Holy Cows And Grim German Tales Make Thoughtful Comedy

The Age

Wednesday March 26, 2008

Tim Richards, Reviewer

WEIRD SCIENCE 2/5

Fox Hotel 1887, 351 Wellington Street, Collingwood, until April 11.

DAVE BUSHELL: THE STRUVVEL BUSHELL 3.5/5

Fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, city, until April 13.

TOM Middlebrook is a nervy guy in a T-shirt with a picture of Jesus on the front and the words "STOP FOLLOWING ME" on the back. His blurb suggests he'll be skewering the holy cows of religion and science, but it's only half right: while he has a dig at the illogicalities of the former, he's more quizzical about the latter.

He has a solid presence and holds attention, but his patter involves a lot of subjects - Dan Brown's novels, chaos theory - that seem well worn. And his material on his drug experiences is of more interest to the user than the listener.

But Weird Science is not without its thought-provoking moments and the relaxed venue enhances its appeal.

Dave Bushell is obsessed by the 1845 German children's book Der Struwwelpeter, which contains stories involving kids who do the wrong thing and are punished in horrific ways. A boy who sucks his thumbs, for example, has them lopped off by the local tailor. That'll learn him!

Bushell launches into an expose of the book's dark origins, via images, commentary and quotes from Mark Twain, who translated it into English.

This comic has a commanding presence from the start, sparky and likeable. His witty delivery drives the show and the contrast between his casual modern language and the book's 19th-century wording is striking. Though his dialogues with the Prince of Darkness and quotes from Twain are too long, The Struvvel Bushell is innovative, literate and entertaining.

© 2008 The Age

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