Justin Hamilton: Hoot

For the pop culture junkies of generation X it's been a tough start to the year. Justin Hamilton's attempts to make sense of public loss and private change make up Hoot — a mix of wry observation and personal confessional.

Hamilton has an innate ability to offer just the right amount of his own inner demons to ensure his audience is right there with him when he begins weaving layered tales with payoffs that take much longer to get to than a sharp one-liner, but are all the more rewarding when he lands them with such aplomb. Though the first half provides some hearty chuckles as Hamilton sets up Hoot, this show really comes into its own when Hamilton, like an athlete picking up the pace the last couple of laps before the finish line, really delivers on the second half's longer storytelling format.

Stories about David Bowie, getting off social media and evading the police like a boss are all delivered with Hamilton's customary exuberance and off-kilter humour. Hamilton's recent relocation to Sydney, a childhood illness and a positively disastrous New Year's Eve are all inspiration for the man Hamilton presents to the audience, and right from the start of this show, it's clear the audience wants to hear more.