The Bartender's Guide To Idiots

Raw Comedy finalist Brett Blake took to the Noodle Palace’s full 40-seat Ramen Room and delivered a range of witty stories which all stem from the kinds of people he met during his time as a bartender.

He was obviously confident, the room was balmy warm and he only had to stop to wipe his forehead (and subsequently joke about it) once. The pre-recorded customer voices were a clever little touch, and Blake managed to get the timing just right. We laughed at back-and-forths we could relate to only too well: the typical “I could buy this bar so you better get me the drink I want”, those vague punters who ask for ‘top shelf’ drinks and get angry when told the price, and instances where seemingly flirty situations go very, very wrong. Blake seamlessly worked his way from these scenarios into stories about his last relationship, creepy school principals, racism amongst grandparents and more, all the while inviting audience members to express themselves and incorporating that information into his act – an impressive bit of improv. There were a couple of lines that didn’t quite hold up, but Blake’s charisma and likeability scored him plenty of points – a solid performance from the Perth local.