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Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy
Promotional art for The World Keeps Happening
Cover image credit: via TMDB

The World Keeps Happening

Tom Ballard

Stan · 2017 · 81 min

Anxious political rants and filthy dating stories from Melbourne.

Watch on Stan(opens in a new tab)

Tom Ballard approaches global catastrophe with the manic energy of someone who has accepted the end times but still wants to get some dirty jokes in before the collapse. He attempts to systematically fix the world’s most daunting crises, jumping from the war on drugs and the threat of global terrorism to the sluggish pace of Australia’s marriage equality debate, balancing this high-level panic with details of his own casual drug use and the competitive exhaustion of using hookup apps. Filmed at the Comedy Theatre in Melbourne for the Stan streaming service’s One Night Stan series, this set captured Ballard at a professional high point. The performance earned him nominations for Best Show at both the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2016, alongside a Helpmann Award. His style is loud and physical, using his own anxieties about a world in decline to justify a mix of political rage and explicit sexual anecdotes.

The set list

3 bits

  1. Rupert Murdoch graphic routine

    Starts off as a routine advocating for marriage equality before pivoting into an explicit act-out of Rupert Murdoch's genitalia.

  2. Mistakes hosting political panel show Q&A

    Offers a self-deprecating story about his televised slip-ups on Q&A, jokingly blaming the network for booking a young comedian to host serious political discourse.

  3. Gay men and ISIS

    Riffs shrewdly on the unlikely concept of gay men being attracted to joining ISIS.

How it plays

Tone
Sharp, biting, socially conscious, irreverent, and provocative.
On stage
Clever, charming, and confident with a blokey look and an approachable nice-guy persona that balances sharp political anger with self-effacing hedonism.
Pace
Dynamic delivery featuring bursts of faux rage, stamping the mic stand on the floor, and energetic act-outs.
About
Political apathy and clicktivism, Terrorism and ISIS, Feminism and sexism, Racism and Australia Day, Refugees and asylum seekers, Marriage equality

What the critics said

Praised as a vitally relevant, sharply written hour backed by a biting wit and social conscience, balancing dark topics and hedonistic shame with high likeability.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: thetvdb.com, tomballard.com.au, themoviedb.org, filmcentrum.nl, chortle.co.uk, themusic.com.au, theartsdesk.com, en.wikipedia.org, comedy.co.uk.

Backstory

Filmed as the final performance of the show for Stan's 'One Night Stan' comedy special series, addressing contemporary sociopolitical friction including refugee policies, terrorism, clicktivism, and marriage equality.

Details

Released
Taped
2016, The Comedy Theatre, Melbourne
Runtime
81 min
Where
Stan
Director
Hayden Guppy
Honors
Winner – Best Comedy Performer, 2016 Helpmann AwardsNominee – Best Show, 2016 Melbourne International Comedy FestivalNominee – Best Show, 2016 Edinburgh Comedy Awards
Topics

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