Review: Ebony & Ivory (Fringe comedy)
Words by Lia Devetzidis
Three comics explain the world’s issues in fifty thoroughly enjoyable minutes
Venue: The Garage International @ Adelaide Town Hall
Genre: Stand-up comedy
Length: 50 minutes
3.5 / 5 stars
Ebony & Ivory — the trio of Darwin comedians Shalom Kaa, Will Crawford, and Richard Fejo — is a jovial, and simply entertaining evening of comedy. Their mammoth goal is to “explain the world’s issues in fifty minutes”, and they do this by drawing from their personal experiences as a Maori, white Australian, and an Australia First Nations man, each offering a unique and often juicy take on Australian society, culture, and politics.
Richard Fejo kicks off the evening, followed by Crawford, then Kaa, each showcasing distinctly different but complementary comic stylings. Fejo’s “magic didgeridoo” and his satirical, tongue-in-cheek news commentary are the highlights of his set.
Crawford, on the other hand, works within a tried and tested stand-up formula. His jokes cover a lot of bases and are sometimes bawdy, but — like the show as a whole — usually land with a punch.
Kaa, who as well as being a comedian is also an actor and singer, has a stage presence and easy comic timing that smooths over some of the more jarring audience interactions.
The three comedians end the evening with a rendition of Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder’s “Ebony and Ivory”. I found this an interesting denouement — if this show was about “explaining the world’s issues in fifty minutes”, this ending would make more sense: a show of unity from three very different men from different walks of life.
However, as this was not the overarching theme of the show, the musical ending — though very well performed on Kaa’s behalf — was a bit confusing and awkward as it did not match with the tone of the evening. But overall, there are plenty of laughs here, comic relief, and a sing along to boot. Unlike many of the world’s issues, sometimes it’s better not to think about it too hard and enjoy the laughs.
Ebony & Ivory is playing at Adelaide Town Hall for two more nights on March 6 and 7. Book tickets through FringeTix.
