MAP MAN! MAP MAN! MAP MAN! MAP! MAN! MAN! MAN!

Not that one.

MAPS

Wrong again!

This show has Julian O’Shea exploring various maps and also some lesser-known things about Melbourne including alternative designs for where Federation Square is now, some public transport advocacy mixed in with the “car brain” segment and also a diversion into long-term nuclear waste storage.

As with another show I went to a couple of days back there were severe technical difficulties but no broken accordion straps to deal with this time. For this show it manifested in the form of a half-hour wait. Luckily, I did not have anything else on that night. Also, the footpath out the front is being worked on so a bit awkward for access. I ended up getting something for dinner in the city as I did not end up getting home until nearly 10pm.

Compared to last year’s show it did seem to pack a lot more in but also went off on a tangent more often as there wasn’t a specific narrative going through it. I know from my own research in the State Library of Victoria it is easy to get side tracked when you are looking for something specific as the context around it is often more interesting than what you are actually wanting to find such as a baby being sold in the pub rather than the execution of Jean-Lee.

I did like the Sim City reference and the “trying to place residential zoning would get you 16 letters from NIMBYS”. I had not heard the bit about the developers trying to make the game more realistic and finding out there would be too many car parks. Cities Skylines has taken up the mantle of these games and does model transport more effectively.

There is a phalanx of train youtubers and also some more planning-related ones. This show would count as a long-form video but not sure what the monetisation would be as he did drop some controversial topics that YouTube would flag. It was a sold-out show and that is the people who came during the previews and so wanted to see this before everyone else.

All the slides seemed to be well laid-out but I would sit further to the front if you have vision issues as it is not that big a screen. The venue is a conference centre and Julian joked that coming to his show on a Saturday counts as professional development. There is actually a comedy conference at the venue in the next couple of weeks.

Was a bit of audience interaction demonstrating different projection models of a globe map and also one involving a certain well-known rodent that I won’t spoil as part of the nuclear waste section.

It was a good show but remember there is some of it that is not technically about maps but at least map related. I was going to bring the two Melways to give to Julian but decided against it as I had carried enough stuff around earlier in the day.

As with last year there was a badge handed out at the end, I only just recently found the one I got last year I thought I had lost it.

Show details:

Pricing

Adult: All Tix $36.00

Group (5+): All Tix $30.00

Concession: All Tix $29.00

Preview: All Tix $29.00

Times and dates:

Fri 27 Mar & Sat 28 Mar: 6.30pm;

Sun 29 Mar: 5.30pm;

Wed 1 Apr – Sat 4 Apr: 6.30pm;

Sun 5 Apr: 5.30pm;

Wed 8 Apr – Sat 11 Apr: 6.30pm;

Sun 12 Apr: 5.30pm

Location:

Crowne Plaza Melbourne – Studio 2, 1-5 Spencer Street, Docklands Melbourne

AUSLAN: Sun 12 Apr: 5.30pm

YouTube channel

https://www.youtube.com/julianoshea

MICF website

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/maps/