By Nick Pilgrim
For more than a decade, I have had the good fortune to review The Melbourne International Comedy Festival. During this time, these shows covered as many themes and variations as the jam-packed calendar allows.
That being said from a comic perspective, Letters From My Heroes is brand new territory for me.
A veteran actor of stage and television (Bond-A-Rama,Fawlty Towers Live, Spamalot, Shaun Micallef’s Mad as Hell) Stephen Hall merges his brilliant gift for vocal mimicry with a compelling narrative on what makes a star.
Showcasing more than twenty local or international entertainers and identities in snapshot succession, he details and deconstructs their various quirks and mannerisms with confident and devilish, pinpoint accuracy. A hypothetical journey is locked into place, where Hall pretends to write to each of them for career advice. In no special order, the artists featured in these imaginary replies include:
- Woody Allen
- Shane Bourne
- Pierce Brosnan
- Bill Connelly
- Sean Connery
- Maurie Fields
- Morgan Freeman
- Dawn French
- Paul Hogan
- Dave Hughes
- Liam Neeson
- Jack Nicholson
- Michael Parkinson
- Joe Pesci
- Rodney Rude
- Jennifer Saunders
- Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Homer Simpson
- Jason Statham
- Christopher Walken
Never far from turning the tables on himself either, Hall demonstrates expert flair for physical comedy as well. One segment where he impersonates a ventriloquist’s dummy from the doll’s perspective is pure magic.
The impetus for making this kind of show is drawn from a highly personal story about how Hall’s father left when he was six years old. Struggling to find meaning without a key male figure to guide him, allows Hall to dive deep into the entertainment industry for assistance instead.
Walking a politically correct thin line but never crossing it, Hall also addresses what it means to be a white middle-aged man doing stand-up. Meaning, certain impersonations which may have been funny once, aren’t acceptable now.
Ending the show on a high note, Hall ties all the impressions together in a clever tribute set to Spandau Ballet’s iconic eighties hit, Gold.
If the opening night audience’s engaged enthusiasm was any indication, the show’s swift fifty-minute running time will leave you impressed and amazed. I defy anyone with an appreciation for this special gift, not to leave satisfied and charmed by Letters From My Heroes.
Playing until Sunday April 23 at the ACMI – Swinburne Studio, this is a festival must-see.
