DeAnne Smith: Worth It (MICF)

Every year, comedians preparing to set out on Australia's mammoth comedy fest circuit face a solemn and ages-old conundrum: "What the fuck is my show about?"

Months before they set foot on a stand-up stage, they must pluck from thin air a title for their yet-to-exist show, and rustle up some enticing prose to peddle the fruits of their future labours.

But it's not as easy as it sounds, as Canadian comic and MICF veteran DeAnne Smith can attest. Her latest offering, Worth It, had promised a razor-edged hour of incisive satire on the toxic ills of our capitalist society and our modern obsession with making that cash-money. But alas, after the flyers had gone to print and the press releases had been disseminated, Smith's foretold comedy riches came up stony broke.

Some comics may have panicked, and having pinned their colours to a particular mast, tried somehow to hash together something passably on message. But to her credit, Smith knew this was one cheque she shouldn't cash. After prefacing her appearance with a quick disclaimer, fessing up about jettisoning the premise as advertised, she delivered a theme-free hour of stand-up that totally wiped all memory of any erroneous advertising.

And in fact, losing the straightjacket of an arbitrary narrative is clearly liberating for Smith. As she rolled out a stream of whimsical anecdotes and musings on her life, the comedy became powered by nothing more than her unique and utterly disarming personality. And that's all anyone in the room needed.

As with previous shows, there was plenty of that stand-up staple: the oh-so-dreaded audience patter. But in Smith's endearing hands, these crowd interactions felt beautifully consensual. In fact, the repartee between Smith and her punters was amongst the strongest material of the night. There were impromptu Aussie catchphrases, surrogate father figures, and even a Cyrano de Bergerac-esque real-time spoken-word audience review (whispered in the ear of said audience member by Smith). And I would have to agree, Smith certainly is, "Joy manifested in human form."

One thing that a theme does provide, however, is some helpful structure, and without this guiding blueprint, there were times when Smith got caught up in the banter and lost her footing. But while this performance may have lacked the discipline of a more rigorously written show, the laughs flowed lull-free from start to finish nonetheless. It's hard to say if Worth It will evolve during the run, as it feels like a more fluid affair than previous outings. But one thing you can bet money on, whatever Smith offers up is going to be well worth the price of admission.

DeAnne Smith presents Worth It until 22 Apr at the Greek Centre, part of the 2018 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.