by Alana Massalsky
When you’ve been working in a job for 16 years there’s likely to be a few things that piss you off about it, regardless of what you do. If you’ve spent those years working as a cabbie it’s probably a miracle you don’t have occupationally induced anger management issues. Mark Martin, the titular Angry Cabbie has survived for that long in an industry most of us couldn’t last a day in, and brings to the mic stories stockpiled over the years.
Mark comes across as a pretty laid back and gregarious sort, not at all angry – at least not in any obvious way. No blood vessels bulging at the temple, clenched jaw or facial twitch, no metaphorical venom was spat. So if you’re looking for an unhinged melodramatic portrayal of a cabbie on the edge this isn’t the show for you. Also, don’t expect the kind of yarns detailing interactions the likes of those seen on reality TV show Taxicab Confessions. Most of his stories are amusing, but not shocking or provocative. That’s not necessarily a problem, but Mark’s weren’t all that well developed comically. True stories weren’t given space, rather forced into a more conventional joke format, complete with dad joke style punch lines.
By the end of the show I found myself longing for a bit of Q&A time, where the audience could ask all those pressing questions about the life of a taxi driver. Like “has anyone ever gotten a bit too frisky in the back of the cab, and if yes, how did you handle it?”, or “have you ever actually fined someone $60 for cleaning, and if yes, how bad was it?” or even “what’s the worst driving you’ve ever seen on Adelaide roads?” All very juicy topics I’d love to delve into. This guy would be great chat to over a beer, after work. When he’s relaxed and off-script.
Don’t go in expecting an agile and innovative performance the likes of those presented by headlining comedians. But that’s because Mark Martin isn’t a professional comedian, he’s a professional cabbie, and a pretty likeable one at that.
Kryztoff Rating 3K
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