On stage Cam Knight is a relaxed, chatty performer. He wins over the crowd within seconds of stepping on stage, stopping to talk with members of the audience.
On this night he targets a gentleman in the front row. “You look like you’re rich,” he says. “You’ve got a striped shirt on. So what do you do now you’re retired?”
The target of his opener responds with his own one liner. “I write about people like you.”
“You write about people like me. So what brings you out tonight?”
“I’m here to review your show,” the target says. There is a distinct look of shock and surprise before Cam howls with laughter and the audience laughs too. Yep, this reviewer is the first of several in the audience to be the subject of his rapier wit.
He turns his attention to another couple who are a little more reticent to speak. He garners a few laughs at their expense and moves on. His connection with the crowd is natural and he segues his jokes with ease, manoeuvring the audience from one scenario to the next. When things stall he quickly turns them around but that seldom happens.
Having left his wife and three-year-old son at home to attend the Brisbane Comedy Festival, Cam jokes that this show, “better bloody work”. Cam’s delightful yet irreverent take on marriage and fatherhood is both charming and hilarious. He uses his experiences as a father to underscore his message of tolerance and inclusion, values he wishes to impress upon his child.
A natural storyteller, Cam continues with more observations about marriage and fatherhood before turning his attention to pet ownership and the dog he has billeted on a farm. However, he quickly characterises the relationship as distinct from the parent-child dynamic, offering sage advice to would-be parents.
His ability to interact with the audience keeps the show rolling along but the evolving subject matter is secondary to the quirks of thought Cam deploys. Some of it is self-deprecating but much of the show is filled by Cam’s offbeat observations of the human condition. His relationship with the world is tuned differently to most.
Cam Knight is in control from the moment he starts and his show is well worth staying up for. He occupies the late night slot at the Brisbane Comedy Festival until Sunday.
★★★★★
Cam Knight Dates
Until 25 March – Brisbane Powerhouse (Brisbane Comedy Festival)29 March-22 April – Mantra On Russell (Melbourne Comedy Festival)
3-5 May – Regal Theatre (Perth Comedy Festival)
17-20 May – Enmore Theatre (Sydney Comedy Festival)
