I had seen this was on and wasn’t actually planning on seeing it this year, hoping I would pick it up later in the year during one of the re-runs if that was going to be a thing. There was something that happened the other week which changed my mind on it and I even booked a ticket the week I had not been paid to make sure that I had it. I should not need to say what that was, anyone who has followed Geraldine’s social media would know what happened. The show is already about grief and loss and having that on top of it is not something anyone would want to have has as an extra boulder to drag behind you while pushing the one of the actual show up the hill.

There were a lot of parts of the show that were extra raw as a result of this. Geraldine did seem to struggle in some parts but that would also be present in more normal circumstances as they were the emotional parts of the show.

The theme of the show explores her relationship with her brother Nick and how they were great working together but as happens with life one person goes off in one direction and the other ends up doing their own thing. They did try and work together for the festival but it didn’t work out.

There is the whole thing about going to high school and everyone asking if you were related to someone else. I had that with an older brother and younger sister at the same school who were more popular than me. It gets worse if it is a country high school and the teachers are the same ones that taught your parents. I did like the family photo prop including the one with the black line as they hadn’t quite given permission for that photo be used in the show.

A lot of work with memory as your own versus someone else’s comes into the show in particular the part with the high school talent quest. I write down or photograph almost everything I go to for the last 20 years and am still finding out people said something different happened. I have the review and the photos right there! When emotion gets involved you sometimes cannot remember what actually happened.

I had not meant to sit right in the front row, but due to access issues I had to be taken in the back way up the goods lift with some other people so had to sit there.

There was one big fluff with the technical direction with a track just stopping, would not happen with a band on stage but they were not available for this show. I can remember when Geraldine ran the ASRC benefit they had to put in extra songs as the show actually ran ahead of time.

I did enjoy the songs which was the main thing and the direction was good as they were actually sitting two seats away from me going through the show on their clipboard. Cheers to Anna Lumb who also sat next to me and I have seen her around in other shows.

Speaking of other people from the comedy and entertainment scenes there is a great line up of people contributing to this show including Tony Martin doing voice-over work, Mal Webb, Gideon Brazil, Kumar Shome on the music.

I recognise some of the Swingin’ Bella Christmas band in that line up which is always great as that was the best Christmas show for the last ten years that was a proper show, also the ASRC benefits that I went to at the comedy festival for about 10 years which was the main place I saw Geraldine at. There always seemed to a group of people that passed through the Bella Union venue at Trades Hall including for Casey Bennetto’s Half Arse Three where I would get drunk and rudely heckle him, kind of bad of me but I could not help myself with Casey.

I would recommend this one if you are a fan of Geraldine’s previous shows and want something that is a bit more serious and introspective than other work. It is not quite total doom and gloom show that you would expect about a show dealing with grief and loss and that is also explored in the show that artists and performers are expected to strip mine their own sorrow for their art and that is not something people want to actually do.

This one only has a relatively short run so I would recommend you get in quick. Not sure if it will actually be having a reprise later in the year or not as yet.

Rating: 5/5

Show Details:

Tickets from

https://www.malthousetheatre.com.au/what-s-on/comedy-festival-2024/geraldine-quinn-the-passion-of-saint-nicholas/  

Adult:

Wed & Thu $32.00

Fri & Sat $35.00

Sun $32.00

Group (6+):

Wed – Sun $30.00

Concession:

Wed & Thu $28.00

Sun $28.00

Preview: All Tix $22.00

Tightarse Tuesday: $22.00

MEAA, RRR & PBS: Wed & Thu $30.00

Sun $30.00

Fri & Sat (No Concession): Fri & Sat $35.00

Thu 28 Mar – Sat 30 Mar: 6.45pm;

Sun 31 Mar: 5.45pm;

Tue 2 Apr – Sat 6 Apr: 6.45pm;

Sun 7 Apr: 5.45pm

The Malthouse – The Tower , 113 Sturt St, Southbank

60 Minutes

The Malthouse – The Tower

113 Sturt St, Southbank

This show contains: Death and grief, Occasional coarse language

Accessibility details: Talk to front of house, they will get you to go up the goods lift out the back before the show.