ONGALS have graduated from The (Very) Big Laugh Out at Federation Square to play The Famous Spiegeltent this festival, treating Australian audiences to a second taste of their high-energy antics.
In case you’re unacquainted with ONGALS’ comedy, here are the basics: they beatbox, possess a predilection for juggling and excel in physical comedy. Yet their most exceptional talent is perhaps the one most in danger of being taken for granted, the troupe professing a special knack to communicate ideas clearly and effectively. It’s a key component of their act, given their self-styled language barrier. Their parlance is reminiscent of Penguinese, the language spoken in the children’s stop-motion animation series Pingu. Essentially, they indulge in baby-talk, which not only doubles as a comic device but clearly defines the act: ONGALS are regressive, down to clown and favour childlike mischief.
ONGALS quickly prove themselves experts in the art of tomfoolery, too, presenting an exhilarating mix of magic, slapstick and circus shenanigans. While easily digestible, Babbling Comedy also moves at a cracking pace, ONGALS’ act forever fresh and entertaining. You’re certainly left in no doubt as to their versatility as performers by the end of the show.
ONGALS’ eagerness to constantly raise the stakes must also be commended. Very little detail can be spared for the sake of avoiding spoilers but, in short, each awe-inspiring segment of Babbling Comedy has a habit of escalating to extremes. The element of surprise is truly on ONGALS’ side, the troupe testing their skills and, in some cases involving apparent risk to the performers themselves, the nerves of their audience. There’s an abundance of laughs, but also the odd gasp or two thrown in for good measure. An ambitious show, Babbling Comedy is more than merely funny: it’s an experience.
Equal parts hilarious and inventive, Babbling Comedy still has “word-of-mouth hit” written all over it. Another well-deserved spike in appreciation for ONGALS not only appears inevitable, but every bit deserved. Don’t pass up this second chance to catch this unique K-comedy spectacle, courtesy of four gifted comic performers.
BY NICK MASON
