Adelaide Fringe. The Octagon at Gluttony. 17 Feb 2017
It just wouldn’t be a Fringe without a Hans spectacular.
Matt Gilbertson’s bling-blazened cabaret character is now an institution with a devoted following. This puts the pressure onto Matt to keep coming up with new content and on his mum to keep contriving yet skimpier and more absurd sequinned outfits for which Christopher Pyne invariably gets the credit.
Indeed, even with former PM Julia Gillard and SA Arts Minister Jack Snelling in the opening night audience, Hans would not tolerate a single bad word about the Member for Sturt. They have a lot in common, he declares.
He does, in this new show, have some very bad words to say about other politicians, principally the fish and chip lady and President Donald Trump. At the piano, in his Pyne green micro shorts and Tyrolean hat, he calls for strength from the might of Abba tunes and thus delivers satiric Trump lyrics which call on the audience to fill in crucial words and are capped by one which can only be seen and not heard.
Big screens present some of the best of Trump clips as Gilbertson struts his stuff in his Make America Great Again cap. The Lucky Bitches rock and vamp around him to the music of the Ungrateful Bastards and he climaxes the Trump set with the biggest tap moves ever seen on stage. Truly.
Of course Trump has particular significance in his Hans show because its theme is a rival takeover of the world by Hans. To that end, it starts with Hans in red and black spangled uniform - epaulettes and medals, work boots and fishnets. He’s doing the German thing to the Hitler hilt.
A lot of thought has gone into this new show so, while it keeps to the tried and true Hans formula of self-parody, accordion shtick, mischievous audience interaction and lots of song and dance, it feels fresh and funny.
And, let’s face it, not only is our Matt a very clever boy, he is just so darned loveable.
We don’t give him stars. He gets hearts. Lots.
Samela Harris
When: 17 Feb to 5 Mar
Where: Gluttony Octagon, Rymill Park
Bookings: adelaidefringe.com.au
