At Easter time, many of us are ready for some hot cross puns. Actually, puns from veteran English performer Tim Vine are mostly good-natured, but you’ll sure get as many as you can handle. In his show Tim Timinee Tim Timinee Tim Tim To You, Vine unleashed a barrage of wordplay and visual gags that had the rare distinction of being both suitable for all ages AND very funny.
The show’s title refers to a song in the Disney film adaptation of Mary Poppins. Vine illustrates the link at the outset with some chimney jokes: “I’ve got a stack of them, they’re on the house”. He kept this rapid-fire delivery going for the whole show, as you may expect from a man who holds a Guinness World Record for 499 jokes told in an hour.
It only struck me afterwards that Vine kept the audience laughing almost continuously without needing any swearing or sexual references. His skill is in drawing surprise from unpredictable gags, silliness with props, and the odd song and dance number, odd being the operative word.
If you’ve seen the MICF guide, you’d have to say that Vine’s entry is very accurate. He’s not into dabbling in observational comedy or irony, and he doesn’t need to. His inventiveness touched on a variety of subjects, with lines like “I went to the doctor and told him I wanted him to burst me while I stand on fish skin. He said ‘I’ll just pop you on the scales’.”
Vine’s performance was made even more impressive by his ability to recall so many seemingly unrelated jokes. So pay attention, otherwise it will be quite difficult to recall them afterwards. I was happy with the show as choosing acts for a night out at MICF can often be a bit of a lottery. However, if you like some silliness, then Tim Timinee Tim Timinee Tim Tim To You, get yo’self a ticket, you’ll be lucky too!
Tim Vine: Tim Timinee Tim Timinee Tim Tim To You
The Banquet Room – Victoria Hotel, 215 Little Collins Street, Melbourne
Performance: Saturday 26 March 2016 – 7.00pm
Season continues to 17 April 2016
Bookings: www.comedyfestival.com.au
For more information, visit: www.comedyfestival.com.au for details.
Image: Tim Vine (supplied)
Review: Jason Whyte