Presented by: Jubilee St and Live Nation
Whimsical comedy told through seamless gags actually has something to say about art. Comedy with depth, who knew?
Reviewed by Justin Clarke
From 27th March at Melbourne International Comedy Festival
ACMI – Swinburne Studio
Tickets: https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/emma-holland-don-t-touch-my-trinkets/
Type: Stand Up, Whimsical, Storytelling
If you liked: Jenny Tian, Lou Wall, Mel Buttle
4 STARS
Stepping on stage to a gag of high-heeled sound effects that unfortunately don’t place her in front of the microphone, Emma Holland immediately lets us know the type of comedian she is. An oddball full of whimsy that uses visual gags that build and develop. It makes for a thoroughly engaging hour of laughter.
From her first visit to a museum, Emma Holland hasn’t really followed the “rules” of society. So now, after being yelled at by an irate Italian Museo-Guard, she’s putting on her own gallery, because she loves art in all its forms. Holland’s gallery consists of a collection of artifacts that reflect key moments of her life that morphed her connection to art itself – from vengeance to the tune of Robbie Williams’ “Angels”, regretful dates with a magician, sexist Uber drivers, and her own inability to imagine things in her mind (it’s called Aphantasia).
Throughout Holland dissects how artists utilise other human beings for the sake of their art. Despite using myself as an instructional robot through which to ask questions that would be the setup for a punchline…where does the line of exploitation stop??
She very pointedly indicates to us, if it wasn’t clear already, that a majority of her jokes come from prop comedy, but it isn’t necessarily where all her humour lies. Instead, the seamless running gags throughout make a nice, neat little bow by a small bit of crowd work at the end of the show, without which it couldn’t actually end. And a call back fight between Holland and her tech guy makes for a culminating final battle between the two. It’s playful, whimsical and actually has something to say. Isn’t that what you want out of your comedy in the end?
Want more from the Adelaide Fringe Festival? Explore all the shows on offer this year here.
