It’s a funny old world in making a show about being a beginner, Mike McLeish show feels like it was one I would have seen 20 years ago when the comedians I go to see were just starting out like Josh Earl. As Mike says himself he started that long ago in stand-up comedy but got “kidnapped” into musical theatre via Keating! This meant that any ideas of pursuing this line of work took a back seat to what he was best known for and what people would pay him to do due to his growing family and having to rely on a partner with a steady job (in Australian entertainment industry terms).

This all changed with the passing of his mother and he decided he was sick of giving things up and regretting them and wanted to feel like a beginner again. It would have been easy for him to rustle up a band and just do a jukebox show from the productions he has worked on. There was a member of the original Keating band in attendance at the show, so they are never far away. I wanted to tell Enio about this show but did not how to reach him. Casey tends to sneak into shows and out again without telling people he is coming.

In fitting with the theme of being a beginner even after being seen as “advanced” in his field some parts of this show are a bit rough. It was funny he actually got annoyed at people applauding the recorder rendition after he spent so much time deriding it. It may annoy some people about the ragging on his private school education, but good, it should annoy them.

Not having a band to fall back on and being able to “sneak” songs into the repertoire is also something he mentioned, but not really that necessary to draw attention to it. The Cartridge Family spends out half their set doing jokes and doesn’t really see the need to mode switch.

It’s not a bad show, but then again you can’t expect your first go at something to be S-tier straight out of the gate. I would suspect that even people that appear than way have warehouses full of their failure they keep behind the curtain. It is also on-brand for this show that it successfully lowers your expectations in concept of the show that you are willing to go along with it not being 100% perfect and accept it for what it is.

Rating: 3/5

Show details:

Tickets from: https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2024/shows/adult-beginner

Adult:

Mon $30.00

Thu $30.00

Fri & Sat $32.00

Sun $30.00

Concession: All Tix $26.00

Group (4+): All Tix $25.00

Tightarse Tuesday: $25.00

Preview: All Tix $20.00

Dates and Times:

Thu 28 Mar – Sat 30 Mar: 6.20pm;

Sun 31 Mar: 5.20pm;

Mon 1 Apr & Tue 2 Apr: 6.20pm;

Thu 4 Apr – Sat 6 Apr: 6.20pm;

Sun 7 Apr: 5.20pm;

Mon 8 Apr & Tue 9 Apr: 6.20pm;

Thu 11 Apr – Sat 13 Apr: 6.20pm;

Sun 14 Apr: 5.20pm;

Mon 15 Apr & Tue 16 Apr: 6.20pm;

Thu 18 Apr – Sat 20 Apr: 6.20pm;

Sun 21 Apr: 5.20pm

Trades Hall – Music Room, 54 Victoria St, Carlton

Show length: 55 Minutes