Comedy Festival 2018: Marcel Lucont mines crowd interaction in Whine List ★★★½

THE Frenchiest of Frenchmen Marcel Lucont lowers himself to interact with the locals, to mostly formidable effect.

PREPARE for a little bit of admin on the way in to Marcel Lucont’s show, with some form-filling an entry requirement.

The queries seek to obtain some of the more outrageous or embarrassing experiences audience members have endured in relation to sex, work and travel and it is these that make up the titular ‘whine list’, the relaying of which makes up the bulk of this hour-plus offering.

NEAL PORTENZA: MANIC MAGICIAN HOLDS FINAL TRICK UP HIS SLEEVE

FERN BRADY: FORMER STRIPPER FINDS HER CALLING

Marcel Lucont in Whine List.

Lucont is a fine comic character and his creator remains thoroughly committed to his withering, low-energy haughtiness throughout, looking down his nose on pretty much anything that isn’t himself while somehow maintaining a patina of likeability.

Inevitably, given the concept, this is a show largely reliant on how good the audience yarns are and what Lucont can mine from the interactions. On this opening night, the crowd certainly played its part with tales of public sex, incontinent kids and aggressive shoplifters.

LUKE HEGGIE TAKES THE CROWD TO A PLACE FEW OTHERS CAN

DAMIEN POWER: FOOD FOR THOUGHT SERVED WITH BELLY LAUGHS

It’s no mean feat to improvise through a character and Lucont’s way with an off-the-cuff bit is often formidable in both the French and English senses. As well-honed as the schtick is, on this occasion it keeps things rolling nicely without ever really bringing the house down.

Marcel Lucont is often formidable in both French and English senses in Whine List.

His own material is kept to the bare minimum and includes a short film of easy pickings lamenting the grimness of a UK seaside town along with an accurately forewarned “unnecessarily crude” song that doesn’t appear to serve much purpose.

Overall, never less than enjoyable and an ideal show to bring a well-refreshed crowd to at a relatively late hour. We’d wager there’ll be a few unforgettable episodes in the run but this opening night felt a little like a throat-clearing. C’est la vie.

Marcel Lucont, Whine List

The Coopers Malthouse, until Apr 22.

comedyfestival.com.au

Marcel Lucont’s own material is kept to the bare minimum in Whine List.