Melbourne International Comedy Festival review

With her disarming smile and welcoming manner, Nina Oyama is a delightful stage presence, which proves the perfect Trojan Horse for filthy material and a spiky attitude.

As she notes, this is not a show that suits this Monday 6pm timeslot, full of crudity that might shock those who know her from TV work such as Taskmaster Australia or Utopia. Most of the festival, she’s on at a more appropriate 9pm.

Half-Japanese and bisexual, she’s keen on representation – with a riff on the depressingly familiar statistic that there are more CEOs named Andrew in Australia’s boardrooms than there are women and she has more than a few wry comments on the sexism and racism she’s experienced.

But filth is the recurring theme. With lots of graphic below-the-belt gags, from trying to autofellate (and later, trying to lick her own nipple) to ‘…and so I fucked her’ as a punchline, the sex-positive Oyama seems to be taking on the old-school male comics at their own game. Even a Yoda impression she has.

Yet it would be more edifying if she was to aim higher than their hackery, given she has such an effortless control of the room that she could take her audience anywhere. Instead, she frequently seeks safety.

She also has a knack for finding a neat turn of phrase, although I was disappointed to discover the delightful term ‘procrasturbating’ wasn’t hers, having been on Urban Dictionary for more than a decade.

Mocking that deserving target of middle-aged male lycra-clad cyclists is another partly familiar strand, but tossing the subject around like a dog with a bone throws up funny new lines.

And at her best, Oyama – just 30, but already a 13-year veteran of stand-up – harnesses her unapologetic frankness to address something more. 

Her peculiar encounters with pharmacists prove the strongest running joke, while also highlighting an inherent misogyny in a health system that trivialises women’s pain. Material like this shows the full potential of her well-honed comedy skills.

Review date: 10 Apr 2024
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Melbourne International Comedy Festival