Stephen K Amos & Guests Chat Show
Stephen K Amos
The Gov
Thurs 15 March
every Thurs until 29 March


With the scene set for what looked to be a typical variety chat show, local hirsute rockers The Beards, took their place as the evening's house band with homeboy Mickey D further fluffing the crowd's interest as MC.

"Is it too warm for you also?" asks British comedian, Amos. "Well, what do you expect? We're in fucking Australia," he retorts.

And so began a show where as much as Amos had onstage guests to consider, much of the humour and the night's direction was lost to constant digressive interruptions caused by either someone or something that caught his attention or by hecklers, to which Amos always managed to good naturedly snap back at with sardonically smart replies. "You know? From here I could piss on you," he told one guy in the front row."

Using the show as a promotional platform for other Fringe acts, first up there was Corrine Grant, soon followed by Lehmo. Such uch questions as when will Grant make a return to television, and why wasn't Lehmo at his own farewell party in honour of his leaving SAFM and moving interstate were broached, with Amos offering Lehmo a word of warning to be careful because it's the year '2007' in Sydney.

With our fair share of local crazies and a tram, "that goes to the beach and back again, then back to the beach and back again," Adelaide certainly became fair game for ridicule. Kent Valentine and Hannah Gadsby were given the restaurant scene from 'When Harry Met Sally' to act out, which, considering how funny these two are in their own shows, turned out to be a bit of a fizzer and Moving Melvin Brown ended the show by attempting to teach Amos how to tap dance. All up, a great night out full of fun and foibles that could only be found in live theatre.

Steve Jones