Melbourne International Comedy Festival review

Burton Brothers Josh and Tom have always excelled at creating an authentic sense of time and place in their skilfully performed sketch shows, and Tinseltown is no exception. The glamorous spirit of Hollywood’s golden era pervades every scene and character – even when the references are contemporary.

The versatile siblings’ creations are instantly recognisable, but with a twist, from the big-time producer to the washed-up drunk; from the wide-eyed wannabe, arriving from the sticks with nothing more than hope in his heart, to the ageing ingenue. She provides some of the most memorable – and dumb – scenes, forever harking back to her heyday working on King Kong. Even a guy in a neon-green bodysuit hustling tourists for photos on Hollywood Boulevard has his role to play in the characters’ intertwining stories. 

However, the Burton Brothers are too comedically restless to leave this show at one narrative. They show off their improvisational skills by mashing up films suggested by the crowd (Fight Club and Finding Nemo, anybody?), offer some potted movies parodies (and even the animated Columbia Pictures logo) and deploy some cutting-edge AI. Audience interaction, that is, with a couple of willing volunteers drafted in to be bit-part actors. 

The result is fast-paced and high in energy. The brothers engender the feeling that they are running by the seat of their pants, but in reality there’s zero risk they will ever lose control. They are just sprinkling some chaos onto a tightly-planned framework to keep things fresh.

A recurrent theme is pushing their ideas and scenes a little further than you might expect, taking impish delight in their own audacity. This doesn’t always come off, but not to any great detriment given the relentless momentum driving the absurdity forward and the forceful, flexible performances from the brothers. If only there were an Oscar for live sketch comedy…

• The Burton Brothers: Tinseltown is on at Trades Hall at 8.40pm (7.40pm Sundays; no show Wednesdays) until April 19.

Review date: 8 Apr 2026
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Melbourne International Comedy Festival