Preaching the topics we’re too afraid to speak about at dinner parties, Matthew Semple is returning to Brisbane’s Powerhouse for a delightful evening of political jest.
The one man cabaret show, aptly entitled ‘The Gospel According to Matthew’, is inspired by satire, religion and Australian views on politics, packing a prejudice-free punch at common debatable topics.
Entering the confines of the Powerhouses Graffiti Room, Semple delivered a witty, comical and tongue-in-cheek performance to an adoring audience.
His routine is stand-up comedy at its best, whipped with current affairs satire and accompanied with a slice of musical theatre.
We’re no stranger to Semple performing on the Brisbane performing arts scene. In 2016, his cabaret (of the same name) won Short+Sweet’s Best Original Score and since then he’s returned back to the venue throughout the year, most recently in the festivals Gala Night for a special interval performance.
Semple proves in this revival that he really is exceptionally talented – joking, performing and dancing his way through a multi-skilled 60-minute performance.
One of the show’s highlights was Semple’s ability to command the stage as the real MVP of words; flipping his cap backwards to rap a jam so alliterate the dictionary couldn’t handle him.
At times, nerves got the better of Semple – but that’s to be expected when the front row is quite literally one foot step away. The sound quality of recorded tracks was hard to comprehend at times, but this would be a criticism of space not performance. Semple mastered a tough gig in an incredibly intimate environment.
‘The Gospel According to Matthew’ is real, honest and upfront. Semple is doing what established comedians do best with a no-holds-barred approach to humour.
He’ll leave your cheeks aching from laughter and your mind thinking ‘is he really allowed to say that?’
Tiptoeing along the edge of your moral compass, Semple is quite literally saying the things we’re too shy to say. But it’s something definitely worthwhile witnessing this Wonderland Festival.
