In the nicest possible way, if there is a nice way to say it, The Pajama Men are mental.
In the nicest possible way, if there is a nice way to say it, The Pajama Men are mental. Their show is like watching David Cronenberg direct a David Lynch script starring Buster Keaton, in fast-forward. It is unhinged, it is goofy and it is without doubt unmatched in hilarity at this or any other year’s comedy festival.
The Pajama Men (Shenoah Allen and Mark Chavez when not on stage) won the Barry in 2009 and are back with In The Middle Of No One. “We’re very excited about our show this year,” Mark says. “We just opened it a couple of weeks ago in Albuquerque and we like the direction it’s going. If you’ve seen us before, then I’d say you generally know what to expect, lots of different characters involved in total nonsense with each other. But this year’s show is about time travel. And aliens. And the implications of feeling like a charlatan.”
Their shows seem to play out like a never-ending stream of consciousness; random characters take off on flights of fancy taking the audience along for the ride, when in fact you are simply watching two guys in pajamas wave their arms around on stage. It is an amazing talent.
The only problem with being a comedian it would seem is that you are pigeonholed by your talent. “Nobody ever asks us what its like to be international sex symbols,” Mark complains. “I would reply like this: “Oh, jeez, I don’t know about that. I mean, we’re just here to do comedy. You know? Sure it can get a little ‘crazy’ at times. I remember one time in Sydney a couple of hot tourist chicks stopped us and asked us to take a photo of them. So we took a picture of them posing in front of the Opera House. They said ‘thanks’ and left. Sure it sounds fun, and wild, but you know, we’re just trying to do our job.”
Even with all the heady sexcapades the boys do find time for quite contemplation and study. “Right now for sure my favourite word is perseverate,” Mark reflects in a rare moment of introspection. “It means “repeat or prolong an action, thought, or utterance after the stimulus that prompted it has ceased”. Kind of like obsessing, but not as dark. Our one-time musician and good friend Dominick Campbell, from our show Versus Vs. Versus in 2009, is also a therapist and he introduced that word to us. We’ve been perseverating over it ever since.”
It actually makes perfect sense that these guys travel with a therapist.
The Pajama Men perform In The Middle Of No One at The Forum Theatre Downstairs from March 31 – April 24. It’s at 8.30pm Tuesday – Saturday and 7.30pm on Sundays. Tickets are $25 – $34 and available from Ticketmaster online, 1300 660 013 and on the door.
