I’m all for standup that feels ahead of the curve. But what to make of Rhys Nicholson, who spends the first half of their Wednesday night show referring to us as a Thursday night audience? This is comedy that’s not so much in-the-moment as 24 hours ahead of it. But it’s easy to forgive the slip, because the comic (and Drag Race Down Under judge) delivers a fine standup set here, which won the Melbourne comedy festival’s main award in 2022.
As the title Rhys! Rhys! Rhys! implies, the set makes no bones about its main subject: our host themself. Bow tied, hair dyed and sharp suited, the fastidious 33-year-old is here to talk about life as a queer person experiencing early-onset middle age. They’re contemplating marriage and parenthood while friends – to Nicholson’s wicked delight – are starting to divorce. The discomfort of the modern straight male offers another source of sharp satisfaction, even as Nicholson makes new discoveries about their own gender identity.
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