Review by Steve Bennett

Of course, you can’t discount such a huge swathe of the population like that, so this monologue, taking its title from a Billy Bragg lyric, is her riposte to the stereotype she doesn’t fit. She may be into pop culture – but she’s into politics, too… well, of a fashion.

This is not, perhaps, such an age-specific stance as she might think. There are plenty of people – OK, men – 20 years her senior who are more interested in the X in Xbox than the X they put on a voting slip. But Hocking argues that anyone, herself included, will connect with politics if the presentation and the cause are right.

The result is a slightly fragmented but still coherent romp through the things that engage her – from Bono to the Beatles, hating John Howard to climate change. Along the way there are some entertaining jobs from her previous jobs on local radio and on the customer service line for a TV station – giving a terrifying insight into nutty concerns of the great Australian public.

At times, it feels slightly over-written: more like an essay she’s reading out to he class rather than fluid, conversational stand-up, but she cracks through a lot of material at a bracing pace, as well as providing smart, amiable company.

She should, perhaps, leave some of the more obvious gags alone – the world already has enough Heather Mills jokes that she can’t better – and if she made sure that everything in the show was serving her core argument, rather than earning a place for simply being a nice tale, the message would be stronger.

But while the show might need an editor’s or director’s hand, Hocking clearly cares about the subject matter – an authentic passion that rubs off easily on to the audience.

The material is further enhanced by a skilful turn of phrase, heaps of likeability and a handful of smart gags.

She is still developing as a stand-up, but in another blow to the lazy Generation Y stereotype, she’s clearly putting in the effort to improve with each year’s festival show.

Reviewed by: Steve Bennett

Review date: 1 Jan 2008
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett