Anh Do: The Happiest Refugee Live

Comedy festival shows in big theatres like The State can often necessitate lots of props, colour and movement for no good reason. For Anh Do, however, it was just an excuse to really celebrate his character. That's not to say that there wasn't a craft or careful formula here- far from it. Do's show is his life story interspersed with drama, tragedy and the most beautifully timed physical challenges (segments from various commercial media which saw him shamelessly clown). It was a masterclass. Any one of those elements would have made a show on its won (his refugee trip, his development of comedy for both the love and opportunity, and his love of a stunt), but combining all three was just beautiful. It was emotional too – his pride in his family, their achievements, and his own journey, was awe and tear worthy. Best of all, it was really, really funny. Two thumbs, five stars, show of the season so far.