Jarryd Goundrey: Incoming | Adelaide Fringe 2022 review

Turning a traumatic experience into comedy gold is no easy feat, and this glimpse in to Goundrey’s many lives is a delight.

Jarryd Goundrey: Incoming

Jarryd Goundrey: Incoming

Comedy

Rating: ***1/2

Alley Cat at Rhino Room

Until March 19

Having “mistakenly” joined the military in his late 20s – a stint that lasted seven years including a post in East Timor – Jarryd Goundrey has a knack for finding light in the shadow.

Taking a traumatic experience, with the loss of fellow veterans to suicide, and turning it into comedy gold is no easy feat, and to be treated to a glimpse in to Goundrey’s many lives (he’s also a chef) is a delight.

His observations as a single 30-something navigating dating and one-night-stands are relatable and witty, his reality TV quips clever and his larrikin-like stage presence magnetic, but some of the more risqué material had me shifting in my seat at times.

A few gags about being mistaken as gay – complete with some tired stereotypes and tawdry impressions – unfortunately lost me, but the rest of the audience remained enthralled.

One woman even remarked on leaving the room that he was the best comedian she’d seen all Fringe.