The best way to sum up Damien Power’s new show Sell Mum Into Slavery is that you’ll have a laugh and a think. Not only does Power provide an absolutely hilarious stand-up performance, he engages the audience with some thought-provoking ideas. At last year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Power received rave reviews for I Can’t Believe I Cared, and as a result was nominated for the coveted Barry Award – one which is given to the stand-out act of the festival. Previous winners of the Barry include huge international stars such as Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt for Arctic Boosh (2000), Ross Noble (2002) and Nina Conti (2008). This in itself provides a snapshot of the quality of act one can expect from Power at this year’s festival.
For Sell Mum Into Slavery, Power provides each audience number with a small booklet, which among other things features a quote from Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot, in addition to an illustration of human kind’s evolutionary progression, culminating in an impressive alien sporting five penises – Power’s prediction for our next phase. From the beginning of the show, Power explains that the main area of discussion for the evening is the way society is torn between animalistic urges and the next stage of evolution. “Are we going to make it?” he asks the audience, before explaining one reason he’s not so sure. Power suggests it won’t necessarily be because of a disaster such as nuclear war, but more so the fact that society contains the kinds of individuals who do things like try to tackle a car. Contrasting this with genius Stephen Hawking as being the same animal, Power makes it clear there’s “a bit of a gap,” not seen in other species. For instance, he ruminates on the hypothetical sight of one dog eating its own vomit, while another drives a fork-lift.
A lot of Sell Mum Into Slavery revolves around societal observation, but Power also delves into some more personal topics such as his experience coming off anti-depressants and being a single dad. He tells a poignant story of a time he cried in a café, building a rapport with the audience that isn’t just based on humour alone. Being that Powers is also involved with the True Australian Patriots, another popular act at this year’s festival, it comes as no surprise that his views on Reclaim Australia are briefly brought to the fore.
He suggests one solution may be to send them all to the most Aussie place in the universe – the Southern Cross. Power says it could be as simple as draping an Australian flag over a shuttle and sending them on their merry way.
One of the most impressive aspects of Power’s stand-up is his ability to convey intellectual philosophies with an entertaining spin. You don’t have to be an academic to find his act entertaining, though his intelligent and carefully considered opinions add a profound degree of depth to his performance. If you want a comedian who will not only have you hunched over your seat in compulsive laughter, and at the same time teach you something, Power is the one to see.
BY BEL RYAN
