By Jennifer Beasley
Did you hear the joke about the reviewer who attended the wrong show? I can’t disclose who that is, but I’ll give you a 4-star review if you guess right.
Sometimes happy accidents occur. Entering the cosy Billiard Room of The Mission at Seafarers, my companion and I seat ourselves in the first row, as comedian Matt Harvey launches into his monologue. It’s a very strange experience if you are expecting one thing and get another. It took me about fifteen minutes before I spoke to my friend and said, ‘we’re in the wrong place’, but she wisely shrugs and continues to laugh at Harvey’s hilarious renditions of all things wage related.
Once I adjusted to the fact that I was in a comedy show and not a drama (existential crisis averted) I was able to enjoy Harvey’s rapid-fire delivery, very much akin to his joke about ‘manic-depressives on trampolines’ as my own mental awareness had to flip-flop onto a different set of tracks. The humour of that misstep not lost on me at all!
Without a doubt, Harvey is a great storyteller. Moving swiftly from one monologue scene to the next as seamless as pantyhose, Harvey regales his flirtations with work, unemployment, finances and Centrelink as he traverses from his job at a theme park, to a sex shop to creative accounting. Being seated so close to the performer adds to the show; he has a great, if fast, delivery and perfect timing. I missed some of the jokes due to the breakneck speed of speech, and my companion also struggled to grasp jokes, so perhaps in the future he could slow it down a bit. Otherwise, it was great fun.
One of the hallmarks of a good comedian is that they can insert serious matter into their set. The tragedy of Robodebt gets an airing as Harvey’s comedic talents pokes fun at the Government and their ‘I’m so innocent that I’ll pay compensation’ excuse, and he even makes fun about own Robodebt and the trials of trying to get that wiped. You feel bad for laughing but can’t help yourself.
Although only a small audience, Harvey has a way of captivating your attention. His vocal command is strong, able to quieten down to allow us all to draw breath, before leaping into another antidote. This is a polished performance, and our red-headed joker knows how to present a snappy line before he segways into a related joke.
As a strong finisher, Harvey circles back to his past. His reminiscing on employment at a theme park (not mentioning which one but we both concluded it started with a Luna and ended with a Park) was supported brilliantly by his sound effects of the rollercoaster carts ratcheting up the ramp, each cog grinding and struggling to pull the eighteen people crammed into the vessel to make it’s slow, dramatic way to the top of the one-hundred-and-two-year-old structure. PTSD symptoms I didn’t know I had returned me back to my one and only traumatic turn on The Big Dipper. My rollercoaster induced neck seizes up as Harvey continues to hold our attention as he delivers obstacles, raising the stakes, as he, a past employee fighting with aging equipment, weaves his amusing story and uplifts us with his heroic outcome. But with Harvey there is always a self-deprecating element, and he never takes himself too seriously.
Muscles relaxing, I was glad for the experience and laughs that Matt Harvey provides. Asking that patrons ‘pay what they feel is appropriate’ is an example of the generosity of this comedian, whose talents should be on a bigger stage. Now, if only Netflix could stumble into one of his performances, Harvey would get the recognition he deserves.
I urge everyone to see this show. Plenty of laughs from the affable Harvey, you’ll find it eminently relatable.
Wage Against The Machine plays until October 20th at The Mission to Seafarers.
