Matt Okine: Broken Diamond House

Matt Okine may take a while to settle into his rhythm but when the Sydney based comic hits his stride he shows off a sharp understanding of the stand up comedy art form, marrying throwaway but often hilarious observational moments with a narrative thread about a family reunion with his father and sister in his father's native Ghana. Okine's talent isn't just in tying everything back into his central story, though the ease with which he does this certainly shows off his skill, but it's the way he is able to take his audience with him when he steps out of the his role as laugh-maker to explore topics such as racism, sexism, and capitalism. Okine may make comedy hay out of dick jokes and well-placed swear words, but there's also an intelligence at play here that with some tightening up will one day produce a brilliant festival set.