Andrew Hansen – Let’s All Panic – Melbourne Comedy Festival – Review
Down the winding stairs to the Victoria Hotel’s Acacia Room, a small intimate stage stood a well-traveled Maton Guitar and a full-length keyboard, beckoning the fusion of music and comedy.
Andrew Hansen suddenly appeared as his larger-than-life persona, simultaneously self-aggrandizing and self-deprecatingly introducing himself and the promise of a solution to the Panic that we all face in our busy lives.
With sharp poignant observations on the intensity of societies craziness, panic and contradictions in our lives, especially with respect to technology, Hansen expertly identified some of the most relatable pain and angst we all go through, whilst he delivered around one hour of verbal and musical recognition and his solutions to them.
There can be no doubt that Andrew Hansen is a very gifted and insightful comedian, and has demonstrated a commanding understanding of comedic technique whilst delivering a well polished, intelligent and perfectly timed act.
His musical ability is also a tremendous strength and a nice change of pace to a traditional stand-up performance. However, although the entire audience left engaged, positive and with a lasting smile on their face, the laugh-o-meter barely peaked over fifty percent.
The observations were too real, agreeable, close to home and simply matter-of-fact that some of the tension that had been built up needed to be comically broken and the audience needed more escape above their comfort threshold.
Overall a safe show without risks. Enjoyable, but not invoking bust-your-gut, rib tickling laughter.
Summary: Andrew Hansen offers a highly polished, intellectual musical escape with his solution to the Panic. Guaranteed to leave with a smile.