Lawrence Mooney

Despite a packed house, comedian Lawrence Mooney’s Full Moon Party didn’t always match the anticipation. Showcasing many impressions, the audience did not have the benefit of the usual costumes and wigs differentiating between characters. Mooney opened with his impression of actor Russell Crowe. Playing a compere/mediator between his alter-egos, Mooney’s humour is not for the politically correct, but I suspect the audience knew that when buying a ticket.

Mooney as Crowe talked about the media’s obsession with a possible relationship with Terri Irwin. The humour was naughty and for the most part the punch lines landed. Pushing the boundaries, there were many gasps from the vocal crowd. As Mooney left the stage he returned as former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. He leaned into the politician’s polished public persona, drawing laughs from his over pronunciation of the English language. We were then introduced to French cultural commentator Jean Le Camembert and his love of Australia and the ladies. Greeting us next was opportunist Dr. Tyler Wall, AFL “Mind Set Coach”. Tapping into the ridiculousness and satirising the absurd confidence with which life advice is packaged was amusing.

Although entertaining, the performance occasionally lost its rhythm and fell flat. When playing multiple characters in conversation, it felt under-rehearsed and messy. Mooney reignited the spark, with his impression of local Port Power supporter Gavin Muntberry, a football loving, unemployed, family man from the northern suburbs of Adelaide. Clearly a crowd favourite, this character has appeared many times on television’s The Front Bar.

The premise of the performance was that we were all invited to the “Moon Party”. The whole concept felt rushed and did not meet its potential. Although the audience remained supportive, the material overall was uneven. Hopefully as the season progresses, the material tightens and Mooney’s sharp comic instincts prevail.

Kerry Cooper