Review by Jessica Flynn
Nick Schuller’s ‘Still Dry White’ was a whirlwind of dry and witty humour. I haven’t seen a show like his in the Melbourne Comedy Festival set before. If you like a James Acaster style of comedy that’s completely dead panned, kills you with their sincerity and self-deprecation, then Nick is your man.
I am hyper-conscious Nick will probably read this review as he went into a lot of detail about other reviews he’s received. I agree with him, he didn’t need any more one liners to “keep the audience engaged”; looking around the room everyone was in stitches the entire show.
Schuller had a knack for using callbacks in a very meta, self-aware fashion that felt almost conversational. My favourite bit of the night was Schuller’s usage of a ‘laugh track’ to play through how he wishes the audience were reacting to his set that was absolutely hilarious. He had a way of knowing how to push right up to the line of annoying and not cross it.
Crowd work was a smaller component of ‘Still Dry White’, as it was mainly driven by story-style comedy, but it was a highlight. Schuller was great at engaging the audience in an inviting, but not invasive, way which is always something I admire in a comedian.
The Trades Hall was a great venue with a hub and spoke model of rooms to navigate. ‘Still Dry White’ was held in the Archive Room which was quite intimate which I didn’t feel was commensurate with the quality of the show. I look forward to seeing Nick Schuller on a much larger stage in future - he deserves it!
As a delightful bonus, the opening act delivered by Bron Lewis was a great addition to the show. Her show was very fast-paced, and just as witty as Schuller’s. The juxtaposition of energies complemented really well and it set an inviting tone for the audience.
The title ‘Still Dry White’ is a play on Schuller humour and delivery but also a nod to Schuller’s brilliant marketing tool in his face-branded wine bottles. By the way, these are genuine wines from South Australia and you can even grab one for yourself at the end of the show! I have yet to try the wine itself, but I think it is safe to say it will be dry.
Image Supplied