If you've been active on social media and live in Melbourne, you've likely encountered Julian O'Shea and his quirky snippets of Melbourne lore. Now, O'Shea has taken his educational adventures to the next level with his debut at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) -- M is for Melbourne: The World's Mostly* Liveable City.
Ushered into a corporate-style function room at the Doubletree on Flinders St, the audience is greeted by a PowerPoint presentation, evoking the feeling of an AGM. But as O'Shea emerges in a hoodie emblazoned with a city map pattern, it's clear this will be no ordinary corporate affair.
O'Shea takes the audience on an alphabetical tour of the elements that make up Melbourne, the once-crowned "world's most liveable city." From the surprising fact that a bike would need to be as wide as a banana to fit Collins St's bike lane to the puzzling over why trucks keep crashing into the Montague St Bridge, O'Shea uncovers the quirks and oddities that many Melburnians have likely pondered but been too embarrassed to ask about.
The show also delves into the history behind some of Melbourne's oddities, such as the origins of jaywalking. O'Shea even goes as far as reclaiming the connotations of "jaywalking" by handing out custom badges to the audience, with a "Jaywalker" mascot to boot. He had to make an additional 500 badges due to high demand, with some audience members even receiving broken ones or “limited editions”, as he quipped. But it's not just a touch-up on history that the show goes through. It then goes into the present commentary on the fight for good versus evil: pickup trucks or truckzillas against pedestrians to Skyrail, and Melbourne still does not have a train to the airport.
Many of the show's zingers and intervals were reminiscent of a long-dormant institution that once graced (rather polluted) Australian cities—the rag that was MX, dumped everywhere in train stations and shopping centres. But unlike MX's sometimes irreverent and tabloid-esque content, M is for Melbourne delivers a more wholesome, chuckle-worthy exploration of the city's quirks. It's a light-hearted reminder to pause, observe, and find the humour in the everyday fabric of this strange yet endearing metropolis.
Ultimately, O'Shea's show invites the audience to stop and measure the city's landmarks -- perhaps with a banana in hand -- and appreciate the unique character that makes Melbourne the "world's mostly liveable city".
Julian O’Shea -- M is for Melbourne: The World’s Mostly* Liveable City
April 13, 14, 20, 21; MICF
Note: We do not endorse behaviours that would put you or others at risk, especially in traffic.