Great

Tom Gleeson spends much of this hour walking a fine line between a self-described boring, middle-aged guy and an arrogant instigator who knows exactly how to work a room. He leans hard into a blunt, deadpan style, taking shots at his own audience and mocking the farcical state of Australian politics. The highlight of the set is his skewering of contemporary politicians, including a physical impression of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull using what Gleeson calls “Malcolm powder,” and comparing Parliament to a schoolyard.

Recorded at the Comedy Theatre in Melbourne for Stan’s “One Night Stan” series, the show caught Gleeson as he was rapidly becoming a household name across Australia, thanks to the early success of his ABC quiz show Hard Quiz.

Away from politics, Gleeson turns his focus to more personal material, sharing dry anecdotes about his daughter’s bizarre comments, the intrusion of smartphones on modern relationships, and the oddities of his parents’ motel. He performs a rhythmic, deadpan recital of a sign posted on the motel wall, driving home his disdain for petty rules.