Melbourne International Comedy Festival review

Tom Walker has built up an enviable reputation for absurd, intense, off-the-wall work, usually with a sizeable helping of physical comedy. So it’s something of a surprise to report that My Treasures My Beautiful Treasures is a traditional one-man, one-mic stand-up presentation.

But what is weird is the subject matter, which certainly isn’t small objects of delight. The comic explains this show is about ‘pathetic men who aren’t hurting anyone’ – and a very specific couple of NSFW subgenres of that category to boot.

Walker has taken a deep dive into some almost obsolete recesses of the internet – forums – to discover like-minded groups of men with micropenises, those obsessed with wet dreams, and, for the lion’s share of the hour, blokes committed to sucking their own dicks.

Of course, there are plenty of sniggers to be had about these sad sacks (no testicle pun intended) – but the show doesn’t rely explicitly on that. While Walker has jokes at his subjects’ expense, he also treats them with a certain respect, like a curious scientist trying to observe and understand rather than destroy.

The medium they chose to communicate with each other adds to that feeling. Messages are frozen in time on abandoned message boards, subtly raising unresolved questions of permanence, community and legacy, especially when events take a tragic turn. By peeking into this world, Walker is preserving it – literally in the cases where he ran off printed copies.

Despite a slight suggestion of voyeurism, Walker is admirably committed to his niche subject matter, exploring it from every angle and dedicating almost the whole hour to it. It’s a bit of a stretch for him to get the audience equally invested in every bit of the minutiae, but nerdy enthusiasm and self-effacing likability go a long way.

Nonetheless, there are a few peculiar asides, including an hilariously petty rant about peanut butter plus the sickest joke – in both senses – about the number 59 you’ll ever hear. And that’s not a numerical typo.

It’s all underpinned by an upbeat, jazzy soundtrack – made by muso Tom Cardy – which adds another touch of class to the subject matter, raising it from the sleazy.

And if you enjoyed the ride, bonus extras come in a 17-minute video, accessed via a QR code in the homemade zine handed out at the door, for a deeper glimpse into the peculiar mind of a peculiar comedian.

Review date: 10 Apr 2024
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Melbourne International Comedy Festival