They say you should never date a comedian. Written by, and starring, local stand up comedian Keir McAllister, this is the tale of Eddie and Grace whose careers, and love life, briefly coincide when he is on the way down, she on the climb. Eddie has seen it all, and thinks he knows it all too. His approach to his work has become cynical and increasingly self centred, and he's happy to manipulate anyone that can help him advance his career - especially women. So what happens when he's getting treated the same way?
Very much a comedy insiders view of the industry, it covers sexism, feminism, the gap between sex and love, and just how badly some comedians behave in real life. In the Q&A that followed the show McAllister said that much of the material came from observing many of his colleagues, and there is a sense of voyeurism throughout. The show is a curious mix of monologue, dialogue, stand up and an introductory talking heads video. Sometimes it doesn't quite gel together, but those moments pass quickly and there are enough laughs, and a script sufficiently thought provoking, for this to be a minor distraction.
McAllister is always engaging and competent. Larah Bross as Grace gets to deliver many of the best lines and produces a strong and very watchable performance. The play works best in the scenes where the two of them interact, with much verbal sparring, and a real sense of miscommunication. This comedy takes a detached yet knowledgeable look at the comedy world, and produces some interesting observations on the way we all conduct our relationships.
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