Review by Tash Bradshaw
Anna Perry’s show is bursting with energy, and her enthusiasm is infectious from the get-go. From explaining what it’s like to be a stay-at-home mum to hatred of exercise and consumer loyalty programs, Anna kept the vibes astronomically high.
Born and bred in Melbourne, and an experienced comedian, Anna has shared a stage with the likes of Peter Helliar, Ross Noble, Elliot Goblet, Dave Thornton, Rachel Berger and Lawrence Mooney. In true Melbourne style, she wears all black, and keeps the show simple, leaving behind screens, props or gimmicks to let the jokes speak for themselves.
Perry gets off to a great start, talking about her decision to have children and likening people who want you to have kids to people to want you to invest in crypto (hint: it’s always urgent and you shouldn’t listen to them). It’s a fitting metaphor and many of us can relate.
She works the crowd like they’re old friends, looping back to people and delivering punchy one-liners without missing a beat. Her crowd participation might have been helped along if there were actually any parents in the crowd, but as she points out, you’re unlikely to find stay at home mums at a comedy show if they’re doing their job description and staying at home. She did find a women who was literally ready to burst, next week, and may have scared her off parenting a little too late.
But some of her later joke topics fell a little flat. A whole section on drink driving for self-care was a little off-putting, and then required clarification to the audience that she was in fact, not telling us to drink drive on the way home. And her closing remarks about all the things you can mix cocaine with, including breast milk, or better yet, alcohol, felt a little like she had run out of things to say.
Despite this, her cheerful optimism and relentless good humour pushed the show along and kept the audience chuckling away.
The highlight of the show included a section about loyalty programs, as she tries to make a spin-off of baker’s delights dough-getters program (I was convinced it was time to join the dough ho’s), which pivoted into a section about budget airlines and DIY travel. The airline travel section in particular was fresh, relevant, and highly relatable for anyone who has attempted to travel recently.
Playing at Beer DeLuxe until 9 April, go along for some clever wit and a reminder to put off having children as long as you can!
Image Supplied