Melbourne International Comedy Festival review

Were it not for Chris Marlton introducing himself by a name that’s not his, you’d be hard pressed to know this was a character act at all.

His alter-ego Desmond Little is a mild-mannered bloke from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who chats fondly to the audience as he nurses a beer or two, just like many a comic.

He asks quirky questions such as ‘what’s your go-to girl dinner?’ – a TikTok trend of snack-based grazing – or ‘what’s your favourite parasite?’ to get each low-key absurd section going.  Kudos, incidentally, for the audience member who came up with ‘capitalism’ for the answer to the latter. 

Little is an open-minded character, curious about the intelligence of plants or the philosophy of chakras. He claims to have a PhD in tarot cards – a qualification that’s of no use in a mid-flight medical emergency should they call for a doctor, he accepts, a little predictably. 

Aside from the unaggressive crowd work,another running gag comes from the various reasons he gives why his wife Susan can’t be with us tonight, her myriad interests and activities prompting more musing.  Turns out there’s a good reason for her absence, providing a little emotional coda to the show.

That Little is so believable as a persona is testament to Marlton’s effortless ability to make him so, though with such muted comic exaggeration, he barely needs to be a character at all.

This is a slight show - running about 40 minutes, and gently amusing rather than a laugh riot. There is a smattering of good jokes, though where Marlton really proves himself is in building a community even among a small, slightly reticent, early-evening crowd.

• Chris Marlton: Desmond Little is on at the Charles Dickens Tavern at 5pm (4pm Sundays) until April 19.

Review date: 1 Apr 2026
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Melbourne International Comedy Festival