Annie Boyle – Smooth Criminal ★★★★

The dictionary definition of “deadpan” describes someone marked by an impassive matter-of-fact manner, style, or expression. This barely comes close to capturing the comic delivery of Annie Boyle in her stand-up show, Smooth Criminal. Like a love child of Darlene from Rosanne and Orla from Derry Girls her seemingly poker-faced presentation sprinkles her show with comedic gold dust. Yet it also a routine that provides the audience with a bit of a hug, and a few magic tricks to boot!

Drawing on her experience of growing up in a small town in rural Australia “It’s like New York, you’ve got first street and second street. Almost identical”, she quips, Boyle’s humour bounces across the board, covering such diverse subjects as judgemental mattress sales people, narcoleptic dates, and the miss-selling of jeans – “I’ve worked in retail. I know ‘there’s nothing out the back’”. At times, her routine is also filled with poignancy. As a queer person who relocated from her home town to Sidney she states – “Another little fact about Henty, it’s known as the heartland of homophobia, which I think is cute”. The irony is not lost.

Boyle’s routine is superbly observed – including the central theme about her being “a bit of a criminal” – and beautifully delivered. With musical nods – get those jazz hands and conga hips ready! – it’s a show that is welcomingly funny. By the end, you will be left in no doubt as to who the joker really is.