Two Portly Gentlemen in East Meets West, April 11,2012 *

LOOP Project Space & Bar until April 22, 2012

Reviewed by Joe Calleri
Published in Herald Sun online, April 11, 2012 4:05PM

Stars: ★

POLASH Larsen and Nic Velissaris are two portly, 30-something gentlemen.

Their show, East Meets West, is a sombre, embarrassing mess, lacking structure and enough comedic glue to keep their 45-minute routine from disintegrating before a sold-out Tuesday night audience.

East Meets West refers to the performers’ backgrounds: one from Footscray, the other Camberwell; Larsen is Indian, Velissaris is Greek.

The premise of two mis-matched, odd-couple, different side of the tracks comedians, should have presented these guys with plenty of material, especially when, to quote their publicity, they “have been writing for theatre, and working as playwrights, directors and dramaturges in and around Melbourne for more than a decade.”

Instead, an unpalatable melange of unsuccessful sight gags, attending Greek weddings, debates about famous Greek and Indian-born performers, a Punch and Judy-style puppet routine, and a mock wrestling bout is on the night’s menu.

The welcome absence of profanity, Velissaris’s enthusiastic, vaguely amusing, 80’s-inspired dance moves, and the duo singing “Can’t get no Facebook action” to the Rolling Stones’ (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, earns this performance one tiny star.

Stars: ★