Review by Steve Bennett

You can’t mistake Rhys Nicholson. In an ocean of scruffy white twentysomething comedians, he’s cultured a distinctive look from his coiffed coper hair to his crushed velvet jacket; from the bow tie to the carefully shellacked nails.

It seems to hint at an arch, erudite sense of humour… though in fact he’s never better than when he’s talking ‘hard-working Australian filth’.

He only properly delves into this about 40 minutes in – though there’s a pricelessly crude description of Tinder, surely this year’s obligatory stand-up reference – early on. Much of the preceding material is about how his generation are so entitled, self-absorbed and whiney. Though since that’s a complaint in itself, and coming from a man in the spotlight who’s never done a real day’s work in his life, the irony is palpable.

He’s clearly too good to be working in a Go-Lo budget store, one of many, many jobs he’s held down for a matter of hours, while his innate sense of self-worth gives him a cynicism about the world – albeit one undercut by his neuroses. His relationship is also a talking point, his boyfriend being better looking, more solvent and less crazy than him. And should they adopt, is the question, given that he abhors toddlers for pulling focus from him and screaming babies on planes make him advocate post-natal abortion

That such material is relatively mainstream is slight disappointment given that with such a strong image and appealingly dismissive, selfish attitude, you almost expect him to be above such everyday concerns. But even when the premises are commonplace, he can often craft a perfect turn of phrase, and there are some fine routines alongside the filler. The idea of an open-mic Jesus learning his Messiahing is especially relevant in this festival, more than anywhere else.

Nicholson is much tipped down under as a star of the future, and certainly has a poise that engenders such confidence. But he also seems to be running at about 70 per cent power – some of which may be due to the smallish, reticent audience. He’s still straddling a line between being a gleefully grubby comic and one who might quite like the regular pay-cheque of a morning radio gig back home – though filth is where his talents lie.

Review date: 8 Aug 2015
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Underbelly George Square