If you are looking for a show where not even the performers know what will happen and the chances of being offended are high, look no further than ‘Comedians Against Humanity’.
Hosted by Yianni Agisilaou and inspired by the hilariously controversial card game Cards Against Humanity the show sees guest comedians put their Improv skills to the test in an hour of laughs guided almost entirely by whatever is written on the card they – or the audience – deal.
For those who have never played before, Cards Against Humanity asks players to use cards featuring random words and sentences to create combinations which range from hilarious to just plain wrong. No topic is off limits and things can go south pretty quickly – in short, the game doesn’t just cross the boundaries of social and political correctness, it runs them down with a semi-trailer then sets them on fire.
Held in the charmingly small (yet surprisingly spacious) La Petite Grande tent in Gluttony – a rather fitting location for a show about a game with absolutely no morals – the show is comprised of a series of short games which requires one, two or three comedians to take to the stage to discuss whatever topic is on the card host Agisilaou draws. Prior to entering each audience member was given three specially written and randomly drawn ‘Comedians Against Humanity’ cards which we could play at our discretion during the show (with host Yianni choosing the card which best suited the topic at the time).
At the performance our guest comedians were Damien Warren-Smith, Kat Grey and Jon Bennett (who are all hosting their own respective shows during the Adelaide Fringe season) and the three made a rather unusual trio. There were times when they all seemed to struggle to come up with material for their chosen topics but it was timid Jon who appeared least at home on stage – often choosing not to approach the microphone at all during group games. Lanky beanstalk Damien nailed a few great one liners – the best of which was complimented with a hilarious demonstration (about a topic far too inappropriate to mention here); while children’s entertainer Kat surprised everyone with her impromptu press conference involving everything from kidnapping to inappropriate acts with Muppets.
While ‘Comedians Against Humanity’ uses its own specially-written version of the game there is still plenty of rude, crude fun to be had (so do not bring your kids to this one folks) and with different performers every night you never know what may happen. Seasoned game players know that the original game is only as good as the cards played (and the twisted minds dealing them) and unfortunately on the night I attended most of the cards were less than spectacular. The comedians did the best they could with the lacklustre material they were given and there were enough laughs to make the hour bearable – but it was certainly a lot tamer than any Cards Against Humanity game I’ve ever played.
