Melbourne International Comedy Festival review

Guy Williams offers a chaotic mix of rage, sarcasm, bleakness and wit, all blasted out with the indiscriminate focus of a spree shooter.

At the heart of the New Zealander’s latest show is an unflattering portrait of the sort of ‘dumb’ and unemotional parents that produced not one but three comedians, with Guy’s siblings Paul and Maria also in the business. That is not a family that screams ‘functional’.

Williams certainly projects as something of a mess, describing his grim life on the road, especially when staying in the sort of hotels that inspire suicidal thoughts. His sense of humour is bleak, but often hilarious, fuelled by a desperate nihilism that sees him seek dark jokes from the likes of 9/11, serial killers being namechecked by rappers, or the r-word (don’t worry, he doesn’t say it).

For a similar reason he seeks to antagonise the Australian audience, repeatedly mocking them – especially in regards to their denial of indigenous people’s rights – in order to provoke a reaction. It’s tongue-in cheek, but he has a point.

‘I realise I don’t seem very competent,’ he admits of his semi-distracted if forthright delivery style – a consequence, no doubt, of his ADHD. But his best lines prove he knows what he’s doing.

His dad is a deep well of material: a die-hard reactionary dinosaur who doesn’t believe in Mental health issues, despite having close experience of it. Williams Sr’s repressed refusal to say ‘I love you’ to his son becomes a running joke. And you’d better believe the comedian has the recordings of their conversations to back up his unvarnished appraisal.

To add to the stand-up’s woes, his ex-girlfriend was last year forced to quit as a Greens MP in New Zealand after being caught shoplifting. That might not seem like his tale to tell, but the incident does, ultimately,  feed into the main narrative and provide a compelling twist – though the set-up is convoluted and would benefit from clearer storytelling skills than the ever-haphazard Williams employs here.  

But elsewhere, his unpredictable nature lands well, proving him a disruptive force of misrule for those who like their stand-up raw, and a bit dark.

Review date: 2 Apr 2025
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Melbourne International Comedy Festival