One of the reasons
Perth Fringe World is so great is that you can see all kinds of stand-up comedy - older, experienced comedians; young, experimental comics on their way up; and those honing their craft on live audiences.
Let me be frank here, I love stand-up comedy of pretty much all kinds, from the traditional '
A horse walks into a bar ...' through the '
Now, take my wife ...' all the the way to the purely edgy and observational. Even including blue comedy, although I always feel that's cheating a bit - anyone can get a laugh by dropping their trousers and saying '
F@#$'.
Gerard McGowan (Photograoh courtesy of Perth Fringe World)
Young comics on the cusp of professional careers are the most intriguing as they feel their way into a persona that works for them. And make no mistake, all stand-up comedians have a persona they project - some overt like Jon Doust's 'George Gosh' some less obvious like Lee Mack's Northern charm.
Gerard McGowan is a young man (from where I'm standing - he thinks at 30, he's quite old) very much on the rise. His persona is Aussie charm and candour, mixed in with a little self-deprecation.
He's professional, personable, very amusing and appearing as part of Gelo's comedy stable upstairs at Rosie O'Grady's.
His one hour show (a format he says he dislikes) went very smoothly and professionally, the audience beautifully interacted with, getting them firmly on-side and involved.
His comedy is non-confrontational, modern and very funny. He uses aids, particularly in the Social Media section, and he extensively uses call-backs, a device referencing a previous joke in the present one.
Well worth watching, and my advice to you is to watch this young man closely, he's going places. Go and see him now while he's still cheap.
His show
Only Getting Funnier runs until the 2nd February, and tickets can be obtained online
here.
Very Highly Recommended.
