Stephen K Amos Gets Next To You
“Hello, latecomers,” thunders Stephen K Amos. “I’m from England, and I got here on time!”
And he gets a round of applause to start the show. To be fair, though, it’s already started, with warm-up act Harley Breen. Breen’s jokes about the differences between men and women getting ready for the Melbourne Cup risk collapsing into clichés, but manage huge laughs. He continues with classic impersonations of elderly people who just don’t want to wear pants anymore, or who like to call ABC radio late at night.
Amos, when he takes over, is a true professional, who keeps the laughs coming all night. He delivers quick-witted improvisation along with a conversational stream of stories about his time in Australia and other worldwide travels.
He’s not afraid to impersonate the very people he’s performing to, and his Australian accents are spot on. “How’s it going, eh?” he drawls, before replying in his own accent with the next letter of the alphabet: “Very well, b.”
It’s lucky, though, that no-one from Adelaide was in the room, or maybe they just didn’t admit to it. They just have one tram there, he explains, which travels between the city and the beach. So when asked if he wanted a return ticket, he quipped, “No, I live in the sea.”
His topics alternate between politics and pop culture: the reasons why America isn’t ready for a black president lead into jokes about text message bullying, and material on John Howard segues into EastEnders and the lyrics of popular songs.
The audience interaction stayed brief and funny. Gifted with a 14-year-old at the front, Amos managed plenty of “Ask your father”-type asides. He also kept up an intermittent conversation with a young plumber that raked in the laughs.
Fans will have heard some of these jokes – his trip to a bank in Harlem, New York, and an ad on Australian television for all your door needs spring to mind – but they’re so funny, you’ll laugh all over again.
Amos is fresh off the plane, and apologises for his jet lag in advance. At one point, he turns to the audience and asks, “What day is this?” It makes for a fragmented show, which risks falling flat in the middle, but judging by the audience response, he’s funny enough that they forgive him without a problem.
Stephen K Amos might be one of the biggest names in comedy at this year’s Fringe, but he lives up to it. And once he’s had a good sleep, no doubt his very funny show will be even tighter. The Athenaeum was pretty full when I went, so if you can get your hands on a ticket to this show, I’d recommend you hold on to it.
Visit the Fringe Website for booking details.