“this formidable duo is bursting forth from the confines of Sydney’s stay-at-home orders with a wealth of new material, making for a memorable hour of comedy.
“Amelia Navascues…is 100% what you’d get if you took Fleabag and transplanted the beloved antiheroine into a pub in Sydney’s inner west….a vodka-redbull with verbal IBS “
“Barbeau-Scurla…If you’re a depressed, anxious bisexual – Bea Barbeau-Scurla has got your back. Bea makes being sad and irreverent look easy, and most of all, enjoyable”
– Camilla Turnbull, On The Town
It’s 9:30 on a school night, and instead of the usual routine of being tucked up in bed, I am being gently ushered into a bright red shipping container in the quiet streets of Marrickville, for my first live comedy experience out of lockdown.
Boasting a loyal following, Rat Klub are an electric new presence in the Sydney comedy scene. Trading in their regular stomping ground of the Mosh Pit in Newtown for the Factory Theatre, I was eagerly anticipating a long awaited laugh out of lockdown!
Taking to the stage in the packed out shipping-container-cum-comedy-venue, Navascues and Barbeau-Scurla this formidable duo is bursting forth from the confines of Sydney’s stay-at-home orders with a wealth of new material, making for a memorable hour of comedy.
The show commences with both Navascues and Barbeau-Scurla addressing the room side-by-side. There’s no airs and graces from these two as they assure us they’ve been at the venue since 3pm for a tech run, the pair instead opt for self-deprecating jabs and a warm welcome to the room.
First to perform is Amelia Navascues. Amelia is 100% what you’d get if you took Fleabag and transplanted the beloved antiheroine into a pub in Sydney’s inner west. Cool, calculating and quick witted, she is the comedic equivalent of a vodka-redbull with verbal IBS. No topic is safe, from cocaine to abortion, to joining ISIS – despite navigating some polarising content, Navascues keeps the audience laughing along with the revelations from her dark psyche. Traversing topics many comics would struggle to make funny or relevant, Amelia’s charm enables her to assassinate modern culture with ease. She finishes her set on a high note, managing any nervous energy with aplomb, she takes it all in her stride.
Next up is Barbeau-Scurla. If you’re a depressed, anxious bisexual – Bea Barbeau-Scurla has got your back. Relatable, charming, and undoubtedly hilarious, Bea reveals herself to be a natural talent, with an unparallelled self-awareness that makes her material shine. With a penchant for making any topic charming-as-fuck, Bea makes being sad and irreverent look easy, and most of all, enjoyable. One particular joke laughs at the expense of the comedian replicating her family in The Sims, and murdering her virtual mum in a swimming pool for therapy. She even makes having mummy-issues look good!
In a mere hour, Amelia Navascues and Bea Barbeau-Scurla hold nothing back, with relentless wit, impeccable timing and enviable energy, they mine the millennial experience effortlessly with only two microphones and some prescription medication in their arsenal. While I walk away questioning my own family relationships and evaluating my need for
validation and therapy, one thing is clear, Navascues and Barbeau-Scurla are a force to be reckoned with that would make most male comics run crying home to mum. I am convinced Amelia and Bea have what it takes to be the next big hit in homegrown comedy, get a ticket to see them work their magic while it’s still cheap.
You can catch Amelia and Bea hosting Rat Klub, a weekly comedy night at MoshPit in Newtown showcasing a diverse mix of Sydney’s funniest comedians and up and comers.
Camilla Turnbull, On The Town
Laughs Outta Lockdown Festival: Rat Klub Split Bill | Amelia Navascues and Bea Barbeau-Scurla
November 4 – 6 at 9.30pm
Terminal, The Factory Theatre
Details:
