KEY POINTS:
Who: Mickey D (AUS); Jason John Whitehead (CAN); Simon McKinney (NZ); Alun Cochrane (ENG)
Where and When: Crunchie Comedy Chamber, Auckland Town Hall, until Saturday May 18
You've got to hand it to Mickey D. The Australian comedian and host of The Big Show had been on stage less than 30 seconds before he got his first heckle. A minute later, he received his second, from the same belligerent woman.
Mickey had done nothing to warrant the harassment - hell, the man had barely had a chance to speak - and handled the troublemaker with wit and decorum. But the lone heckler sent a clear message to Mickey and his colleagues - this was not going to be an easy crowd.
Canadian Jason John Whitehead was next in the firing line, getting off to an awkward start, speaking into a dead microphone. After three tension-filled minutes, one brave audience member finally called out, "your mic's off mate" and the room began to relax.
Whitehead, who incidentally is a dead-ringer of Shaggy in Scooby Doo, recovered swiftly from the mishap, sharing his thoughts on sport, New Zealand and sex toys. The latter of which drew muted giggles from the somewhat stoic crowd, leading Whitehead to proclaim: "I'm really enjoying playing to a virgin-like audience."
A brief interlude from Mickey saw the Aussie comic resort to a tried and true formula to warm the crowd - fart jokes. "If you don't laugh at fart jokes, you don't fart. And if you don't fart, you will die," he said with mock fatalism.
Next up, local talent Simon McKinney took the stage, delivering the easiest and most successful set of the night. His stories of life as a Kiwi in Scotland went down well, aided by his superb ability to mimic foreign accents. Likewise, his impressions of Wendy's spokesman Dave - "a middle aged, slightly retarded guy with no teeth" - and local taxi dispatchers were met with hearty laughter and cries of "that's so true".
Finally, Englishman Alun Cochrane faced the steely masses, crying out in bewilderment as people sat with their arms folded defensively across their chests. At least that's how he saw it. I would wager it had more to with the venue and the chilly 12 degree room temperature.
The crowd soon forgot their freezing limbs, however, as Cochrane embarked on a hilarious series of random tangents - from ninjas to sandwiches, and why teachers shouldn't marry other teachers. His deep monotone delivery, paired with his cutting, dry wit made made for a delightful set that ended the note on a high.
The Big Show is billed as a highlight of the comedy festival and so it should be. All four comedians did a sterling job, particularly when faced with the most difficult, dispassionate crowd this reviewer has ever encountered.
