IN COMMAND: Greg Ellis as Vance Fontaine
Greg Ellis: Vance Fontaine in Command Performance
Wellington, Bats Theatre, May 8
They marketed the show as one of the great solo improv talents returning to the capital. Greg Ellis as Vance Fontaine strides onto the centre stage and - with hair slicked back like Elvis - it is interesting first impression.
The wide collar, white suit and sequin shirt - and, God, that hair ... mesmerising - will have you wondering what you're in for. But, whatever Ellis drags out of the bag will leave you with aching sides and a laugh so hard you'll be fearful of wetting yourself.
His character is a lounge singer and is the first Kiwi to make it big in Vegas. An on-the-spot fabrication of his life story, these are Vance Fortaine's unsung songs.
Ellis' muse is the audience; he calls on them to give the locations, the jobs, the medical episodes (in last night's case: irritable bowel syndrome). What you get in one show, you won't get in another.
Played out in the intimate setting of Bats Theatre in Wellington's Kent Terrace, nearly every row was packed and, while a small crowd can lead to some uncomfortable silences, Ellis didn't have any problem keeping the laughs coming.
In fact, like a bottle of wine, the entire performance kept improving as the show went on and the noise of the crowd gave the impression their numbers were three-fold.
Possibly the best part of the hour-long show was seeing Ellis talk and sing about inventing dubstep then singing his way from R&B to death metal.
''The first thing man does after he invents dubstep is regret it,'' he says over the clapping and whistling. Even dubstep DJ Skrillex would be proud of that on-the-spot performance.
This man and his musical entourage is definitely a must-see. The effort and skill they put into the show, the fact they can switch from one music genre to another at the proverbial clicking of fingers is impressive, no matter what you think of them. And with it lacking profanity, save the occasional f-bomb, it's even the kind of show you could drag grandma to.
If you miss Ellis's Command Performance, you've missed a lot. Don't let the thought of music or sequin shirts put you off. This is a side-splitting show.
Details:
Wellington: Bats Theatre, from 6.30pm, Tuesday May 8 to Saturday May 12
Auckland: The Basement, from 8.30pm, Tuesday May 15 to Saturday May 19
More details on www.comedyfestival.co.nz
- © Fairfax NZ News
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