Jack Gow's Everybody's Doing it! Dying That Is...

In great comedy tradition, a few observations could not be overlooked when approaching this review. If Jack Gow is indeed "One of the finest emerging comedians in the country" why then stick him in the cramped, David Lynchian confines of The Loft? Meanwhile, Gow's 'opening bit' (#SubliminalSpoiler) presents a highly elaborate setting up of his apologetically geeky personae, by high-brow-beating his audience with semantics – for no apparent reason, other than to point out just how far off the comedy mainsteam they had swam when they squeezed themselves into the room.

On reflection, perhaps he took the literal meaning of “emerging” to mean, something which is in the process of appearing, rather than something that has already attained a clear level of prominence. Either way, the 'this-is-how-much-of a-nerd-I-am' opening monologue set the tone like concrete: Strap yourselves in folks – it's going to be a multi-syllablically bumpy night. And thus, with relentlessly strident eloquence – his surprisingly typical Aussie backstory hilariously unfolded.

And there-in lay the genius of this wit. While the logophillic geekiness that he insisted was the thing that separated himself from the hoi-poloi seated half a well-aimed chewing-gum spit away – the topic referenced in the show's title provides that inexorable human connection (he seems determined to avoid) as the audience cannot help but be seduced by his sudden, disarming vulnerability. Gow is undoubtedly at his best when he relaxes his white knuckles from his artfully-penned text long enough to fully engage his physical humour and throw in the occasional ad-lib. The denouement or 'finale' of the piece veritably explodes like a stick of Napoleon Dynamite – and just like that the group dynamic shifts as the room realises just how sincere and brave he has been in delivering the vital “life's too short” mantra.  He works very hard to deliver a worthy message, so this review represents an unabashed homage by way of thanks. 

Rose Cooper