Arj Barker: Organic
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Arj Barker: Organic

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“Pardon me I haven’t eaten all day so I’m taking a nibble of bircher [muesli] in between here,” says Arj Barker via phone from Adelaide. “It is organic I believe,”

The quip is a reference to Barker’s upcoming MICF show Organic, a show that Barker confidently claims to be one of the best he’s written in his comedy career.

Barker can say this with some objectivity, given how Organic came together –inorganically.

In the latter part of 2015, Barker embarked on the Keeper or Crapper tour, three weeks of intimate, under the radar gigs– including shows in North Melbourne and Prahran – where he road tested a series of jokes for their suitability to be included in Organic.

“Oh my gosh, it was indispensible, unbelievable,” says Barker of Keeper or Crapper.  “I started with a pile of jokes that I thought were good enough for a show, and I put them into an order and just tried to do the show. I did about three weeks of that before I debuted Organic, and the amount of improvements I made have been unfathomable. I mean, it’s so helpful: I would never put a show together and debut it without doing some under the radar work in progress to test it out.

“The show went from like a B minus to a B plus on opening night, and now having done it in Adelaide for a month I feel it’s gone from an A to an A minus. I’m probably the hardest critic of myself, like you should be I guess, and I think people are going to love it.”

Organic sees Barker apply his biting insights and hilariously brazen delivery to everything from Uber to Game of Thrones, organic foods, living gluten free and the new experience of living with his girlfriend. “It really ranges freely,” he elaborates, sticking to the buzzword-laden language of organic food advertising.“Usually I spend two years on a new show, but this year I pushed really hard and got it out in one year. It was a really rewarding thing to do because it’s one of my best shows, so I guess I learned if you work hard you can get it done.”

Aside from his headlining stint at St.Kilda’s Palais Theatre, Barker will be doing one off shows in Ringwood, Dandenong and Frankston during the Festival.

“Because I’m doing just mainly weekends and Tuesdays at the Palais, it’s just an opportunity to go to some other areas of Melbourne and bring the festival to them.”

Venues: Palais Theatre, Lower Esplanade, St Kilda. Frankston Performing Arts Centre, 27-37 Davey St, Frankston. Drum Theatre, Lonsdale & Walker Sts, Dandenong. Karralyka Centre, Mines Road, Ringwood East.

Dates: March 24 – April 16 (Saturdays and Tuesday 5, Friday 8 and Friday 15 at the Palais, Thursday 24 at Karralyka Centre, Thursday 31 at Drum Theatre, Friday 1 at Frankston Arts Centre)

Time: 7pm

Tickets: $36 – $46

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