REVIEW: MATTY GREY IN AGE-LESS 2: GAME ON

2013 MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL

REVIEW: MATTY GREY IN AGE-LESS 2: GAME ON

VENUE AND DATES: COMEDY ON COLLINS, THE SCOTS’ CHURCH ASSEMBLY HALL BUILDING, UNTIL APRIL 13.

ASSESSMENT: Grey proves that, old fashioned game-play trumps technology.
 

MATTY GREY - SUPPLIED.

STAR RATING: 3.

After last year’s show at the Northcote Town Hall, multi-coloured master of munchkin mayhem, Matty Grey, toured fictional “Game Land”. Hence the title of his sequel show.

Unfortunately for Grey’s audience of parents and their under 10 year olds, the tweaks Grey has made to last year’s successful formula do not enhance this production.

The Scots’ Church venue, smaller than the Northcote Town Hall, restrains Grey. And, the bolted on narrative to this show, is no substitute for the carefree chaos that hallmarked last year’s performance.

Grey unsuccessfully introduces into this production a great deal of audio-visual technology, to tie in with the show’s theme, and presumably, to appeal to the predilections of increasingly younger users of modern technology.

So, after an introduction by puppet versions of Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd, we watch an uninspiring, extended Star Wars-style video that depicts an animated version of Grey tumbling through the various Game Lands he has visited. Also out of place are technology-related statistics which while mildly educational for adults, go right over the kids’ heads.

Where this show takes flight is when Grey, ironically, goes low tech to directly involve his audience: Jimmy disappears and returns as a Dalek, there’s an old fashioned game of pass the parcel, we play dodge ball with an oversized beach ball, Charlie plays giant rock ‘em sock ‘em robots, and we fire nerf bullets at two poor parents with yellow plastic ducks on their heads. Matty, keep it simple and audiences will adore you.

BY: JOE CALLERI.

NB: REVIEW ALSO PUBLISHED ON HERALD SUN ONLINE, APRIL 05, 2013.