American politics

From Live At The Apollo

More Rich Hall videos

Rich Hall in Melbourne
Live Review
Melbourne International Comedy Festival

He’s has been coming to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival for more than 20 years. Yet because Rich Hall is such a familiar face, and because his shows rarely have big themes, or even titles, to draw the attention, he’s easily overlooked by all those critical radars seeking the next big thing.

Audiences are not so fickle, though, and he’s doing great business at the striking 600-capacity Capitol Theatre. And great work, come to mention it, too.

The highlights of his show are his mini-rants, as he gruffly barks out lyric insults against greed and stupidity, meaning he’s never short of source material. Each time his bitter adjectives and vitriolic insults build up a powerful momentum through their pounding rhythm, as Hall applies his musical ability to his words, creating beautiful crescendos of cantankerousness.

His native America provides an almost bottomless pit of material. In his firing line are rampant gun ownership; the hostile takeover of Cadbury’s by the culinary vandals at Kraft, and far-right fundamentalist politicians. Possibly easy targets, but he destroys them with simple common sense, absurd extrapolation, pitch-perfect metaphor and poetic language. A phrase such as ‘Moses is your meat thermometer,’ somehow has meaning, when in context.

Neither Britain nor Australia are off the hook, either. A highlight is his routine on the UK’s not entirely unexpected horsemeat scandal. But while lesser comics are content with sub-Twitter equine puns, he fires up yet another blistering diatribe of plain thinking, deliciously put. He is the gourmet, organic meat patty to the 10p-a-burger rivals.

His rants are punctuated with semi-improvised songs, such as the now-familiar tale of poor little Tommy trapped down a well, with only the ingenuity of one front-row punter to save him. Sadly, tonight’s real estate agent searched for the hero inside himself and came up empty-handed  – but still Hall developed his own, rather unlikely, rescue plan based on the chap’s occupation. More crowd-pleasing was a fast-paced musical tribute to Australian towns, somewhat akin in rhythm to Billy Joel’s We Didn’t Start The Fire.

This grizzled Montanan finds joy in the wide-open spaces of this land; but on humanity he’s getting grumpier as he ages. And funnier with it. Here’s to 20 more years...

Edited 9/3/13 to correct capacity of the Capitol

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His material isn`t all that good but his act is saved by his deadpan delivery

Spanny, January 2006

I think those Sniglets that Rich Hall compiled/invented are just amazing! Thanks so much for giving me an hour of pure fun and enjoyment.

Roshni, January 2006

Brilliant mix of wit and music is unbeatable. Spontaneous kebab man song about a guy called Peter I heard in Tunbridge Wells made my year.

Fred Mac, November 2005

A true comic genius, Rich Hall is one of the best standup acts of his generation. Don't miss any opportunity to catch him live.

Dave Horby, November 2005

So many people in stitches..I worry about the cost to the medical industry. But yes, I'd pay to see him.

Jay, November 2005

Saw Rich Hall this weekend in God's waiting room - Bournemouth. Very funny set, if you see one comedian this year make it this man.

Phil, November 2005

Saw the first night of his current tour and he delivered a professional, excellent set. One of those intelligent comics that I could listen to all night. Superb stuff.

[Anon], November 2005

By far one of the most under-rated comedians I've ever seen, I watched an episode of Room 101 with him in it and i was in stitches during the whole episode, loved the song he performed at the end as well, the lyrics were just pure genius.

Crossley, October 2005

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