Review - Matt Stewart: Dry Ginger Male: enjoyable and relatable

Matt Stewart: Dry Ginger Male

Presented by Brisbane Comedy Festival, Stupid Old Studios and ESC Productions

Graffiti Room

Brisbane Powerhouse

Season: 13-18 March 2018. Bookings: https://brisbanepowerhouse.org/events/2018/03/13/matt-stewart/

Comedian Matt Stewart is lighting up the Brisbane Comedy Festival with his new stand-up routine aptly named Dry Ginger Male.

A show that pokes fun at masculinity, culture, politics, and religion, Matt isn’t afraid to call out what audience members are thinking and bring those thoughts to attention. As a self-described ‘hipster Ned Kelly’, Matt is ironic, untraditional and blunt.

Best known as the 2014 RAW Comedy winner, Matt has had a stellar year. With sell-out gigs at Fringe World and Melbourne International Comedy Festival, appearances on ABC TV and being regularly ranked in iTunes top 20 podcasts for his show Do Go On, he is quite literally leaving no stone unturned. His deadpan attitude has cemented his position in Australian comedy.

Matt’s second show Dry Ginger Male pays tribute to his trademark demeanour and personal life experiences.

Entering the stage spotlight, Matt was quick to call-out the ironic and small nature of the Graffiti Room (where his show was situated). Turning the jokes on himself, he paradoxically jested about his desire to blow the roof off the joint with “fireball” energy. Already heckling, he took nothing for granted and made the crowd feel comfortable. His easy comedic style prepared the audience for what was to come.

Despite some jokes falling flat and some tech issues slowing things down, Matt pushed through the 50-minute performance. Featuring random interjections from God and a hilarious photo presentation towards the end, Dry Ginger Male chugged along effortlessly.

Even when conversations about football missed the mark on his artistic audience, Matt was quick to change topic and make light of the awkward situation. In fact, Matt’s ability to joke with his audience helped develop a friendly rapport, making the show more enjoyable and relatable.

With Matt’s comedic expertise, Dry Ginger Male bounced between topics. There were some hysterical moments - like when it was assumed that only women drank strawberry milk, Baby Boomers owned yachts or when Matt divulged his personal experience with bank fraud – laughs were aplenty.

With humour as dry as the Australian desert, Matt delivers his punch-lines with a monotonous approach. Unknown to some, his cool casualness is his token style and it results in great humour and comedic realness. He handled the intimate space well and won new fans in many audience members.

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