There are some shows where audience participation is a crucial component, and Tessa Waters' Volcano is one of them. There are also some shows where said participation can be forced and unbearable, but Tessa Waters' Volcano is not one of them.
With her trademark meet and greet as the audience enter the venue, Waters immediately disengages any reservations that her crowd may have. From there, they quickly warm to the comic's infectiously affable style, being equally entertained and inspired by Waters' messages of body positivity and living your best darn life.
As a self-confessed "carnie", Waters uses her arsenal of physical comedy and character work to barrage her audience with a sleek and hugely imaginative set. Playing games and telling incredible stories, the comedian weaves a beautiful narrative of self-realisation, while convincing the crowd not to eat her in the event of the apocalypse.
Volcano is a far more cohesive show than Waters' previous outings, and with this structural sophistication there's also a great deal more poignancy; the yarns she spins from her personal life and family history are superb and touching. But this is new territory for Waters, and there are moments where her inexperience with this type of narrative comedy shows. Nonetheless, her generosity and intensity as a performer more than make up for these minor shortcomings.
A Tessa Waters show is always outrageous, surprising and grin-worthy from start to finish, and Volcano is no exception. What's really exciting however, is seeing this act flexing new comedy muscles to evolve her style. Volcano is the first statement in a new phase for Waters' stand-up, and (providing the post-apocalyptic cannibals don't get her) we can't wait to see what comes next.
Tessa Waters presents Volcano until 22 Apr at The Greek Centre, part of the 2018 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
