Bats, The Classic Studio
May 17-20, 30-June 3 | Reviewed by Steve Pepper

Jerome Chandrahasen is a newcomer to NZ stand-up. He is a 2006 ODDFELLOWS Billy T Nominee, and it’s a title he deserves. He has a understated, gentle and genuine stage manner which disarms the audience and has them laughing at the simplest of material. Even his eyes can have an audience in stitches.

His Backpacker’s Guide opens with a well made Chaplinesque short film based on an understated sense of looming ridiculosity. It depicts Jerome arriving backpack-laden in an Italian restaurant. It is mostly silent – we only hear the background murmur of “Italian” conversation – and its Jerome’s eyes make it work.

His live act began with some clichéd observations of Funniest Home Movies. It was that point when you start regretting your decision to leave the house. His unpolished, unhurried style didn’t do much to ease the audience’s apprehensions. Within a couple of sentence his laid-back authenticity came through and somehow everything was so much funnier. Even the straight-up definition of linguistic determinism had the audience hanging off every word.

Jerome is recently back from travels in Europe, and this show is an exploration of “the Kiwi backpacking tradition”. Religion obviously made quite an impact on him because it occupies a lot of stagetime. A reading from the Book of Job ends with Jerome concluding, “God eh?!, what a dick.” While visiting The Vatican he devises a WWF wrestling match: Pope John Paul II vs Benedict XVI. He has Benedict’s supporters chanting, “how many popes as holy as Beny? Not many, if any.”

There were some aspects that could use some polishing. Jerome uses imagined conversation to depict the deteriorating relationship with a travelling companion. This scene is revisited a handful of times and it certainly builds a very strong image, but at times the point was laboured and left the audience quite low.

Overall though, this show was uniquely enjoyable. It was not the side-splitting gag-a-minute routine which some NZ comedians cling to. This must be the only stand-up this side of Eketahuna that doesn’t rely on swearing, puerile poo jokes or sexual depravation. In fact, you couldn’t even say that it relies on gags at all. There are a number of great observations including a brilliant take on the subtleties of high-fiving strangers on the banks of the Seine.

What makes this performance work is not the material though, it’s Jerome’s boy-next door charisma and genuine enjoyment of his won material. I’m not sure it was the comedy or his enjoyment of it that I enjoyed more. Ironically, it’s this same youthful, wide-eyed amazement at the world also draws people off backpacking.

For full programme, venue and show details on this and other Comedy Festival events, visit comedyfestival.co.nz.