Melbourne International Comedy Festival review

Is there no end to the peculiar, almost otherworldly stories Danielle Walker has about her eccentric family in isolated North Queensland? It appears not, as the guileless outsider has another hour’s worth in her latest charming show.

This time the Australia Taskmasker champion has cast the net a little wider to encompass various eccentric uncles, as well as looking inwardly and occasionally mentioning her autism. The unresolved question is whether she’s seen as odd because she’s neurodiverse or because of her upbringing in small-town Tully.

There’s certainly plenty of evidence on the ‘nurture’ side, given her immediate family tree includes prankster/criminals and a very blunt-talking nana. Greyer areas are why she appears dressed as a ‘middle-aged mum’ in childhood photos, an obsession with stuffed meerkat toys – as expressed in one of the bonkers videos she shares with the room – and a routine that starts: ‘The first time I ate dog food…’

Her eccentricities, and that of her family, are always presented as adorable character quirks, no matter how out of the ordinary – or even troubling – they might be outside of this strange and folksy world Walker creates for her audience. Again, maybe it’s the way her brain is wired, readily accepting people at face value.

However, The Lady Upstairs – a reference to the third party in her head that the comedian believes is behind all her decisions – feels less rounded than some of her earlier work, a succession of amusingly daffy anecdotes more than a satisfying whole. The quirky stories are always told with non-judgemental affection but fall a little short of the overarching love letter to her family than the post-lockdown beauty of her 2022 show, Nostalgia. That she’s still occasionally using notes also stops us from getting totally lost in her universe.

But the show is full of delightful charm, due in no small part to the enthusiasm and innocence she has maintained, while the peculiarities she brings to the table ensure her content will always be unique.

Review date: 4 Apr 2024
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Melbourne International Comedy Festival