Seedoeatreview has been crying out to see a comedian this year that I’ve never seen before at the Adelaide Fringe. Fortunately, thanks to my buddy Kirby, I was brought along to check out Jeromaia Detto in Mush at Gluttony. It was his last show of the Adelaide Fringe season and boy oh boy was it a good one. Even on a sweltering 39-degree day, he managed to bring plenty of laughs. which left this reviewer cackling hysterically from start to finish. He’s more clown than comedian. And I say that in the most flattering way possible, as Detto showed that he doesn’t need one-liners to make people laugh. His actions speak louder than words and left the audience literally eating out of the palm of his hand!
Mush is a walk inside Jeromaia Detto’s brain, involving a series of skits that rely on several costumes, lots of hand gesturing, and a switched-on audience to know where he’s heading. In the first instance, we’re introduced to a priest with a bubble gun who is blessing the crowd and offering communion to those who want to receive it. In other instances, we’re introduced to a fighter pilot, a seductive Italian gentleman, a maestro and a butterfly, just to name a few. I couldn’t quite put my finger on who Detto reminded me of but at times I could see a bit of Garry Starr in him while at other times it all felt very Mr. Bean-esque. But putting those comparisons to the side, Jeromaia Detto is his own man with his unique brand of humour which I have not seen at the Adelaide Fringe in years.
I mentioned earlier that I had been crying out for a new comedian to see and it was Detto who had me crying from laughter, as everything he did just worked. It’s a special type of performer who, just with their actions, can keep a crowd interested, active and awake on such a hot day, and Detto had us all like puppets on strings as we played along. Whether it was in an orchestra, acting as his plane engine, or applauding his waiter skills, this man milked it to perfection and straddled the line between brilliance and insanity. His brain may be Mush but his comedic stylings are bordering genius levels!
FIVE STARS *****
Reviewed by Shane Berketa