Damian Callinan: Robinson Crusoe
Live Review
Melbourne International Comedy Festival

Robinson Crusoe was marooned on an isolated tropical island for 28 years. As a lonely child, locked out of his house, Damian Callinan once spent an afternoon alone in his garage. Almost identical, right?

Yes, this has very little to do with Daniel Defoe’s classic novel, and everything to do with Callinan’s dysfunctional youth, de rigueur for any insecure comedian.

As is his wont, Callinan brings this yarn to life through spot-on characterisations of everything from his Northern Irish neighbours to his four-year-old self, dressed as a superhero’s sidekick and feeling ‘funny in the doodle’ when around girls.

The warmly told story takes in nostalgia from Space Hoppers to finding dirty magazines in the bushes – hardly unique experiences, but all fitting his evocative narrative of a time when the world was full of wonder and adventure, even if he was often too timid to engage with it.

There’s a heavy dose of pathos a he recounts his awkwardness – which continues right up to the present day – which he alleviates with a few silly fun and games such as an unusual bit of crowd-surfing, which hit the spot perfectly, and the suggestion that we sponsor a child, a confused routine that unfortunately only adds to the tension.

Nor does he rely only on his acting chops to bring the story to life, as there’s poetry (courtesy of Robbie Burns), dancing (courtesy of Duran Duran), dog impersonations and sound cues, too – though this latter technique gets irritating quickly.

It’s all enjoyable stuff, expertly executed – although without that killer hook that Callinan’s best work has displayed. The comedy laps gently at your feet, like the tide on Crusoe’s desert island, rather than carrying you away on a storm of hilarity.