Craig Quartermaine is like your most fun teacher at school – you know the one you actually remembered things from? That’s how you really teach somebody a lesson, folks. Not with your fist. . .
It’s a comfortable craft of being engaging, altruistic and amusing at once. Just probably don’t bring up the Holy Trinity in comparison.This is the guy who goes to Tasmania, discovers a bakery with pineapple in their beef, cheese, and bacon pie, and reminds them that he's the most tropical thing for 3,000km and he has an opinion about that.
“This is good, you’re gangster,” he says to the punters when they’re on board after he took a risk.
On a longer information dispensation, of heavy stuff, he’s reassuring: “there’s a reason we’re going through this,” and we’re happy to travel alongside.
Unafraid and undaunted, there’s no side-stepping here. Craig is a label shifter (going from ‘that Aboriginal comedian’ to ‘that horsey guy’), a label stripper and a label diffuser. . . Who needs one, anyway?
Come to be immersed in a little of his world, dark and illuminating as it is. Bring your horse injuries (although he’s retiring that joke as of this show) and your Midlands Shopping Centre stories. Potential bloodlines of mining magnates are also welcome.
Don’t put off going to see Craig next time he’s in town: as he points out, traditionally, his life expectancy from this point is probably about three hours. Spare him one of yours.
★★★★☆ 1/2
