I caught Yianni Agisilaou twice during the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
Twice.
He’s a bit of a mastermind and has become a headline act around the world since trading his hometown Melbourne for London thirteen years ago.
Following a string of festival hits, including 2017’s five star sold-out Adelaide Fringe season of The Simpsons Taught Me Everything I Know (also sold-out Melbourne and Edinburgh 2016), Yianni brought his brand new award nominated show to Melbourne (and it’s coming for you, Sydney).
“I was staggered by a friend telling me she deliberately buys pink pens as it stops men stealing them!” said Yianni. “For a colour to so influence our behaviour made me think there are still so many preposterous rules, double-standards and expectations society lumps on us depending on which bits we’re born with.
“Don’t get me wrong, we’ve come a long way from ‘women and children first’ to ‘step on everyone equally’, and AFL clubs are clamouring over each other for women’s league licences. But I stifled tears in a darkened cinema during Les Mis, so we’ve still a long way to go.”
Yianni’s show, The Un-Pinchable Pink Pen, is clever. Really, really clever. It’s funny AF; I caught myself loudly laughing, or more bellowing, really, more times than I’d care to admit (soz, audience) but more than funny, it’s witty, and smart.
I love a laugh, but I also love a truth bomb, and Yianni manages to find a way to deliver both gracefully (well, most of the time) that culminates in a show with a pertinent message.
Timely, personal and unflinchingly honest, I wish Yianni was still in Melbourne. Because third time’s a charm.
Catch Yianni in Sydney at the Factory Theatre (The Matchbox) until May 7 (tickets available at ticketek.com.au) and find out more about upcoming shows here.
