Eden and Josh are the “Game Boys” and are your very friendly and enthusiastic hosts for their show “Game Boys Cinematic Universe”. The Game Boys do well to transform a small theatre within Trades Hall into a fun backstage ‘trolley ride’ via the Game Boys Studios Backlot Tour (reminiscent of the sorts of trolley rides at theme parks that I’m sure many tourists have done before) with some clever graphics and jokes included.

“Game Boys Cinematic Universe” is an action packed and very interactive show, and the Game Boys waste no time sharing knowledge of their favourite movies with their audience, mixed in with some fun games and activities. This show does feature some audience participation, but much of it was off stage and the Game Boys are ultra friendly and treat audience members very well. Personal highlights for me were the parody moments with prop comedy, some immersive play scenes and the clever movie parallels that were explored throughout the show. Another highlight was the Game Boys’ penchant for a certain big budget movie of the 90’s with iconic music which conjured some fantastic nostalgic moments for everyone in the audience. This show contained a lot of fun activities, with one of my favourites being a movie title game show – which made for some very clever and very entertaining moments!

“Game Boys Cinematic Universe” is a light hearted show that demonstrates a lot of depth by the time show ends, all of which is enhanced by Eden and Josh being genuine movie buffs and clearly holding much movie knowledge between them. The Game Boys take a clear delight in surprising their audience and for me, the surprises just kept coming throughout the entire show. I noticed that at the end of the show, much of audience was beaming and congratulating the Game Boys on such an enjoyable adventure (well deserved!) I’m sure even the most hardened movie critic would find this show irresistibly enjoyable.

VERDICT: Hold onto your hats, keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times and strap yourselves in for a very fun evening of fun theme park lines, movie puns and heavy doses of movie nostalgia! Game Boys Cinematic Universe runs deeper than quick movie one liners to create some sweet moments of movie magic for audience members and movie fans alike. Currently screening for a very limited time – don’t miss out!!

*Disclaimer: I attended this performance as a guest of the Game Boys.

Tickets / info: https://melbournefringe.com.au/event/game-boys-cinematic-universe/

 Jon O  – one third of the ‘Bombastic JOE’ trio – has diverged this season to star in his own show “The Long Boy”. Nestled within the intimate venue ‘Crowded in the Vaults’ if you’ve never met Jon O, it will become immediately apparent why he’s known as “The Long Boy”. Comically tall with appropriately long arms and legs, Jon O uses plenty of physical comedy teamed with amusing scenarios and props to keep the laughs rolling for his audience.

Jon O opened his show with a thoroughly hilarious silent sequence. Honestly a great sign if you can have the audience calling for more a mere couple of minutes into the show! Throughout “The Long Boy” much of the comedy came from smooth observations of real life scenarios mixed with some wacky scenarios plus some fabulous dance breaks. Ever energetic, I pity the people that get stuck next to Jon O on the dancefloor because I’m convinced he can out-dance anyone! Another strength of the show is Jon O’s characterisations – he’s the man of a thousand faces, with many different expressions (and oh how we all laughed). As expected, a portion of the humour was aimed at Jon O’s tall and lanky nature too. The show is more than the typical flimsy sketches, with some call backs and recurring themes which helped to hold the attention of the audience.

Jon O “The Long Boy” is not short on laughs. It’s easy to get carried away during Jon O’s comic cavalcade of characters. I can recall some moments where the audience got swept away with the storylines within the show.

VERDICT: Jon O is larger than life on the stage and “The Long Boy” is large on laughs too. Highly enjoyable show and Jon O gave the audience what they wanted – laughs and plenty of them. If I had to provide a star rating for this show, it would be 3.5 stars out of 5

*Disclaimer: I attended the show as a guest of the producer

‘Festival season’ in Melbourne never seems to end, which is fantastic as it means there are always new shows to see and adventures to be had.

I’m excited to announce that over the coming weeks I’ll be reviewing a small assortment of shows that are part of the 2019 Melbourne Fringe Festival. Melbourne Fringe has always been one of my favourite festivals as I feel it covers so many facets of what can be considered as art and entertainment. Comedy shows and cabaret shows are certainly in the line-up for reviewing this year, so I hope you’ll stay tuned for some reviews coming up shortly.

Thanks for reading! Tay

PS: if you’re looking to find out more about the Melbourne Fringe Festival, head to their website: https://melbournefringe.com.au/