3 Broke Gays have the makings of a truly bitching comedy act
Stand-up comedy can be a difficult gig. Imagine the nerve required to perform to a roomful of strangers, hoping to god your jokes land and that you look okay delivering them while also having to keep in mind the sensitivities of (insert long list of hard done-by marginal groups here).
In the case of LGBTQI+ comedy, you can also throw in delicate issues, past traumas, a constant desire to critique, and the need to bear your heart and soul, and then you’ll really see those nerves getting into a twist.
Despite these challenges, or perhaps in spite of them, fledgling comedy trio 3 Broke Gays do a dandy job in tackling queer sensibilities, turning these into ammunition for laughs. And they’ve got most tribes of the queer community covered.
Jackson is a bisexual, bipolar twenty-something who, to me, seems like a young Joel Creasey in the making, only without the over-confidence. Delivering plenty of puns in his punchlines, it appears wordplay is Jackson’s go-to. Given a couple more years – and if he draws further experience from outer-field in his two ‘bi’ worlds, relaying their many complexities – I’m sure this guy will shine even brighter on stage than he already does.
Charlotte is a confident lesbian who has a habit of making the patriarchy the butt of her jokes. But before you think, ‘She’s a lesbian; of course she would’, she also takes the mickey out of her own Sappho culture, meaning everyone in between (the GBTQI+) is also fair game. Watch out for this girl. She might bite.
3 Broke Gays breaking into the world of standup comedy (l-r): Charlotte, Jackson and Cody.
Cody identifies as gay, but definitely not just or plain. Though dressing like a lecturer in Gender Politics 102, Cody will let you know from the get-go: cultural disruption and cancel culture aren’t his mission; finding a man with plenty of dosh is. There’s quite a bit of vitriol spat out by this Viet-Aussie cat, but a lot of the time it’s met with cutesy quasi-apologies from the artist. I think once Cody decides to bite the bullet and really dive into his destined ‘bad boy’ role , he’s going to really see his comic critique reaching way broader audiences. In fact, I can almost imagine him performing a standalone set in some seedy bar to begin with, but making more tips than the bar staff and door bitch combined.
Indeed, I think if each of these three artists could put political correctness on the back burner for the night, and their critical humour would really hit home.
Don’t be afraid to cross the PC line in stand-up, folks. It’s comedy. They’ll get over it eventually.
Antonino Tati
3 Broke Gays perform as part of Fringe World 2021 at the Belgian Bier Café on January 27 and 28. Tickets are available through www.fringeworld.com.au.
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