Until a recent move to Geelong, the “Spirit of Tasmania” ferried passengers from Port Melbourne to Devonport in 9-11 hours. The service inspired Mel O’Brien and Samantha Andrew to create a musical comedy tribute: Shit-Wrecked!
We launched with the fast-paced song Ships Are Hot, in which the sparkly-swimsuit-wearing pair showed exuberant dance moves, and a good capacity for cardio work. They performed a number of similarly energetic routines across the show, regularly earning the audience’s appreciation.
The piece doesn’t just have original songs of love for a (truthfully, not-so-glamourous) ferry. There were also sketches with music showing how other travellers were enjoying the voyage.
We checked in with rival entertainers at the ship’s kids club, keen to give the kids some musical truth bombs … whilst avoiding any copyright infringement.
Other scenes included public transport myki inspectors on leave, and some wannabe f*ckboys at an on-board bar’s open-mic night. Yes, some of the content mightn’t go over well at a family dinner.
There were unfortunate periods where we couldn’t clearly hear O’Brien above the backing track. Given the fast pace of many unfamiliar songs, we probably missed a good deal of the pair’s satirical lyrics at times. Still, there was a cargo-hold worth of laughs across the hour.
Andrew (TikTok star, Green Room award-winner) and O’Brien (neither) previously had a sold-out tour of No Hat, No Play! The Cabaret! They’ve certainly backed this up with Shit-Wrecked!, which is indeed a seaworthy vessel for their comedy.
Anchors aweigh! This 7.00pm show – full of topical issues, odd angles, and bangers – is sure to set you up for a quality night of Melbourne Fringe cruising at Trades Hall.
Shit-Wrecked!
Trades Hall – Common Rooms, Corner Lygon & Victoria Streets, Carlton
Performance: Saturday 8 October 2022 – 7.00pm
Season continues to 15 October 2022
Information and Bookings: www.melbournefringe.com.au
Image: Mel O’Brien and Samantha Andrew feature in Shit-Wrecked! (supplied)
Review: Jason Whyte