Aunty Donna: Big Boys (MICF)

When a breakout act, typically seen as underground or maverick, manages to burrow out of obscurity and into the mainstream, "cult following" suddenly no longer applies. However, despite becoming one of the biggest headliners in Australian comedy, Aunty Donna can still hold the cult flag high, mainly because a show with the trio always feels like the red Kool-Aid could come out at any moment.

The boys have officially earned rockstar status amongst their fans; Zach Ruane, Broden Kelly and Mark Bonanno are welcomed with the kind of ovation usually reserved for boy bands or pop starlets. Within three minutes of the comedy troupe's latest show, Big Boys, getting under way, the guys are already sans pants and spraying the crowd with a high-pressure water cannon of their alt-comedy shinanigans.

Aunty Donna are relentless in their content. There are no breaks or down moments for the crowd to catch their breath, but there are a surprising number of "real jokes" that sneak their way into the mix of lunacy. While the troupe aren't exactly known for their sense of reservation, there is even the odd occurrence where it feels like they've taken the opportunity to hold back a little and show off what they can do in terms of structured comedy. Be that as it may, it will still feel like an hour of in-jokes for anyone who is unfamiliar with the trio's work — the moment where DJ/sound engineer Tom Armstrong receives a standing ovation for saying one single word is a prime example.

A few issues with the mics doesn't deter the boys, but there are a number of times where their absurd style leaves a sketch dangling in the ether for far too long. While it's clear their MO is to make their crowd uncomfortable at times, instead it just feels as if they're simply pushing a joke without a sense of where it is actually going.

As the crowd's desperate attempts to get involved in the show can attest, Big Boys is still a success for those who are willing to let this silly, but occasionally immature type of comedy be exactly what it is trying to be. Aunty Donna will never be for everyone, but they are well and truly at the forefront of this bizarre renaissance that popular comedy in undergoing.

Aunty Donna presents Big Boys till 23 Apr at Max Watt's, part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.