Ballsy Banter by Linh
Peter Helliar’s comedy show at last year’s Adelaide Fringe Festival, The Dreamboat Tour, dealt with personal topics and family matters. This year, Helliar returns with more things that stir up passion, frustration, and laughter – sport. It would be familiar territory for Helliar, as he recently completed a season of the sports-based comedy television quiz show The Trophy Room for ABC1, which received strong support from viewers. Peter Helliar’s World of Balls allows him to combine two of his loves in life, sport and comedy. Australians love their sport and Peter Helliar’s World of Balls is guaranteed to attract attention, even without the help of Helliar’s alter-ego Bryan ‘Strauchanie’ Strauchan.
Everything about Peter Helliar’s World of Balls is sporty, from the music playing while the audience streams into the venue (Pat Benatar’s All Fired Up and Chariots of Fire by Vangelis), to Helliar’s energetic and funny delivery of sports stars and their follies. Helliar kicks goals from start to finish in this show and keeps the audience enthralled with hilarious observations of past and present sporting scandals, controversies, triumphs and tragedies. There is no need to be an armchair expert on sport as Helliar provides quick explanations behind the stories and finds the humour embedded in the seriousness of some of the incidents. From gender and racial issues to politics, Helliar covers the extent of how sport can just as easily divide a nation as it can unite its people.
Helliar muses about the sporting dreams and devastation of Australian champions such as hurdler Sally Pearson, super-swimmer Geoff Huegill, rugby league’s John Hopoate, and freestyle skier Jacqui Cooper. Not all the sports mentioned in Helliar’s comedy show involves balls on the court/field/stadium or between men’s legs. Sometimes the balls represent an athlete’s courage/battle against the odds (he/she’s got balls), or figuratively represents a fantastic and exciting experience (we had a ball). Whichever way it’s interpreted, there is no doubt Peter Helliar’s World of Balls will leave you in stitches, particularly as he amusingly evokes the passion shared among many around the world who love their sport. Helliar carries the entire hour of stand up comedy with his usual panache and comedic creativity that clearly resonates with the audience, making Peter Helliar’s World of Balls a must-see.
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WHO: Peter Helliar’s World of Balls
WHAT: Stand up comedy performance, audience interaction
WHERE: The Umbrella Revolution in the Garden of Unearthly Delights
WHEN: Previews have concluded.
All shows begin at 8:15pm.
PRICE: Ticket prices vary according to dates (no concession):
$32: 22,23, 24 and 27 February
$35: 25 and 26 February
RUNNING TIME: 1 hour
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