UTG @ Melbourne International Comedy Festival: Joel Creasey – ‘The Hurricane’

March 30th, 2015

Brenton Harris

Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Comic: Joel Creasey
Show: The Hurricane
Venue: ACMI Below

The last twelve months have seen Joel Creasey rise from the ranks of ‘promising young comedian’ to genuine comedy superstar and national celebrity status. This ascendance has blessed him with an insight into the lifestyles of the rich and famous, exposing him to the idiosyncrasies and human failings of many an A-lister (and C-listers, and whatever Neighbours stars are classified as), and granting him a new perspective on the cult of celebrity.

Creasey’s new show The Hurricane draws on these experiences to hilarious effect, with Creasey using his trademark blend of wit and bitch to deliver a fast-moving hour of anecdote-driven comedy that proves to be an absolute riot to witness. The acid-tongue prince of Australian comedy had the sold-out Sunday evening crowd in stitches from the get-go, offering fabulously bitchy takes on his fellow contestants on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, a high-powered LA talent agent who labelled him ‘a disappointment,’ and a particularly traumatic interview with Christoph Waltz.

It’s not all cattiness though – as with last year’s runaway success Rock God, Creasey interjects elements of tenderness and sweetness into his hour, with funny yet touching stories about the death of a friend’s cat, befriending childhood idols and a particularly funny examination of his neurotic behavior at a sex party (it involves baking pike-lets).

Highlighted by a story about being invited back to a not-to-be-named Neighbours cast member’s house for a sex party and suitably over-the-top Taylor Swift inspired closing sequence, The Hurricane proves Rock God was no one-hit wonder and reaffirms Creasey’s standing as an international comedy superstar waiting to happen. I ROFL’d in real life.

‘The Hurricane’ is on now at ACMI Below. Click here for dates and ticket details.