Craig Hill – Jock’s Trap!
Adelaide Fringe. The Garden of Unearthly Delights. 10 Mar 2013
Craig Hill is gay, out-and-proud and he is one hell of a stand-up comedian. The fun started before curtain–up with the sight of one of his legs gradually and suggestively being revealed through the stage curtain from beneath his pink kilt, followed by a beckoning finger that seemed to scream ‘I’m going to have you!’, and he did. The lights dimmed and then Hill exploded almost orgasmically onto the stage in a frenetic display of disco dancing – to Kylie of course! And what a sight he is in his black bother boots, red thick woolen turned-down socks, kilt and sporran of course, matching tight fitted red sateen shirt and matching tie, and glistening bald head. And so the show began, at break neck speed and it never let up, and the laughs came thick and oh-so-fast.
There was however a strong sense of ‘formula’ at work in Hill’s show. We have seen it in his shows in previous festivals. Latecomers were mercilessly dealt with, as were those who were foolish enough to sit in the front row. He asked them what they did for a job, extracted fun out of whatever they say, and moved on. Early on in the show he asked the audience where they came from, and made numerous inimical references to the northern Adelaide suburbs, Sydney-siders and Scots, which all had the audience in stitches. He also asked who in the audience was gay, and predictably one or two brave souls ‘owned up’ but this led to thunderous applause when one gay couple revealed they had been together for twenty-three years! Sadly they were airline stewards, and a farrago of almost predictable hilarious one-liners spewed forth. Early on he also singled out a good looking young man in the front row and pitilessly pursued him as a potential date, and I think he enjoyed the attention!
So much happened early in the show, and it laid the foundation for everything to follow.
Hill is agile, enthusiastic and sends himself up something stupid. He loves his audience and they are to him as a dummy is to a ventriloquist, and this is his gift. His material is his audience. He welcomes them, excites them, questions them according to his formula, sizes them up and then goes for them with great gusto, and they love him for it. His formula is a winner.
It’s a good thing his show is the regulation one-hour long. Anymore and paramedics would need to be on standby to administer first aid for respiratory distress resulting from over laughter. As you leave you ache, but it is so worth it!
Kym Clayton
When: 10 to 17 Mar
Where: The Garden of Unearthly Delights - Le Cascadeur
Bookings: adelaidefringe.com.au
