Sarah Jones: Creepy Dummy (MICF)

Comedy, as it stands, is an odd medium. Like all forms of entertainment, it shunts the less popular forms to the sidelines to make way for the new and exciting (as it should), but the line between popular and just plain weird is a blurry and bizarre mess.

It is endearing, to say the very least, when a show can blend old and new forms in a fresh and interesting way. Enter Sarah Jones' offering of Creepy Dummy. Jones, as can be deduced from the show's title, is a gifted ventriloquist who has spent years crafting and honing her skill-set into a goldmine of old school comedy. She can also pull off a card trick that is equally impressive as it is silly, cast some astounding shadow puppets and lip sync to Ginuwine while pretending to be a sentient oil painting. So to say there's a lot going on in Creepy Dummy is a hell of an understatement.

While Jones herself shines throughout, the show is victim to some awkward transitions between material, giving Creepy Dummy a slightly off-putting feel overall. At several points it feels as if the show has concluded, only to continue beyond a satisfying conclusion.

Nonetheless, Jones is a true expert and master at what she does. There is certainly something for everyone here.

Sarah Johns presents Creepy Dummy, til 6 Apr at the Butterfly Club, part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.