GAY HORSEPLAY: Theatre Review

WHAT: Gay Horseplay
WHEN: 28 March - 9 April
WHERE: Storyville
WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY: Carmelo Costa and Jaxson Garni

Jaxson Garni

We all know the best way to get through life is KISS. This is the secret magic of stand up comedy. When it is done skilfully and with confidence the audience is taken on a ride of laughter which cancels out all of the hassles of the day they have just lived for. Gay Horseplay, being performed at Storyville as part of the Melbourne Comedy Festival, is exactly that type of show.

Gay Horseplay is, in it's simplest form, two friends and comedians who are sharing a split bill. Each man knocks our socks off with a hilarious 25 minutes of humour - supposedly about life as gay men, but really this is just life for all of us.

Carmelo Costa is perhaps the more experienced performer and he opens the show. His humour is a touch more risque. Whilst I wouldn't recommend this for minors, the adults of the world can get a lot of cheeky laughs and a 'no way!' moment or two which will leave you doubling over with laughter. It is naughty but not offensive - although there is a bit of fisting going on...

Jaxson Garni comes on next. Whilst his style is a little more low key, the humour is even more relatable to everyone. We all commiserated with him on the tragedy of WWC card photos. I ended up confessing mine looked much like a Rorshach blot. Garni coaches children about bullying and much of his material sits around why, on paper, this might not look like the right thing for him to do. Garni connects with the audience with such intensity you feel like you are in a conversation, and a very fun one at that.

Going with the split bill is genius for these two comedians. It means you can do short, sharp sets and can share the admin pain and costs of being in the Festival. It is a win for both the artists and the audience. 

If I had to compare these guys to anyone specifically I would say if you like Tom Gleeson and don't mind a bit of queer with your humour, you will love Gay Horseplay. Oh, and a shout out to the venue. Storyville is amazing (except for all the stairs).

4.5 Stars