Australian comic Lauren Bok has a joke toward the beginning of her show about Australia being a country stuck a few years in the past; what she doesn’t achieve in her hour-long set is convincing us she’s synced up to the present day. It’s not that her beliefs are old-fashioned (though maybe a joke about lesbian flannel is in poor taste), but her material is delivered with the expectation of shock whilst failing to be surprising or subversive.
Ironic that the show ran during lunch time as it left me a little hungry and a somewhat regretful that I didn’t actually have a burrito in my pocket.
It’s a nice show, and I use ‘nice’ in that way that would frustrate your primary school teacher as they desperately encourage you to find a better adjective. But in this case, I’m not sure there is one; it’s a bit bland, like a bland burrito.
Nonetheless, she should be praised for her energy during the set, which she sustained with admirable intensity even after a shaky start. On stage Bok is decidedly likable; wide eyed with a smile that is quick to twitch into being. She moves around stage like a mischievous bunny, at her best when she is silently miming her material. But she’s undermined by her failure to provide satisfactory moments for the audience to laugh; her delivery is teasing to the point of frustration (and not in a good, sexy way) as it promises to build up to a joke which never comes and anecdotes struggle to find a climax.
I am going to copy Bok and end with a burrito metaphor; there were some tasty ingredients present and it was certainly served with a smile but ultimately the wrap was a little stale and could have done with some more sauce. All in all, it was ironic that the show ran during lunch time as it left me a little hungry and a somewhat regretful that I didn’t actually have a burrito in my pocket.
