All anyone wants in life is to be looked at in the way kids watch The Listies. The Listies are the best. Taking children to see The Listies is the best.
With new laser suits – laser suits! – for dancing, Make Some Noise is about making music and noise. Can Matt be trusted to carry Rich’s expensive and rare glass harmonica? Did Matt do a wee before the show started?
The Listies are serious Richard Higgins and less-serious Matt Kelly. They have plans, but silliness and naughtiness are far more fun and things go wrong, which is exactly what best days are like.
But behind every gag and exploding can of silly string is an understanding of how and why children want and need to be able to feel safe to laugh and dance and be heard.
Every child in the audience knows that Matt is their friend and that Rich is also super cool because he’s Matt’s friend. Their shows start with inclusion and makes sure that every child is part of the gang and always in on the jokes.
Sure, old grownups leave a Listies show elated – and there are jokes for the grownups because they are the ones who bring the kids – but The Listies are there for the kids.
They are never condescending and know that their audience is as smart as they are. And they are very smart. You can’t be this chaotic and outrageous if you’re not in control.
At the first Listies show in 2009, I recommend kidnapping kids if you don’t have any to take to their show. I stand by that. Every child deserves to see The Listies.
And every adult deserves to see children they know and love laughing so hard that you know you will take them to every Listies show until they are old enough to make more children for you to take to The Listies.
Or just go for the audience orchestra made of a squeaky crab, a triangle, a burp and a grown up playing a trombone. Or to see the baby that they are looking after…
The Listies: Make Some Noise!
Fairfax Studio – Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
Performance: Thursday 14 April 2022
Season continues to 24 April 2022
Bookings:
Following the Melbourne season, Make Some Noise! will be presented at the ARA Darling Quarter Theatre, Sydney (20 – 29 May) and venues across Australia from June 2022. For more information, visit: www.thelisties.com for details.
Image: Matt Kelly and Richard Higgins are The Listies (supplied)
Review: Anne-Marie Peard