With his quickfire wit and uniquely engaging comic mind, it's often easy to forget that Randy isn't technically the actual performer on stage. While his audience participation requires a little more initiative from the crowd than usual (plastic eyes aren't great at picking out particular people, after all), the purple puppet is right on the ball when it comes to the banter side of things.
Anti-Crisis is an ambitious undertaking from Randy, creating, explaining, and attempting to convert others to the church of Beryl in under an hour. Possibly the most progressive and welcoming religious sect around, the Berylites are a congregation of ne'er do wells and fringe thinkers - or a standard MICF crowd, as they're better known.
The biggest issue with Anti-Crisis is a matter of biting off more than it can chew. There's so much going on that when Randy goes off script for extended periods of time, it's incredibly difficult to find the show's rhythm again. There are some excellent moments of multimedia and shadow puppetry, but often the jokes involved in said moments are a little too predictable.
But, for whatever problems Anti-Crisis may have, it has what has to be one of the best twist endings of any show going at the festival this year. This deconstruction of faith, belief and comedy all in one go is superbly executed and downright hilarious. It's a bit of a trudge to get there, but it worth it all the same.
Randy presents Anti-Crisis until 14 Apr at Melbourne Town Hall, part of the 2018 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
