You may recognise Tim Vine from cult early 2000s classic The Sketch Show, sitcom Not Going Out or as a guest on various UK TV shows like QI and What’s Cooking. A regular Melbourne International Comedy Festival visitor, Vine’s latest show title and stage set may conjure images of Mary Poppins, but it’s a gag that’s indicative of the show overall in that nothing is what it seems, and everything is a setup for a twist that takes you in an utterly unexpected direction.
A lot of writers tend to use the term ‘dad joke’ when describing Vine’s sense of humour, but they totally miss the point. A dad joke is usually the most obvious pun or punchline. Trust me: I’m a dad myself, and the Dad Joke Gene kicks in as soon as that baby slides out into the world. Vine’s style is much more sophisticated than that. The pace is unrelenting, and Vine knows it. After all, he broke a record for the most jokes told in an hour (499). But rather than hit you solidly over the head for 60 minutes with setup-punchline, setup-punchline, Vine varies his style between funny songs, silly signs, clever props and, most of all, flawlessly executed wordplay. What feels like an organically misfired joke at minute five pays off at minute 35. I won’t spoil anything but he has some great observations on the scarcity of non-Royal corgis, and some great bits that involve trumpets and harmonicas.
This show probably isn’t for everyone: if you’re a fan of alt-comedy you’ll probably feel a bit frustrated by the distance Vine places between himself and the audience; the jokes don’t get you any closer to answering the question ‘Who is Tim Vine when he’s at home?’ But if you long for the days when comedians just made you laugh non-stop for an hour without giving you time to catch your breath, if you feel bummed out that you missed Vaudeville by a hundred years, if you’d rather be entertained and surprised than provoked and preached at, this is a really enjoyable family show and a great way to kick off your night during the last week of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
BY PETER HODGSON
