The Rogues Gallery Comedy Club, GRAND OPENING REDCLIFFE
Thursday 12th November 2009 – Review by: Lisa Lamb

“There is no black and white to comedy. A comedian should be like a prism and refract the different colours of light “. – Richard Price

Redcliffe, (occasionally referred to as Deadcliffe by the locals), is no longer a sleepy place where the pelican builds her nest, all that has changed thanks to some very funny Rouge’s . Held on the first Wednesday of every month. This is an alternate comedy club run by comedians Shayne Hunter and Richard Price (founder of Rouge’s Gallery Comedy Club). It is a great way to catch up on some of Australia’s best talent before they become media stars, though some are there already, plus the price is right. Admission is free! Woo hoo! Located at the Bramble Bay Bowls Club, at the end of the Hornibrook Highway, people came from as far away as Toowoomba for the opening night, to laugh till their jaws ached, and then laugh some more.

The evening opened with Chris Hague, Radio announcer for Brisbane’s Mix 96.7, well known for his Sunday afternoon comedy sessions at the Chalk Hotel. He is a very funny and creative MC – some people believe he has some sort of low level mental problem but refuses to get any firm diagnosis in case authorities make him wear a stack hat when he drives. Chris is quirky, charming and genuine, plus he also has some wonderful quotes of the day, though they may shock your boss if you write them on the company calendar. He makes the audience feel comfortable, encouraging them to be his friend, so they feel like part of the show and go home feeling like stars. Shayne Hunter was the opening act. He is outrageous and original, a star of You Tube, totally dedicated to his craft. He once performed on stage with food poisoning, vomited on stage and was still funny, he just incorporated it into the act, making him the innovator of punk comedy. See him today before he gets too famous.

Gary Fludder is a comedian with a difference! Gary looks at life from an unusual perspective, being born with a Disability, however what he is missing in size and body parts he makes up for with a wicked sense of humour and jokes about sharks. Gary has been likened to “Steady Eddy on Speed”. This has really been Gary’s year, with an incredibly diverse range of gigs under his (quite small – the dude’s only 46kg!) belt. He jokes that his wife bought him a studded belt once and it turned out to be a dog collar. Gary was a finalist in the Triple J 2009 Raw Comedy Comp, a place getter in the Bangalow Village Idiot competition, runner up in Canberra’s Green Faces Competition, and even found time to support Chopper Read through a series of shows in South East Qld. Gary was one of the first acts to appear in the Australia Uplate Comedy, as part of ‘Optimism’ at the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) in early 2009. It’s been a busy year.

Mel Buttle is an innovative comedian, one of many talented female comedians emerging from the Brisbane scene, along with Soulla Porfyiou and Green Faces Comedy Winner Anne Howe, she is coming through the ranks so fast you can only see where she’s been. Mel was a national finalist in the Raw Comedy Competition Triple J in 2008, she has impressed audiences with her sassy, comedy stories at the Adelaide Fringe Festival, Brisbane Comedy Festival (Debate), The Wild West Comedy Festival in Perth, and the Armidale Women’s Comedy Festival in NSW. Mel draws on her experiences as a high school teacher and combines them with rap and soul and occasionally can be heard on debating on Richard Fidler’s program, ABC Radio.

Greg Sullivan was the Headline act, he is also a comedy legend, with over 15 years of stand up comedy experience, his performance on opening night was superb. He is a very, very funny man, who resembles the Fat Kid from Gary Larson’s Far Side comics. He has performed everywhere from Sydney to Melbourne to Los Angeles, including his own show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Greg has also been featured on Good News Week and Today Tonight and can be heard daily on the Austero Network on Brisbane’s Triple M ‘The Cage’. Greg can make anyone laugh, even Americans. He is a great comedian in the body of three great comedians.

If you like your comedy free and in great atmosphere, swing by the Bramble Bays Bowls club. You will NOT be disappointed.

Review by Lisa Lamb