from the editor's desk
Review of ‘A Book Lover’s Comedy Show’
Meghan McLean
‘A Book Lover’s Comedy Show’ was originally a concept solo performance by comedian and actor George Dimarelos. Dimarelos began performing stand-up comedy in venues around Sydney in 2011. In 2013 he had his first standup comedy show at the Sydney Fringe Festival. From there he continued to develop his observational comedic style overseas, performing in London, Edinburgh and New York. Now, he is bringing his new show, ‘A Book Lover’s Comedy Show’ back home to Australia. Dimarelos confesses that the show began as a means of creating a safe space for him to discuss his love of books—a place for him to “nerd out”. He invites the audience members to join him, encourages their indulgence in the small feeling of superiority that reading can provide. Whether the audience reads every day, once a week, or once every ten years, Dimarelos insists this show is for them.
What grew from the idea of a solo show is now a collaboration of world class comedians talking about everything book related. The compilation show features a rotating bill of comedians, offering new insights into the world of reading every night. The show is cleverly built around a love of books and caters to every kind of book inclination. Whether you are a reader, a writer, a lover of grammar, a journal keeper, or a linguist, this show is for you.
Dimarelos has assembled a cast of wonderful characters from all over the world, each of which presents their own unique book reading quirks. The Fringe World website writes that they could be talking about anything “from a kids book that scarred them for life to a time they partied with Salman Rushdie—whatever it is, if you like reading there’ll be something for you.” And the varied performances do not disappoint. The opening night featured three very different, very funny comedians. The first on stage was musical comedian, improviser and grammar nerd Louisa Fitzhardinge. She delivers her witty lyricism and punchlines in a beautiful voice—and four different languages! Her cabaret style comedy is brilliantly funny and entertaining. The second comedian of the night was Pamela DeMenthe, the self-proclaimed Queen of erotic fiction. The Fringe World website tells that in her hilarious character comedy, DeMenthe “invites her fans to learn the secrets of her success & enjoy a sneak preview of he seminal novel, Sticky Digits…This comedy theatre promises a hilarious rollercoaster of salacious storytelling & sexual imagery that will be burned into the memory for years.” Her characterisation is incredibly believable and her punchlines are timed to perfection—she will have you laughing out loud. Aidan ‘Taco’ Jones rounded out this hilarious trio with a unique rendition of a journal entry. In 2013 Taco wrote diary entries on the backs of a set of playing cards, one for each week of that year. He invites the audience to select one of the cards from the deck and then retells the memory of that week in a unique comedic style. All of the comedians performing in ‘A Book Lover’s Comedy Show’ are featuring their own work in the 2019 Perth Fringe Festival, making this show a great way to preview a hilarious rotating bill of comedians that Dimarelos has skilfully selected.
‘A Book Lover’s Comedy Show’ is showing as a part of the 2019 Perth Fringe Festival at Nevermind Smallclub from the 2nd of February to the 9th of February. For tickets and more information, please visit:
https://fringeworld.com.au/whats_on/a-booklover-s-comedy-show-fw2019
Meghan McLean is a PhD candidate and teaching fellow at the University of Western Australia. Her project, seated within the field of creative writing, examines the relationship between the experience of trauma and the act of autobiographical writing, with a specific focus on addiction narratives and family memoir.
