Rhys Nicholson returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for their tenth year with new show Huge Big Party Congratulations! The fast paced Australian comic tackles a variety of topics in the punchy hour long show including coping with children, medical emergencies, and questionable filmmaking beginnings.
Rhys provides sharp comic musings, instantly building a natural rapport with the crowd and keeping us in the palm of their hand with vivid, colourful comic storytelling. The comic darts between topics in an off-the-cuff manner, relaxed and enjoyably cool as they enthusiastically glide through an hour long-set – that gives the impression, it could easily keep going.
Rhys springboards into anecdotes about being asked about children – especially after their recent marriage. Humorous tales of family events surrounded and joyously terrorised by nieces and nephews, follow whilst the warnings from loved ones about why the comic and their husband need to have children come into the firing line.
The razor-sharp Australian delves into the curious nature of the ageing process as one hits their thirties – including unexplained pains with no apparent source. An anecdote about a gruff country nurse called Barb is a comic highlight, whilst Rhys gains a lot of laughs by delving into the idea of getting work done and wanting everyone to know exactly what has been cosmetically. Rhys’s brand of comedy proves relatable and observant, delving into unspoken societal pressures such as weddings and the subsequent ‘ranking’ of friends. There’s an openness to Rhys’s fast-paced style, tackling all from potential ADHD to the undeniably amusing effect of uppers.
A highlight sees the comic share an early love for filmmaking – with the Australian star moving from short stop-motion films to a booming business as a porn bootlegger in their school years. With a school principal mother, the star explains the subsequent fall-out with a pitch-perfect comic timing. Refreshingly blunt in the willingness to delve into the taboo, the Drag Race Down Under judge tackling the joy of a “little coma” to the comic tragedy lurking in billionaires landing in hot water including the Titanic submarine story.
Rhys navigates us through their quick-witted and wickedly sharp perspective on the world, crafting an atmosphere packed with laughs and good energy in Huge Big Party Congratulations! which showcases the star as a comedian at the top of their game.
Tickets to Rhys Nicholson: Huge Big Party Congratulations! are available to purchase now.