There’s no other show like it. It’s exceptional, audacious and full of gasping-for-air laughs. This late night spectacular only runs on Saturdays, so check politicalasylum.com.au for each week’s line-up. Tonight is the second show of this year’s Comedy Festival and the line-up is insane: Aamer Rahman, Nazeem Hussain, Mathew Kenneally (MC), Toby Halligan, Scott Abbot, Elbowskin, Rod Quantock (intro) and special guest Tom Ballard. Quantock kicked the night off with random musings on today’s tabloid news while the audience slowly filed into the room. He did so in his typically cynical and politically incorrect style, which was equal-parts shocking and humorous.
As founder of the Political Asylum group, Kenneally steered the night superbly. His blend of self-deprecating charm and clever wit was engaging, even if some of his more complex jokes received delayed laughter. Hussain (one-half of Fear Of A Brown Planet) was hilarious in his examination of race relations; his increasingly bold and fearless approach was most evident in his criticism of the Kony 2012 campaign. Abbot and Halligan were both impressive while Ballard had the audience erupting with laughter and most were stunned that this 22-year-old could possess such comical prowess. Elbowskin delighted with an infectious, freshly-written musical performance about Bob Katter.
Fittingly, Rahman (of FOABP) closed the show in that mind-blowing manner we’ve all come to expect. Aamer Rahman is the Chuck D of comedy. Heroic rebels like Rahman and the rest of the Political Asylum crew choose to speak the uncensored truth about racism, politics and injustice, and aren’t afraid to say all the things that NEED to be said.
