Reviewed by: Fringefeed
Review by Emily Smith | 28 January 2022

Travel is the overarching theme of Dave Callan’s set, which inevitably incurs group commiserating and nostalgia for the foreign world in our perpetually locked down state. However, Dave is not whiney or pessimistic, instead telling the not-so-romantic stories from his travelling days (toilet humour has never been so cultured) to remind us take off our rose-coloured glasses occasionally, and to always look on the funny side. 

Lilting in his beautifully soft Edinburgh accent Dave brings his unique Scottish perspective to many Australian things, such as sharks, AFL, and the acknowledgement of country. He also has the outsiders’ fresh insight into Australian cities, including a surprisingly detailed analysis of Perth’s hard drug culture, which is hysterical and not as bleak as it sounds. His self-proclaimed ‘TED-talk on farting’ is also quite convincing, and surely won over a few perpetually clenched anuses in the audience. 

Dave builds an easy rapport with the audience, instinctively knowing who is uncomfortable being questioned and who enjoys sharing his spotlight. 

Dave is a master storyteller whose yarns are funny at every turn, not building up to a big crescendo but a slow burn that’ll have you clutching your stomach in mirth. See him while you still can, or regret it more than a big bowl of white bean soup on a tinder date.