Scottish comedy superstar Danny Bhoy elicited non-stop laughs from a sold-out crowd with his new show ‘Dear World…’ at the Brisbane Powerhouse (30 April).
The sequel to Bhoy’s favourite ever personal show, ‘Dear Epson…’ (2015), ‘Dear World…’ (among other topics) revisited letters the multi award-winning comedian wrote ten years ago to a handful of corporations in response to their dubious marketing claims or poor customer service.
Billed as a hybrid of theatre and stand-up, the comedic delivery in ‘Dear World…’ was masterfully subtle, with Bhoy’s slight changes in facial expressions and body posture (whether casually walking the stage or sitting to read letters) intriguing hints to the approaching sharp punchlines.
With product examples of the companies in question used as props, Bhoy entertainingly mocked the credibility of alleged gravity-defying and age-reversing beauty creams, and the product names and descriptions some luxury candle brands adopt, with a personal highlight his likening the scent of one (Imp’s Whisper) to that of Toilet Duck Marine.
With Queensland the last stop of his ‘Dear World…’ Australia 2025 tour, Bhoy treated the audience to material inspired by observations made in other states, as well as most recently here in Brisbane, including the recounting of a hilariously typical Aussie interaction between a father and son at South Bank, and a bold assertion by a local newspaper regarding the very festival Bhoy is currently starring in. Move over Edinburgh Festival Fringe!
While most of the show’s content was light, current international political climates weren’t off limits, and Bhoy’s moments of darker humour including quips regarding Malaysia Airlines’ popularity rating and World Trade Centre tourist tips couldn't help but be laughed at.
Adopting a variety of accents throughout his storytelling, Bhoy’s imitation of the Australian accent was flawless, however no impersonation was better (or more warmly received) than his parody of US President, Donald Trump.
Bhoy executed audience interaction with aplomb, with his observations regarding the response to or comprehension of his material either teasingly targeted at an individual or the crowd as a whole, or directed self-deprecatingly back at himself for perhaps missing the mark.
With new shows added to his Brisbane Comedy Festival 2025 run, Bhoy’s musings on the longevity of his career at the beginning of the show (later addressed poignantly in a letter to his younger self) certainly seemed unfounded.
