Original Review:

Show Rating:

Ho-hum, another jolly subject for comedy. A topic that’s prone to be either taken too gravely, making for a tragically serious monologue, or far too lightly, becoming a spawning ground for dick jokes.

While this established Australian comic occasionally falls into one or other of the twin traps, for the most part he charts a successful course through the tricky material. He does, for example, allow himself one ‘coming’ pun at the sperm clinic - OK, maybe two – but that’s it. Then there’s the maudlin moment when he reveals the impact the discovery of his problem had has on his marriage, which brings the comedy to a juddering halt.

But mostly the balance is right, with jokes emerging from the unusual personal situations he found himself in. A lot of these incidents are begging to exploited for humour, such as the cold-hearted and cold-handed doctor who rummaged around his nether regions, or the friend being stopped for speeding en route to the clinic with a fresh semen sample on the passenger seat (in a container – it’s not that sort of story). Other moments are less obviously funny, but Callinan remains engaging and witty as he retells them.

His speciality is comic characters, who he employs sparingly but effectively, even if being intimidated by him as the formidable fertility clinic nurse as you wait in line makes you fear the worst. His tale is told as if a flashback during a visit to a support group, where he brings a variety of personalities to life to illustrate different personal reactions to infertility. Other characters pop up during the dramatisation, too, easing the story along – although his depiction of a mentally challenged young relative causes liberal discomfort.

This is a warm, sensitive, and occasionally silly, treatment of his condition, delivered with candour, good humour and a quiet likeability. Other shows will offer more laughs, but this is still a satisfying hour.

Reviewed by: Steve Bennett