If you like your comedy with a touch of the absurd then Meaty Sue’s Big Farma is the show for you and I mean that with all of the best intentions.
From the moment I walked into the theatre I could tell that something a little bit magical, if not left of centre, was about to happen. Straight away I saw a pretty blank stage, except for a basket in one corner, and then an almost heavenly figure in white waltzed up to me and asked, “Have you seen Big Brother Big Farma Phil”?
That vision of white was none other than Meaty Sue (played by the woman of a million faces Sunny Youngsmith) who was soon taking myself and the rest of the ‘tourists’ on a journey around her family-inherited abattoir on a what she called aba-tour – not to be confused with the ABBA-tour that was apparently meeting at the Town Hall.
From there, I was taken on a journey where I simply never knew what was going to come next. One moment Meaty Sue was telling us her family history and about the “girls” we would meet in the paddock, the next she was bursting into song or starting an interpretive dance routine as we listened to her strategically hidden mother’s letters telling tales of dalliances with Michael Hutchence and Bear Grylls.
That is the magical part of Meaty Sue’s Big Farma it feels like you are on some kind of theme park ride where you just don’t know what is going to be around the next corner. The reason it works so well is because Sunny Youngsmith is so damn good – their facial expressions are enough to start the giggles and when they go into a full-blown routine such as her Cate Blanchett in Tar inspired conductor scene, you find yourself laughing until you cry.
What did hit me during the show was that Australia has uncovered a unique creative talent in the form of Youngsmith. The way that they can bring this comical character to life in such a hilarious way shows that they’re is a mix of the comedic stylings and skills of the likes of a Jennifer Saunders or a Gina Riley. The fact that they are a performer who can also feed off her audience’s energy to go to new heights and then laugh at themselves when things go wrong makes their a true comedic force to be reckoned with.
I found watching Meaty Sue’s Big Farma a pretty interesting experience simply for the fact that I never knew where this show was going to next. And while sitting through a journey that took me through nearly every aspect of comedy the one thing I never found myself was disappointed. No, instead I laughed and laughed and then laughed some more.
The best thing about the show is that it introduced me to the work of Sunny Youngsmith and I sincerely believe that Youngsmith is one of the most exciting comedic talents that we have in Australia at the moment.
Meaty Sue’s Big Farma is currently on until April 21 at The Butterfly Club as part of the 2024 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2024/shows/meaty-sue-s-big-farma
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