Adelaide Fringe: Ethan Addie Rookie Mistakes

Look Mum, I said “F***” in public lots of times, and anyway, I’m gay so there!

Billed as gay comedy for the masses, this is much more gay comedy (such as it is) for the gays. Ethan is a tall, lanky flamboyant boy from Cairns, who regaled us for 50 minutes with a chronicle of his escapades as he self-consciously and un-confidently attempted to enter the gay scene, and all the stuffups (if you’ll pardon the expression) he made on the way.

There were certainly a few chuckles, as he told the stories, but the punch lines were not always obvious.  He threw the F word and other expletives around with gay abandon, and actually evoked some sympathy as the development of his confidence in himself and his fit with the “scene” unfolded amongst experimentation and some heartbreak.

One thing he does remarkably is “unfold” himself. He is very lithe, and dances rather like a praying mantis, there is so much length between his feet and this head.  But while he moves showily, the non-stop pacing as he tells his stories can be somewhat distracting. He is also able to use his rubber face to advantage, which helps him engage with the audience, with a spontaneity that is admirable.

It is clear from this revelation of his personal pilgrimage that he has some further distance to travel in his quest to become confident and comfortable with his sexuality to the point where he does not have to flaunt it so.