As Andy Matthews and Tony Besselink admit themselves the poster to their
Melbourne International Comedy Festival show ‘Andy Matthews and Tony Besselink Achieve Nothing’ doesn’t really give much away as to its content: “It’s two nerdy
looking guys floating through clouds”. However in their defence it’s pretty hard to communicate via poster that the audience is in for an hour of hilarious high quality stand-up, with topics covering the full everything from biting social commentary on marriage equality through to why dead mice come in packs of 10.
The show is essentially individual stand-up sets by Andy then Tony, lasting about 25-30 minutes each. They’re both regulars at various comedy spots around Melbourne so it’s great to see them centre stage in an extended format for this show.
Apart from the fact that these two comedians are dead on the money with their material, the contrasting styles of the two compliment each other. Andy has a slower
more considered schoolteacher approach whereas Tony has a high-energy frenetic
style: An impassioned geek versus the thoughtful bookworm. That being said, it
would be selling this show way too short to describe it as ‘nerd comedy’. This is an
intelligent and informed show with a healthy dose of toilet humour to keep it from
becoming preachy about the social issues some of the jokes touch upon.
Apart from all that, it’s just really funny. The icing on the cake is that it’s held in the
function room of a licensed venue, The Imperial Hotel (right next door to the Palace
Theatre and Parliament if you’re that way inclined), so you can drink beers and
laugh… at the same damn time! So I’m not sure what else I have to say to make you
get off your arse and go see this show before it finishes its run, it will be worth it.
$12 concession and $15 full
Runs until this Sunday 7th April.
8pm at The Imperial Hotel
More info: http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2013/season/shows/achieve-
nothing-andy-matthews-tony-besselink
Tickets:
http://www.trybooking.com/booking/bookingeventsummary.aspx?eid=41155
[Addendum: Andy Matthews has been selected as a Wild Card for the RAW Comedy
National Grand Final on 14th April, so if you miss out on this show you can still make
it to see some of his material.
More info: http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2013/season/shows/raw-comedy-
national-grand-final ]
