Review: Gemma Caruana at Motley Bauhaus

Review by Greg Gorton

By the show’s title alone, one can guess that Rage Bait is going to involve a comedian getting a little angry at the world. The marketing material talks of sketch and song, so you know this isn’t going to be dry standup or a standard cabaret. It’s going to be a little different. But you’d never guess how different.

Rage Bait is a production that includes reworked scripts to neighbours, Jazzy renditions of sitcom theme songs, a classic toy advertisement, a comedian dressed as a cow, and a very funny operatic aria. This was my first experience of Caruana and I was blown away that someone could have such an amazing voice and choose to then use it to sing about how she is sick of mushrooms. Caruana is also constantly on the move, dancing across the stage, making rushed costume stages, racing back and forth down the aisles, her only sustenance being bites of a corn cob. If this sounds unhinged, don’t worry. It is.

There is a point to all the silliness, of course, and Gemma makes sure towards the end that the message is not lost on anyone. For too long, women have been told to “calm down”, and there are very few places and contexts that allow a woman to properly express herself without unrealistic and misogynistic expectations. One of those places, or at least a place where a woman is more likely to find allies, is the stage. While I’m sadly sure that ugly-hearted men have attempted to put down Gemma Caruana on social media or in reviews, or even possibly in heckles, there are sixty minutes when she owns that stage. If she wants to use it to scream at the world, so should she.

Rage Bait is far from a polished production. There were a heap of issues with cues, missed lines, etc, etc, but I’m glad they were there. There’s an authenticity to skit comedy that doesn’t try too hard to be perfect. It’s a big reason why I think Saturday Night Live has lasted so long. It might not always be funny, but it is raw and honest. Of course, that’s a poor comparison; there wasn’t a single moment of the night that Caruana was not funny.

Sometimes the skits Caruana are reminiscent of old Full Frontal, especially a “Today Tonight” style special feature on car-sickness. At other times, they are Pythonesque in their absurdity. I know I shouldn’t compare shows so often, but it is how I think, and for this particular hour, it might be a good thing because I’ve found the perfect way to describe Rage Bait.

Rage Bait is if Ari Aster was a woman, had an incredible singing voice, and decided to slap something together for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Yes the show starts with some clever little songs, some dancing, and light jokes that only have deep and emotional impacts at the end of the night. As it continues, however, there are twists and turns, things seem a little weird, and you aren’t too surprised to find the performer now has udders. By the end of Gemma Caruana’s show, it is hard not to feel like a legitimate witch has placed a curse on me, and that somehow I deserve it. I think the only way it will be lifted is if you go watch it as well.