Rhino Room

21 to 25 Februrary

 

Tom Ballard is a smart young guy.  Funny as too.

 

A co-presenter on Triple J’s breakfast show, you get the distinct feeling he keeps his true comedic genius under raps by day and savours the freedom his own shows provide by night.

 

Lucky for us, the Adelaide Fringe provides an opportunity for us to see him in night mode, because it’s highly entertaining.

 

Ballard’s latest show ‘Doing Stuff’, explores why it is that we are so disengaged with the world’s problems and generally, do nothing about them.  “Doing stuff”, apparently, is simply too hard.

 

This is a very quick summary, but Ballard masterfully draws his own observations out over the hour with hilarious wit and intelligent political comedy.  He is clearly a well researched and engaged twenty-something, sadly a rare beast these days.

 

Don’t get me wrong though, if lowbrow puns and smutty humour are your thing, you won’t be disappointed.

 

Ballard makes light work of shredding the veneers of modesty that generally grease the wheels of polite society.  Case in point: masturbation.   Let’s be honest, as Tom says most people do it, and the fact itself is not groundbreaking.  But most of us don't talk about it in general conversation.

 

Ballad's refreshingly blunt tales of his own “gay masturbation” as well as the worst gay sex stories he has heard and experienced had the audience in stitches.  He saved the best for last though.  His attempts to expose just how equally gross heterosexual and homosexual intimacy can be had this audience member gasping for breath.

 

In a rare gem, Ballard also sums up his show with finesse; taking a (relatively) more serious tone to describe his own actions to “do stuff” and encouraging his audience do what they can to make a difference.

 

First step - go see this show!

 

Nicole Russo

When: 21 Feb to 25 Feb

Where: Rhino Room - Upstairs
Bookings: www.adelaidefringe.com.au