Well beyond the mainstreams of Aussie comedy, in the depths of alt-cult stand-up and the non-traditional, a ceremony of sorts is taking place. For the last time ever, Neal Portenza is donning his trademark red beret and giving his fans the send-off he deserves.
The creation of comedic mastermind Josh Ladgrove, Portenza is a bizarre character creation that treads the line between reality and absurdity. In a pressed white suit, Portenza greets his audience from the stage as they walk in, allowing the crowd to dip their toe in the water before he pushes them from the diving board. What proceeds is not a "comedy" show, as Portenza explains, but rather a magical hour of tricks and illusions. It's explicitly not stand-up, and for good reason.
Midway through the show, Portenza removes his hat and suddenly becomes Josh Ladgrove again. In the rarest display of sincerity and harrowing truth, Ladgrove delivers a heartbreaking monologue on the cutthroat and unjust nature of trying to make it in this business. It's specifically the business side of things that has forced Ladgrove to throw in the towel, as after years of mismanagement and being screwed over by bigwigs, he's just tired of it all.
What's incredible about this turn in the show is that Ladgrove can spin on a dime between himself and Portenza without it feeling grating or washed-out. He's spent years honing and crafting his character, and in a cruel twist of fate, it's now at a point of perfection as it runs inexorably toward the end. The mannerisms, the gestures and even the silly voice, it's all polished and faultless, as Portenza takes his crowd on one last wild ride. And on top of all this, his magic tricks are genuinely incredible.
It's a sad day for comedy, but Ladgrove won't let his audience down that easily either. It's a wonderful, joyous, shatteringly honest sucker-punch send-off that could only come from the genius that is Dr Professor Neal Portenza. See it before it's gone for good.
Neal Portenza presents Fafenefenoiby II: Return of the Ghost Boy until 22 Apr at Melbourne Town Hall, part of the 2018 Melbourne International Comedy Festival
