Ivan Aristeguieta: Juithy (MICF)

There's a moment in Adelaide-based Venezuelan comedian Ivan Aristeguieta's latest stand-up show, Juithy, where he laments the stingy star ratings various critics have awarded him over the years, despite their otherwise favourable write-ups.

Zeroing in on the crux of the problem, he reveals to his audience a back story - the apparent je ne sais quoi missing from previous outings - about the devastating effect migrating to the safety and security of Australia had on his marriage. Protecting each other from the danger and fear of living in a country as violently corrupt as Venezuela was the magnetism that kept the couple together. Without it, their relationship was doomed to failure.

As an anecdote, it's hardly a laugh riot. But in fact, Aristeguieta was entirely right when he surmised that offering some vulnerability, and a more fully realised, complex and personal side of himself, was the thing needed to elevate his comedy from good to great.

Those familiar with Aristeguieta's previous shows will know that he has a black-belt in cultural observation. As an immigrant to Australia, arriving in SA some five years ago, he has the ideal subjective viewpoint to unpick those quintessential Aussie stereotypes, reflecting them back at his audience through fresh eyes. He's also a diehard fan of his adopted country, and his musings on life Down Under are built on a foundation of genuine warmth and affection. But while his comedy style, carried by a knowingly larger than life, Aye-Yai-Yai level of Latino flamboyance, remains intact in Juithy, there's an added range of emotional sophistication in his storytelling that reaches previously untapped depths.

Fear not, lovers of Aristeguieta's clownish antics: none of that loco South American flavour has been lost. Straight out of the gate, gags rain down like over-ripe mangos (that's an in-joke, see the show if you want to get the punchline), brought off with the expert comic timing and trademark silliness we've come to expect from his shtick.

However, there's so much more to stand-up than being just being funny. Juithy is the kind of mouthwatering comedy that stays with an audience, because it touches our hearts as well as our funny bones. The infusion of a richer emotional spectrum to Aristeguieta's routine reveals an impressive level of technical ability that speaks to the hard graft this artist applies to their craft. If he takes care to further cultivate these skills, the star ratings will surely take care of themselves. 

Ivan Aristeguieta presents Juithy, till 23 Apr at ACMI, part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.