David Rose, Izzy Ali & Zack Dyer: Stand Up Comedy (MICF)

18 April 2017 | 2:08 pm | Joe Dolan

"This trio will undoubtedly find their groove and make this showcase one to catch."

There is a certain expectation with a split-bill gig for variety and diversity. Perhaps more a hope than an expectation, but nonetheless, a middling out across the board can be a bit of a disappointment.

This is no indictment on the comedic talent on offer tonight. David Rose, Izzy Ali and Zack Dyer have between them a masterful showcasing of their abilities, but their similarities stick out far more than their differences.

Rose is the host for the evening, and his demeanour is perfectly suited for the role. His crowd work is beyond reproach and even indulges his multilingual skills with a German audience member. Having done gigs in both languages, Rose is well beyond his years as a stage presence.

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Ali is much the same, though his penchant for dick jokes is peppered a little too heavily throughout his short stage time. Again, Ali has a direct connection to some of his crowd, as he talks a shared Somalian heritage with members of tonight's incredibly global crowd.

Dyer is a brilliant choice for a closing act, and in his short time on stage he manages to cover a cavalcade of different and hilarious topics. The mulleted mustachio rocks the mic and gets the likes (his words) while delivering a spot-on impersonation of Pauline Hanson as a seagull.

Rose rounds off the evening with a final tale, but the attempt to shove one last gag in seems to fizzle out with the late night crowd. After a few more goes in front of an audience, this trio will undoubtedly find their groove and make this showcase one to catch.

David Rose, Izzy Ali & Zack Dyer present Stand Up Comedy till 23 Apr at the Last Jar, part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.