By Jennifer Beasley.
A clever blend of technology and stand-up comedy allows Con Coutis to sneak his way into the most harden of hearts with his one-hour comedy ode to the spy genre.
Con Coutis is impressive. Very Impressive.
After his techno-drenched interactive style show last year, Escape From Heck Island, I was eager to see how this thoughtful and intelligent comedian would present himself this year at the 40th Anniversary of MICF.
Coutis isn’t one to rest on his laurels. This year he is back with a more streamlined performance. Gone are the complex accompaniments that peppered his previous show. This year, while still utilising his mastery of technology with pre-recordings, taping of audiences’ responses and incredible sound effects, the tiny stage at Paul’s Place at the Town Hall contains the crowd focus on the extraordinary physicality and facial mobility of this consistent performer.
Commencing the performance with a thrumming beat that echoes music from The Italian Job (thus seeding in audience expectations of some sort of espionage storyline), Coutis jumps onto the stage and whips the FULL HOUSE into an ecstasy of adoration. Me included. You just can’t help but really, really, like Coutis. I want to adopt him. I’m sure his family wouldn’t mind.
Using the premise that he is ‘half secret agent and half comedian’, Coutis must find the mysterious monogag and stop a mega streaming service, the now defunct Quibi vertical (mobile phone video aspect streaming service that existed less than a pregnancy) from using its humour powers to launch world domination by comedy.
With superb audience interactions – two John’s, a Trevor, a couple of other audience members and Ennio- Coutis captures their responses on tape and uses them, along with some well written motifs that cycle through the act, to great effect.
What surprised me with this performance was a completely unscripted moment when Ennio, who was seated next to me, arms crossed and eyes closed at the beginning of the show, became engaged and alert when Coutis asked if he was named after Italian composer Ennio Morricone. Very savvy. This is the sort of intelligence that you clock and go, well, well, what do we have here?
Good use of other, non-technical effects also adds surprise. Coutis is the master of invention, and I was pleased to see his growth in confidence and strong writing.
Where this performance does falter is the rather tired troupe of the spy genre. It’s been done so many times now there is little to explore in the espionage world, even with the hilarious borrowings from Mission Impossible and 007. The thing is, I can see that Coutis is capable of greater heights.
The hour flew by, and Coutis’s beautiful personality opened everyone’s hearts. A must see and this is one comedian who is on the Watch List for Bigger Things.
Con Coutis – Joke Protocol is playing at Paul’s Place (Melbourne Town Hall), 8:45pm (selected shows at 9:45pm) until 19th April 2026.
