 24 hours, one day visiting the cinema, the next encountering a taxi driver who had a peculiar reason for not believing in climate change.

More crucially, the homecoming gives a heart to the show as we hope for the reunion. For the comic who’s emotionally reticent, it’s a tender story thread that forges a connection with the audience.
Golamco also performs with a keyboard, but it feels like a prop as he rarely uses it, save for one amusing song giving advice on being more interesting. More often than not, he’ll do the old gag of introducing a number with a build-up of what it’s about, only to sing a single line. 

It’s not the only overfamiliar trope the 38-year-old falls into, and not every joke lands. But for a newcomer he displays enough originality and writing talent to mark him out as one to watch, while his introverted vulnerability is rather fetching.

Pork Adobo comes in at just under 40 minutes, ending just before the traditional lull that proves which comedians really can hold the attention for an hour. Although that litmus test is yet to come, Golamco is quietly making his mark.

•  Patrick Golamco: Pork Adobo is on at Trades Hall at 6.4pm (5.40pm Sundays, no show Wednesdays) until April 23.

Review date: 12 Apr 2023
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Melbourne International Comedy Festival