As the capacity audience files into the crammed confines of the Victoria Hotel’s Acacia Room, we are greeted with a projection of the publicity image for Sri Wanka: a topless picture of a perturbed looking Dilruk Jayasinha in a swimming pool staring back at us. Often you’ll see rather goofy publicity material for comedy shows that hardly seem relevant. In this case, the image sets the tone for the self-deprecation ahead. In spite of the show’s title, Dilruk assures the audience that he is not having a dig at his homeland, it is more at himself. And this is the running thread throughout tonight’s performance: a man taking the piss out of his self-perceived foibles.
This is very much a story-telling based show, and much of Dilruk’s humour revolves around making light of his weight issues. Self-deprecating humour is nothing new, however Dilruk manages to bring oodles of charm and vulnerability to his stories, which makes for a very engaging performance. Opening with stories from his childhood, Dilruk traces his trajectory to the shape he is today. From hiding his weight under a T-shirt when he went swimming as a child – “because that’ll stop the bullies” – to how his multi-faith upbringing led to multi-faith holiday dinners, and how in spite of his personal challenges to get the weight off, the fat just keeps coming back, “like a John Farnham farewell tour”.
However the show isn’t all body image stories. Several threads emerge as Dilruk works his way into his set. Time and again he comes back to how he deals with confrontation. In a choice between fight or flight he will always take the latter option, as illustrated with a particularly funny story about getting his own back on a grotty housemate. He also weaves in issues of race and how anyone, himself included, is capable of racism. In what can be some pretty heady subject matter, at times he gets a little lost in his material, however always seems capable of bringing it back on track.
Without giving too much away, two stories in particular about an incident in a portaloo at Splendour in the Grass, and another incident after a work party on Spencer Street, are enough to make you gag with laughter. And after perhaps a rather elongated build-up, the finale will absolutely leave you in stitches, as it did the crowd tonight.
Dilruk has managed to weave together a very well constructed comedy show. Perhaps the only real knock on tonight’s performance was that the energy was a bit down, and at times he seemed to lose his place in his build up work. For some comedians, that can be fatal. Fortunately for Dilruk, he doesn’t fit into that category. The man is just too damn likeable.
BY EBEN ROJITER
