Charlie Pickering & Michael Chamberlin

Parodying the news on the war on terror, Charlie Pickering and Michael Chamberlain make this a definite highlight of the festival.

In between audio soundbites promoting the show and various other routines about boat people and the ignorance of Tasmainians, both Charlie and Michael take the piss out of current affairs almost seemlessly. It is well written and well performed, and in being so young, both of them take it to a new level in their vision. The rock eisteddford litergical dance at the end certainly illustrates that.

They won the Piece of Wood award for this piece,and rightly so. All I can say is to Eminem and George Bush, be afraid, be very afraid.
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The Absurd seems to work well with Pickering and Chamberlin. The idea of a post-apocalyptic nightmare vision of the future is a dancing robot who dances editorials for a news program is certainly different; an idea that in less capable hands could certainly fail. The ticket price was worth it just for the editorial flashbacks.

Granted I did enjoy last years show more (maybe its because it was about Tasmainia), but the script and jokes were still tight and flowed well. There was less focus on the news program itself as opposed to behind the scenes. Rock eisteddford, the Bible, politics, Iraq and for some reason John Michael Howson walking on the moon all flow seamlessly into each other. They really deserved a larger venue than the Cloak Room.

But any show that can include Vanilla Ice and East 17 is alright by me.

"On the 3rd day God Created Funk"

"The Government have upgraded their status from Code Mob Rule to Code Holy Shit"

"With the new national slogan- No Fat Chicks"

"The Milennium bug has surely condemmed us all to death,or has it?"

"One has to ask the question- Is Vietnam going to be another Vietnam?"

"Some of you may wish to judge Charlie and say- Dude! You fucked a robot"

"Hey Dance-a-tron, was your daddy a retard, cause you're special"