Tony Abbott received a much-deserved roasting on the opening night of the Sydney Fringe Comedy festival on September 1.
Unfortunately no actual fire was involved, but the prime minister β played disturbingly well by Jonas Holt (whose Abbott impersonation has featured on Weekend Sunrise and the At Home With Tones webseries) β was subjected to an amusing grilling.
Headed by MC Mark Williamson, Abbott was confronted by Julia Wilson (on behalf of the 52% of the population represented by Abbott as βminister for women), βdirty hippyβ Carlo Sands from ΒιΆΉΣ³» Weekly, wind farmer Trevor Gumboots (played by Peter Green) and Kevin Rudd (impersonated with precision by Nathan Lentern).
Abbott's rebuttal was a sustained, pitch perfect display of prime ministerial stupidity and bigotry, concluding with a guitar-accompanied rendition of βI'm A Liberalβ (to the tune of Denis Leary's βArseholeβ).
The up-to-the-minute jokes at the many failings and crimes of Tony Abbott β from the Border Farce just days before to his never-ceasing, multi-faceted prejudices β came quick and fast, making for a highly amusing hour of comedy. It is true Abbott and his parliamentary colleagues have provided enough material for 1000 such shows, but no one can deny the nation needs a laugh right now and the show delivered plenty.
Sydney Fringe Comedy is continuing with many shows at the Factory Theatre in Marrickville until October 4 β Williamson has another show, a live recording of his βComedy on Edgeβ podcast on September 12.
Sydneysiders who missed the roast can see Holt's Abbott, Lentern's Rudd and Carlo Sands in ΒιΆΉΣ³» Weekly's fundraising comedy debate ββ on October 17. Joining the trio are Michael Hing (Triple J, ABC's Good Game), Kirsty Mac (fresh from a well-reviewed show at the Edinburgh festival), Alice Fraser and Shayne Hunter.
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