The more I learn about Eddie Perfect, the more I see him perform, act and sing, the more I realise just how apt it is that a man with so much talent, and so much in the way of clever, carries the surname Perfect.
There’s not a lot to dislike about Eddie Perfect. He’s the genius behind Shane Warne The Musical, one of the stars of Channel 10’s Australian drama Offspring, a composer, performer, singer and comedian, and he can swivel his hips.
Perfect’s new show, Misanthropology, currently being performed at The Famous Spiegeltent at the Arts Centre as a part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, is a gem of a cabaret show.
It’s a dark, satirical look at modern life – and it’s so spot on, so incredibly on the money – that the rare few people not laughing in the audience are probably the exact people that Perfect is referring to, and dare I say it, they’re the ones that need to hear it most.
Perfect sings and croons his way through the complexities and contradictions of our world, and the people within it. He’s not concerned with being politically correct – a quality I love because it’s such a rarity these days – and the show is intended to make you squirm, just a little bit. And it’s that exact factor, the squirm factor, which stayed with me most after Misanthropology and forced me to question some lurid aspects of our modern culture.
Misanthropology is funny, and that’s because it’s true. If Perfect’s songs, so beautifully brought to life by his magnificent band and exceptional lyrical abilities, weren’t such an accurate description of our culture, I don’t think I would have belly laughed so hard.
Perfect’s show may not be everyone’s cup of tea – if you’re a Kerrie-Anne Kennerley fan then I suggest staying away – but it was definitely mine. His performance is gutsy – truly ballsy – and we need more people like Perfect wading through the bullshit of life and speaking, or singing, the truth.
Eddie Perfect ‘Misanthropology’, Tue-Sat, 8.30pm, Sun 7.30pm at The Famous Spiegeltent at the Arts Centre until April 24th. Tickets: Full $28-32, Concession $29, Tightarse Tuesday $25, Group (10 or more) $26. Click here to purchase tickets.
For more information on Eddie Perfect, visit his website.
