Type: Play, Political Comedy
If You Liked: Legal dramas, self-reflection, educational material
The discussion of what’s deemed acceptable in comedy returns once more to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. JKS: A Comedy (?) falls very quickly into intense and tiring argument between its characters surrounding the supposed censorship of comedy.
Written by Tom Ballard, JKS sets us in the green room of a comedy night where five comedians come in and out, each dreading the lukewarm, tough crowd that awaits them. We’re first introduced to the MC of the night, Chrissy (Bev Killick), an older comedian who’s seen it all, and Jason (Kevin Hofbauer) a rough and crass comedian, who enjoys offending people. Soon after we get Mae (Tiana Hogben), a non-binary clowning comic, and Alex (Ballard), the gay comic from the ABC who plays as a heavily implied self-insert for Ballard himself. Finally, we meet Rhea (Lauren Bonner), a struggling comic who’s still finding her footing.
Mae, tasked to pose questions for marketing material, questions the room about their history of and opinions on comedy. We quickly fall into intense and tiring argument between Alex and Jason about the supposed censorship of comedy, complicated by the sudden passing of a controversial comedian.
The women and non-binary characters become background pieces to the two men who argue back and forth, leaving them little to do except relieve the tension. Regardless of whether it was done on purpose to comment on misogyny in comedy, it reads as an uninventive choice that removes layered perspectives on the discourse.
The treatment of ableism is also flimsy and inconsistent with the show’s themes. We get a few light disagreements at the start when “r****d” is flung around by several characters (along with the “m****t” slur for those with dwarfism), which is played for shock at first until it becomes folded into the casual dialogue.
In the climax of the play, Rhea takes up the role of mediator, concluding that it’s still actually fine to say “r****d” and Alex had simply become too overbearing – which Alex concedes to. Throughout, racism, misogyny and homophobia are deemed as crossing the lines of taste in the rhetoric that Ballard and his characters employ – so why is ableism left in the field of play? In the strongest moment of pathos in the show, Ballard talks about how being a queer person hearing homophobic jokes made him feel unsafe. Ironically, as a neurodivergent person, he had put me in the same position.
This is not to say that JKS has nothing to offer. It is a strong ensemble of actors and comedians who are tightly directed by Ben Russel. There are quick witted moments and sharp dialogue, that truly differentiates each character along with their own specific comedic style which is genuinely impressive. Hogben’s Mae was a favourite with their clownish and slightly oblivious energy; their cheerful nature brought a much-needed respite. Mae’s ending could lend itself to a charitable reading of the show, but it still leaves us with a trail of inconsistences.
Ballard wants us to find a middle ground between inclusive comedy and right-wing free speech rhetoric, which leaves a bad taste when similar far-right rhetoric is seeking to dominate mainstream politics in Australia. This isn’t the first time this show’s centrist ending has been questioned, the same critiques have been levied during the show’s previous run at the Melbourne Fringe Festival.
Anything can be joked about – when written on strong foundations, that is. Characters such as the ones here can absolutely use harmful language to create worlds and political standpoints in comedy. However, JKS’s shaky politics come across as not much more than exploitative and possibly harmful. If the goal is to debate the line of comedy, it is particularly important that all its players are represented.
See our other reviews from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in the link below
Tickets and Practical Info for JKS: A Comedy (?) at MICF 🎟️
VENUE: 45 Downstairs, Melbourne
SEASON: Plays until 19 April
DURATION: 70 mins
RATING: 15+
TICKETS: https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/jks-a-comedy/
