This Australian trio packs a punch as they whirl through an hour of weird, wacky and utterly hilarious sketch comedy like nothing else you will see at the Fringe.
The unifying theme of New Show is that there is no theme and the fabulous unpredictability of their sketches makes this performance a truly high-octane experience
Now established Edinburgh regulars, Aunty Donna is the comedy creation of Mark Samual Bonanno, Broden Kelly and Zachary Ruane. The unifying theme of New Show is that there is no theme and the fabulous unpredictability of their sketches - paired with their unswervingly committed delivery - makes this performance a truly high-octane experience. Playing on their Australian heritage, Aunty Donna jump between songs, raps, telephone conversations and some top-notch audience interaction to create a show that is dynamic, noisy and relentlessly entertaining.
Bright lights, loud music and some great dance numbers are an assault on the senses that imbue the show with a club night atmosphere. Much of Bonanno, Kelly and Ruane’s comic style is based in their movement and in the amusing dislocation between the smiling pep of their vocal delivery and the surreality of their material. Broden Kelly’s strange and unexpected physicality is especially funny throughout the show, most notably in a riotous sketch about a teasing masseuse.
Occasionally a sketch outstays its welcome, straining the audience’s attention with its long-windedness for not quite enough comic payoff. Similarly, the odd section feels suspiciously like filler - the ‘spooky interval’ comes to mind - but all three performers are as quick to acknowledge this, shamelessly addressing reviewers and Youtube trolls alike in jokes that are self-deprecating while simultaneously declaring that they “don’t give a sh*t”. Lord Whoopy - perhaps the most outrageously silly character ever to grace a stage - is a perfect example of this, leaving the audience buckled over in their seats and demonstrating how little stock Aunty Donna put in gravitas or cleverness. The result is both refreshing and hysterical.
A killer finale rounds off the show with a bang. If you’re looking for an uproariously funny night out and a comedy antidote to all things stand-up/sarcastic/intellectual, then make sure to catch these guys while you can. You won’t regret it.
