Sketch-comedy trio Aunty Donna return to the stage with another hour of ridiculous, unadulterated hilarity in their show Big Boys.
One must feel for the boys of Aunty Donna after delivering their unique brand of sketch-comedy. Their hour of all-singing, all-dancing and brilliant chaos would leave them worse for wear, only to wake up the next morning and have to do it all over again.
Becoming one of the biggest headliners in Australian comedy, the trio consisting of Broden Kelly, Mark Bonanno and Zachary Ruane have earned themselves rockstar status among fans. Relentless in content, there are few breaks or down moments for the audience to catch their breath. In an almost improvisational way, the boys bounce off each other’s energy, delivering a stupidly clever medley of call-backs.
Like past shows, audience participation is always a big hit, and the interaction with those lucky patrons in the first few rows and the cheekily planted handbag in the audience, connects fans to their performance.
The boys are extremely well rehearsed, with lighting and sound cues which are integral to the smooth-running of the show being evidence of just that. Although they are not well known for their sense of reservation, there are a surprising number of “real jokes” that find their way in. In saying that, the show still feels like an hour of in-jokes for those who are familiar with Aunty Donna’s work: a prime example example being the moment when DJ and sound engineer Tom Armstrong received a standing ovation for saying a single word.
Big Boys is a big success to those who are willing to let this silly and slightly immature brand of comedy be exactly what it is trying to be. There is substance to the silliness however, and more method to the madness than meets the eye. It is definitely a show to get around, and one that can guarantee an hour of belly-laugh inducing comedy.
See Big Boys by Aunty Donna at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival
