Damian Callinan in Mmm…They’re Small
Previously called Spazznuts in its, Mmm…They’re Small was a reprisal of Damian Callinan’s acclaimed Melbourne Comedy Festival show recounting the story about his discovery of his infertility.
Damian used a lot of character work to tell the tale. Through mime, minimal props and his acting, we were transported to a group counselling session where Damian himself was merely one of a number of people inhabiting the ‘room’/stage. It was as part of the introductory part of the ‘session’ that he told his own story through flashback sequences and addressing the audience directly. We witnessed various awkward consultations Damian had with specialists and his embarrassing visits to sperm testing clinics. This made for a much more interesting experience than just a straight stand up set.
There were moments where Damian broke character and deconstructed theatre conventions which weren’t too self indulgent. He wittily expressed his frustration at the audience not getting all the jokes at one point but with material such as this, it sometimes can be difficult to separate the poignant moments from the lighthearted comments.
Some segments of non threatening audience participation were employed, both for the collection ideas to incorporate into the show and to enhance the workshop segment of the show. The audience I was in, especially the Americans in the crowd, threw themselves into the Enya motivation/relaxation exercises and offered information to Damian with a little coaxing.
I noticed that he had left in a lot of the Australian references and terms but for the most part they didn’t seem to require much explaination. He managed to throw in a few local ones, just to show he had done some homework. When addressing the audience, his delivery style came across as warm with just a hint of Aussie larikin. With the show’s topic revolving around the male reproductive organs there were no shortage of testicle jokes but Damian managed to limit the crudeness factor without making it a show full of clinical descriptions.
Mmm…They’re Small is an amusing and emotional show that had the audience hanging on his every word and laughing through most of it’s duration. Infertility is a subject that most men would find difficult to see the lighter side of but Damian has managed to and made it highly entertaining to boot.
Visit the Fringe Website for booking details.