Review By Kipp Lee
Scout Boxall enters the stage wearing an egg costume and what will quickly be recognised as their signature smirk. Boxall’s good natured goofiness instantly puts the audience at ease and welcomes us into their world of absurdist humour. It would be a disservice to Scout to compare their unique style to other comedians but if you enjoy the likes of Demi Lardner, Tom Walker or Aunty Donna, you’ll have a good time here.
Good Egg is an hour of stand up, sketch, clown and general silliness - they have their eggs in many baskets. Boxall knows they’re funny without being conceited - and “if you’re not laughing you’re learning” they quip. Despite being a self-described leftist wet dream, Boxall is a comedian anyone can enjoy. Scout Boxall is someone who is intensely Australian and has learnt how to use that to their advantage, with Aussie Lit parodies and political observations that bleed green and gold. They have a unique take on audience participation, and actively invite the audience to laugh with them at the sillier moments and many deliberate silences. They guide us with hand gestures and mouthed words, to respond ‘correctly’, which led to some genuine moments of ridiculousness with a few individual audience members taking it further than others. Who knew a lone voice saying ‘pinecone’ could be so funny!
Good Egg is a tech heavy show, with many dramatic lighting shifts and sound cues to transition from one sequence to another. Nothing feels overdone and is incredibly well paced and directed. Everything in the show is hilarious and important. Moments that feel like small, throw away bits come back later, to add up to an incredibly satisfying ending. In the corner of the small stage is a coat rack that contains a litany of costumes and characters that emerge organically throughout the night, painting a chaotic scene of what it must be like living in Boxall’s head. A special shout out also goes to Jai Hashim who plays the excellent additional characters that Scout cannot embody themselves.
Scout Boxall is coming off a successful run of the show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival as well as an incredible 2019 Fringe season, where they won Best Emerging Artist at Melbourne Fringe, in addition to being nominated for Best Comedy.
If you’re a fan of Eurovision, silly costumes and absolutely cooked shit, Good Egg is the show for you! There are a few tickets left for the last two shows on Friday 30th and Saturday 1st so get in quick before you miss out on one of the best nights of your life.
Maybe it’s Maybelline, Maybe it's good comedy.
Image Supplied