Thursday night at 7.30 is probably not the most sought-after spot amongst stand-up comedians in the Garden however Mike Wilmot turned this potential handicap to his advantage last night. Despite the crowd’s seeming unwillingness to have any fun whatsoever the Canadian Comedy Legend teased out more than a handful of big laughs with his middle-aged misanthropic shtick.
Wilmot decided against providing a title for his Fringe show, a choice which seems to have paid dividends as it gives the Canadian the freedom to delve into his wealth of stories, characters and theories he has collected over the years. It was obvious from the start that the audience were in the hands of an old hand and master of the craft as the reticence of many to join in any joviality was met by the stalwart with care-free defiance as he continued to deliver witty observations and off-the-cuff banter.
Wilmot may have trudged the depths of base humour with tales of incontinence, celebrations of the ‘c’ word and the hilarity of mammary glands but the material was delivered in such a masterful way, as the audience warmed up and the sky grew darker not many people cared about the crudity. The story of being stuck in a log cabin with only Canadian radio for company was a highlight as were his spot on observations of Adelaide being a city of insecurity bordering on self-loathing (“yeah, it’s fine during the fringe but beyond March…”).
For stand-up comedy done professionally without gimmicks and a bar open throughout I would recommend the Hunting Lodge at 7.30.
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