Melbourne International Comedy Festival review

From 1997 until the global you-know-what, Wil Anderson debuted a new hour of stand-up at every one of his beloved Melbourne International Comedy Festivals. But Wilogical could be his strongest yet. 

Maybe it’s because this time, there are three years of experiences to cram into an hour, or possibly it’s because the stakes have never been higher for a comedian who has long used his platform to mock the wilfully dumb. 

The anti-intellectuals have been out in force during the pandemic, so pointed jokes at their expense have never been more relevant nor more necessary. And Anderson found himself living right among the enemy, on a remote farm near the small New South Wales town of Mullumbimby, the anti-vax capital of Australia. 

While he says he tried to engage in good-faith dialogue with the locals, he could not overcome their ‘did my own research’ mindset. Their batshit reasons for rejecting the jab and closed-minded stubbornness might provide easy targets, but the cumulative effect of Anderson peppering them with shot after shot to the bullseye is hilarious. And we all know how much they hate shots.

His passionate, fast-paced diatribes provide a laugh-filled, congratulatory reassurance to those who believe in proper science over blind faith. He widens out those principles take swipes at religion, too, with quips given extra potency on this Holy weekend.

Anderson also inadvertently found himself at the centre of a global Joe Rogan-promoted misinformation campaign when the podcaster told his millions of followers that a parody ad from Anderson’s TV show Gruen was a genuine government campaign. It’s another first-hand story that adds further grist to the comic’s incident-filled pandemic story.

For there’s more to Wilogical than ignorance-bashing, fun as that is. Anderson knows Covid deniers as his neighbours and they are not otherwise bad people. When floods ravage their area, they exhibit a strong community spirit, while Anderson’s skills look suddenly inadequate.

There are self-deprecating anecdotes, too, about him awkwardly settling in to country life and more (and of course the obligatory joke about looking like Adam Hills). All funny in their own right, but also skilfully woven into a tight story of unforced callbacks and concealed themes that makes for a satisfying narrative.

With a fire in his belly and a hugely impressive gag rate, Anderson barely has time to let his material breathe. Instead, the audience are swept up in a tide of good sense, goodwill and good jokes. It’s an invigorating response to a dire situation that will have you rapt.

• Wil Anderson: Wilogical is on at the Comedy Theatre at 7.30pm on April 20 and 21, and 8pm on April 22 and 23 before heading to Sydney and Brisbane.

Review date: 18 Apr 2022
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett