Playing at Trades Hall – Music Room until April 19 (excluding Wednesdays). Tickets and more info at comedyfestival.com.au/fergus-neal/
Now a nine-year veteran of the comedy scene, Fergus Neal is a supremely confident and accomplished performer with a great stage presence, and that’s on full display in his latest show Boy, a hilarious takedown of the “manosphere” and toxic masculinity in all its forms.
Neal casts his net far and wide over the course of a wild, rollicking hour, skewering pathetic public figures like Andrew Tate and his ilk but also finding time to share embarrassing stories about himself (including a hysterical and ill-fated driving lesson that ended at a Forty Winks store) as well as some hilarious interactions he’s had with celebrities over the years.
From being slightly concerned that his girlfriend is followed on Instagram by the Yellow Wiggle, to meeting breakdancer RayGun, to asking Quentin Tarantino a cringe-worthy question, Neal is armed with some terrific anecdotes, and the rapid-fire pace of his show ensures there’s never a lull in the proceedings.
At heart Neal’s show has a serious message underneath all the gags, but things never get too maudlin or sombre and Neal ably makes his points without feeling the need to labour the issue and never forgets to keep things funny even when the topics become a bit more serious.
Neal just has a great comedic persona that is instantly likeable and his interactions with the crowd felt casual and effortless. The crowd I saw the show with seemed to respond to Boy with the same enthusiasm I did, and I was shocked when the show reached its conclusion, with the running time just whizzing by.
Boy is a show about a lot of things and covers a lot of ground, most of it silly, but some of it serious, and Neal is a comedian who has a lot to say and a positive message that needs to be heard.
Neal somehow has crafted all of the disparate elements that make up Boy into a cohesive whole that educates, stimulates but also never forgets to make you laugh.
4/5 Stars
TINSEL and TAP SHOES 