These days, David Nihill's reputation as a worldly Irish vagabond precede him, because his Melbourne International Comedy Festival show at the Comic's Lounge in North Melbourne is a complete sellout.
After a string of dates in Perth, Sydney and Brisbane, tonight (19 April) is the final Aussie engagement before shows in Europe and the USA, and expectations are high. Extensively well read and travelled, Nihill conceptualised his new show 'Shelf Help' on the premise of distilling the essence of his favourite books into a hilarious, career-spanning travelogue.
David is blessed with wonderful cadence and delivers his observations on language, travel and culture with an astute Irish sensibility and trademark tongue-in-cheek.
Warm, affable and witty, he effortlessly disarms us as he lays the groundwork for tonight's show, sharing personal foibles while getting to know his audience. He enchants the room with his unique observations on local and international idioms from the perspective of an Irishman with no 'white guilt'.
A self-confessed meanderer, David charms audience member Brian, ("A bearded stallion in a hoodie") and then enlists him to keep the show on track. Brian has unwittingly just volunteered to become the evening's first touch point.
Nihill familiarises himself with more audience members, and they also form part of tonight's show, becoming 'bumpers' off which this comedic pinball wizard bounces.
It's an energetic show and in 90 minutes he hardly draws breath, weaving a TED Talk tapestry that both captivates and reflects wittily on comedian and punters alike.
Through these hilarious anecdotal recollections, David Nihill likes to paint himself as an adventurous nerdy larrikin, but as the evening whizzes to a close, and we realise he's effortlessly entertained and educated us on the concepts behind more than 20 of his favourite tomes, it becomes clear there is so much more to him than that.
It seems that many here tonight concur – as upon leaving, the queue to meet David, say a quick hello and get a selfie runs to more than 70 deep. . . the ultimate endorsement.
In a world where often there's not too much to laugh about, a David Nihill show is welcome relief, and a superb night out. Be sure to catch him somewhere around the globe if the opportunity arises. . . Highly recommended!
- written by Harry Williams
