In a refitted shipping container at the Factory Theatre, a self-titled bogan philosopher critiqued the lifestyle of rum tinny drinkers. In an enjoyable colloquial performance, Matty B, the son of a doctor of philosophy delivered stand up comedy that was reminiscent of chatting with a friend at a pub. Personable, relatable and just a little coarse, Matty told anecdotes of his upbringing in a country town outside of Newcastle to good effect.
With a self acknowledged lack of narrative, Matty focused mainly on sets of one liners, growing increasingly dark as he gauged the audience’s reaction. His philosophical roots shone through with absurdist observations and a tale of his dad cognitively conditioning him to mow the lawn.
More than a few times Matty’s jokes would take an unexpected turn, one in particular about a personified hipster soy latte turned into a pensive thought of whether or not a coffee table was actually a coffee stool.
The venue was small, humble and intimate adding to the approachable feel of the performance, with seats only going four across and about fifteen deep. This led to some well received back and forth banter, including the give-away of a flanno, the traditional bogan uniform. The crowd itself was a mixture of friends and newcomers and all were in good cheer.
The hour long performance was sharp, short and to the point. Striking a balance between insightful, absurd and raw, the bogan philosopher lived up to his name.
MATTY B: PHILISOPHICAL BOGAN played the Factory Theatre on the 12th, 14th and 16th May as part of this years’ Sydney Comedy Festival.
