Greeting his guests on their way in, Blake Everett is surely the humblest man at the 2016 Melbourne Comedy Festival. At the age of eighteen, the entertainer takes the title of the youngest solo performer on the circuit, however, with a rather dynamic style of comedy, Everett’s performance comes off as in no way inexperienced.
A man of many talents, Everett’s Ready Since I Was Five incorporates a diverse range of comedic elements including musical arrangements, outrageous skits, personal anecdotes and of course, the art of dance. Enlisting a couple of his closest friends to help him live out his large-scale routines, Everett may have not been born ready, but he proves to be more than ready now.
With a cheeky grin, Everett put his audience instantly at ease with a story about his experience as a pantomime performer. Between his clean delivery and confident stride, the young talent immediately exceeds expectations, proving that while some things improve with age, others are mighty fine from the beginning. Through the help of his comedy intern Amos Batt, whose acting and improve skills were rather remarkable, Everett effortlessly weaved his audience’s participation in and out of his set, leaving them blissfully unaware of his natural ability to encourage contribution.
A major component of Everett’s stand-up are his musical works, perfectly placed throughout his punch lines. From a tune about cultural differences to a song questioning the history of Easter, his flare for writing clearly does not stop at spoken comedic content. However, while the quality of the silly songs was unmistakably impressive, it was Everett’s impeccable vocal performance that took the audience by surprise. Without taking himself too seriously, the clever comic uses every-day observations to twist his crowd’s perception of a pre-conceived idea – the most mind boggling one being Big W.
Moving away from the expected hatred of heckling, Everett called upon his audience to throw their best at him, promising that he’d be able to handle it. After being told by an obvious acquaintance that he’d forgotten to wish him a happy birthday, it felt only natural that the entire audience sing him the song. Highlighting his sheer talent for improv, Everett had us all holding out for what he had in store for next. Cleverly calculated, his show ultimately worked like clockwork as he engaged in a truly forward thinking routine.
As Simon Huska entered the room, it was bound to get a little wild. Posing as a stripper (a very convincing one in fact), Huska added his own fiery flavour to the performance. Nevertheless, it was Everett’s final song that seemed to excite the audience the most. Outlining the breakdown of a rather painful break-up, the work was as an amusing as ever. Ending the show with what can only be described as an interpretive dance, ‘Everett & Co’ proved themselves as truly magnificent entertainers.
By Phoebe Robertson
