Photo credit: Rachel Sherlock
If there’s one thing Christopher Hall’s Pizazz doesn’t do, it’s ease you in gently. The show opens with a bold dance break that immediately lives up to its name, setting the tone for an evening of big personalities, plenty of audience interaction and, whether you like it or not, a little participation.
First up is Australian comedian and singer Eloisa Helta, who proudly introduces herself as a hottie and Australia’s hottest comedian. Her set is heavily improvised, with the audience often steering the direction of the jokes. She has some genuinely brilliant, belly-laugh moments, and there’s a confidence in the way she handles the room. She never quite loses control, but she certainly isn't afraid to let the audience know when they haven't given her much to work with. At times, though, her self-awareness of whether a joke has landed can interrupt the punchline itself. There are moments when she feels the need to explain just how funny a joke was, when the laughter could probably have done that job for her.
Her material moves from feminism and the question of whether masculinity is a prison, to the peculiarities of dating British men. We then get a change of pace as the evening briefly becomes a cabaret, with a rendition of ‘The Girl from Ipanema’ accompanied by some wonderfully theatrical voiceover interjections.
After the interval, Christopher Hall takes centre stage, bringing his own brand of high-energy comedy and a particular affection for the friendships between gays and girls. His material covers the realities of being in your mid-thirties, the twelve updated commandments, seating plans, stag do's as the gay friend, escape rooms and the unmistakable experience of British clubbing abroad. One particularly hilarious section explores the moment your friends start having children, and the unexpected character who comes along with them: the dads. From birthday parties to Magic Mike, there is plenty of material from this new chapter of life.
Hall is an extremely physical performer, and his background as a dancer isn’t hard to miss. His expressive face, exaggerated movements and occasional brushes with clowning give the show a wonderfully animated quality. Audience interaction is once again a major part of the experience, with plenty of detours and spontaneous exchanges along the way.
The rhythm, however, can be quite stop-start. Hall frequently wanders off on tangents, occasionally pausing to ask himself, “Where was I?” This is clearly part of his storytelling style, but it might not be for everyone. If you prefer tightly structured comedy with a clear route from setup to punchline, the constant diversions may test your patience.
Still, Pizazz knows exactly who it is inviting into the room. It's a show for the girls, the gays, and the boyfriends you've dragged along, but Hall will get all of you to have some fun.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Beatriz Ferreira