Alice Tovey and Ned Dixon certainly know how to wield their instruments: Ned is terrific on the piano, his hands fierce across the keys; Alice has an incredible voice, majestic and malleable.
Fans of Tom Lehrer, or Tim Minchin, will be right at home here. Over the course of the hour, Alice and Ned run a tight set – a range of satirical and political songs exploring what it’s like being a woman in what is still very much a man’s world.
The writing is strong, both spoken and sung. Banter between songs in these sorts of shows can sometimes be vague and rough, causing things to drag. Not here. Alice delivers what are more like miniature stand-up routines than they are loose, ad-libbed segues.
The audience received a veritable cornucopia of sonic delights: We got a ferocious beat poem, an Iliad-esque marvel of contempt for the patriarchy. We got a mixed media presentation of music, voice, and sock puppets with the hilarious I’m Not Racist (I Just Say Racist Things). We got a frightening Pauline Hanson impersonation. We got gravitas. We got a show that more than earned its applause… We got kazoos.
Alice Tovey – Mansplaining
The Butterfly Club, 5 Carson Place, Melbourne
Performance: Tuesday 11 April 2017 – 7.00pm
Season continues to 16 April 2017
Information and Bookings: www.comedyfestival.com.au
Image: Alice Tovey and Ned Dixon (supplied)
Review: David Collins