Luke McGregor: Okay, Wow - Adelaide Fringe 2025 Review

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Mon 24 Feb 2025 - Sun 02 Mar 2025

Presented by Token Events
Reviewed February 26

Luke McGregor is an Australian comedian, writer, and actor celebrated for his distinctive blend of awkward charm and sharp wit. Originally from Hobart, Tasmania, Luke has become a well-known name in the comedy scene with his relatable humour and impeccable timing. He co-created and starred alongside Celia Pacquola in the acclaimed TV series Rosehaven and has appeared in numerous other shows including Utopia and Luke Warm Sex. Additionally, Luke has made guest appearances on Thank God You're Here and Taskmaster Australia. Most recently, he embarked on a global adventure with his mother as a contestant on The Amazing Race Australia.



However, it has been eight years since McGregor has performed a full one-hour stand-up show. In that time, he has gotten married, built a family of two stepchildren, one biological child, two chickens, and an axolotl, and received an autism diagnosis. These experiences have provided him with abundant material for his new show, Okay, Wow, and I had the privilege of attending this very entertaining and humorous show.

McGregor starts his set by greeting the audience and noting how many comedians tend to pick on those sitting in the front row. With a cheeky smile, he jokingly asks a few front-row patrons for their names before shifting focus and launching into his next joke. From the moment he begins, he quickly builds a rapport with his audience, presenting as a charming man whom you would want as a best friend, making it clear why he has earned a reputation by some as an awkward and quirky comedian. His stories are hilarious, and his delivery is perfectly timed, with his jokes often followed by a small, seemingly involuntary chuckle, as if he's just made the joke up on the spot. This leaves the audience wondering whether his material is pre-written or entirely improvised, a sign of an excellent comedian. Watching his show feels like having a conversation with a best friend, filled with genuine humour and warmth.

Throughout the one-hour set, we also hear comedic stories about the earth being flat, sinkholes, explosive baby poos, a special and unique purple microphone, ex-partners, germs, and bugs in the spaghetti, with all stories being delivered with expert comedic timing - McGregor certainly knows exactly how to write and deliver a successful joke. Further, occasionally he would refer to the papers at his feet, before finally remarking that there are no notes written there, just a nice comment which reads "You've got this". McGregor certainly does have it - the incredible ability to make a person laugh hysterically, sometimes just by words or dramatic pauses alone. Further, I found it most amusing how sometimes McGregor would apologize for some of his jokes, after realizing how inappropriate it could be to some people.

It is worth noting that also while some of McGregor's jokes are crude, he never once used even one word of profanity, which was most pleasing to see. McGregor has a natural art of being funny, and it is most commendable that he never feels the need to resort to coarse language to elicit laughs; he never tries too hard and simply delivers his material naturally.

While it has been eight years since McGregor performed a full stand-up show, this time has not reduced his capacity to hold a crowd, nor has it reduced his skills in expert comedic delivery. Rather, he just continues to improve, and here's hoping that we won't have to wait another eight years before we see him on stage again.

Unfortunately, all tickets for Luke McGregor: Okay - Wow are now sold out for the rest of the season.

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