The variety style of entertainment that leaped from British music halls to 1970s prime-time TV hasn't died, it has merely graduated in low-key form to a midweek slot – to Wollongong Town Hall, at least.
Made From Scratch brings together a melange of entertainers, who, like the audience, you sense wouldn't be doing much else on a mild Wednesday evening in March. The feel is extremely casual, and the quality is very much in the mode of Forrest Gump's box of chocolates, but the odd jewel is a thrill and worth the price of admission, which is left up to the happy or otherwise punter. And you'd be called worse than a curmudgeon if you grumbled and didn't pay up, the performers buoyant as they are for a slice of spotlight rarer for some than others.
Having starred at a similar event last year, MC and comic Mariah Nickolas set the laidback atmosphere with observational humour touching on being introverted, poor luck with dating apps and tortuous Thai massage. Musician Oliver Shoebridge drew the short-straw opening slot but set all nerves at ease by unleashing his falsetto over self-produced backing tracks, with droll keytar-based humour thrown in.
Suddenly, Amelia Harding was prowling the stage in torn fishnets and puffing a (herbal) cigarette, in character as Rigby, a young woman accused of murder in an edgy excerpt from her show Bunny Boiler; the next minute, Courtney Allerton was being borne aloft on the sure shoulders of fellow dancer Clayton Webb in an intense three minutes as tender in tone as it was suspended in dynamism.
The mood flipped again with the appearance in silver shoes and fuchsia jacket of Tiang Lim, whose gentle humour mused on the joys of ageing and recollections of getting lost in translation upon moving to Australia in the 1970s.
After the interval, Corey Pickett amused and engaged with multiple juggling skills and slick quips before musical sidekick Emma Price comically reworked the wholesome My Favourite Things into something that would make the kink set blush. Built on solid timing, teamwork and good old-fashioned shtick, the act was the most engaging of the bill's list of seven.
Keeping the chuckles coming, albeit from a fabulously obtuse angle, was seasoned performer Alicia Battestini, garnering laughs with an entrance through the audience, tossing popcorn, presumably for the poultry she proceeded to butcher off-stage (not for real) while taking occasional phone calls muttering in cod French. Much sublime face-pulling, bloodied aprons and squawking; it was as if someone had left SBS running after midnight.
Made From Scratch suits an ongoing format, and repeats with different artists will be held in June and September. Artists can apply through Merringong's website.
