Demi Lardner – Ditch Witch 800

You’ve never seen a comedy show start quite like it. The introduction of Demi Lardner to the crowd was via another comedian, Nina Oyama, ‘birthing’ Lardner onto the stage wearing no more than her underwear and a wireless mic. It would set the scene for an hour of unpredictable comedy that knew no boundaries.

She did put her clothes back on, which relieved a little of the awkwardness, but didn’t stop most of it. This show was off-the-chain and non-stop in its delivery. It was like we had been transported into another dimension. One where a ‘soot witch’ rules, soap-loving teenagers appear out of the blue, and, yes, there’s impromptu dancing.

Despite some early technical issues with the wireless mic, Lardner battled through with a handheld like a pro and it actually added to the frenetic nature of her delivery. The seamless use of a little clicker in her hand drove the show from one scene to the next, sound and imagery helping weave the performance in unexpected directions. 

Ditch Witch 800 went everywhere, each direction weirder than the last, but the absurd veneer cracked now and then, and we saw the real Lardner below, one that uses the absurdity to cover up a darkness beneath. Fear that it maybe wasn’t all an act almost distracted from the natural reaction to laugh at everything. The ’real’ Lardner just loves to make you laugh and she’s not so callous as to not acknowledge her audience, especially when she's picking and choosing her ‘victims’.

It’s a show that’s worthy of multiple viewings because there’s a lot going on. The energetic show flicked from song to dance to acting, proving Lardner’s versatility, even if the pace could be slightly overwhelming. With sore face muscles and a new appreciation for the strange, we left satisfied, albeit a little confused.

Performed as part of Sydney Comedy Festival