Mickey D in Too Mickey Bro!
San Francisco Bathhouse, 171 Cuba St, Wellington
19/05/2009 - 23/05/2009
NZ International Comedy Festival 2007-09, 2013
Production Details
Our Favourite Aussie Battler fronts up in his own show at the 2009 NZ International Comedy Festival
Australian comedian, Mickey D has become a familiar face at The Classic, New Zealand’s home of live comedy and during the annual festival with half a dozen visits over the last 3 years. Usually hosting Late Shows and a variety of Comedy Showcases.
But what he hasn’t done before is front up with his own solo festival hour long show. But that will change in 2009 when Mickey D presents Too Mickey Bro in The Classic Studio in Auckland and San Francisco Bath House in Wellington over the 3 week festival.
Once he had graduated from the Australian Pro comedy tour Mickey D spent 5 years establishing himself on the UK circuit. This included producing his own legendary late show, The Phat Cave at the annual Edinburgh Fringe Festival which became a home and refuge to comedians from Downunder including Flight of the Conchords and Rhys Darby when they first visited the Fringe.
Mickey identified with the Kiwis and following his return to Australia he has connected to audiences at The Classic and around New Zealand to the point where he now feels comfortable to be Too Mickey Bro!
MICKEY D (Aust) in Too Mickey Bro!
AUCKLAND
Dates: Sat 2 to Sat 16 May / 8:30pm
Venue: The CLASSIC, 321 Queen St
Bookings: Ticketek Ph 0800Ticketek or on line @ www.ticketek.co.nz
WELLINGTON
Dates: Tues 19 to Sat 23 May / 8:30pm
Venue: San Francisco Bath House, Cuba St.
Bookings: Ticketek Ph 0800Ticketek or on line @ www.ticketek.co.nz
1hr, no interval
Poking fun at anything and everyone
Review by Hannah Smith 21st May 2009
It is a cold Wednesday night, but the San Francisco Bath House is relatively full for the second night of Too Mickey Bro!: Australian comedian Mickey D’s stand-up routine. We are herded toward one of the few remaining empty tables – front row, dead centre.
"Don’t worry," the usher says helpfully, "he doesn’t do any kind of audience interaction at all. You’ll be alright."
And we are. Mickey D’s genial warmth, impressively expressive face and infectious enjoyment of his own jokes have the audience eating out of his hand from the moment he comes on stage. He has no need to directly address innocent members of the public in order to engage us; rather we are drawn in by his boundless energy and open and obvious pleasure in laughing and making people laugh.
He starts with the premise ‘we should be able laugh at anything’ and some of the material is not for the faint of heart or delicate of sensibilities. Mickey D has been to some crazy parties and he has some wild work stories to tell.
There is no kind of through-line or overarching structure to the set, just a series of anecdotes and impersonations, but the stories segue seamlessly from one to another with strong enough links and plenty of reincorporation to give the whole a sense of coherence.
Whilst not particularly cutting or insightful the material never fails to be entertaining and he uses a wide range of mime, voice and outrageous facial expressions to bring the characters that people his anecdotes to life.
Mickey D is clearly a comedy pro; he reads his audience like a book and even teases us: "Don’t worry, don’t worry – it’ll get funny in just a minute." He is also an out-and-out charmer who sweet-talks the crowd, saying how much he loves us and also how much he loves New Zealand. In less capable hands this could have seemed smarmy, but Mickey D has enough sincerity to pull it off – and flattery will get you everywhere.
The easily offended should steer clear, but if you’re game for poking fun at anything and everyone then this could be the highlight of your festival.
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