Check your privilege at the door and settle in for a wild night of inclusive sketch comedy!
YAAAS KWEEN is a sketch comedy show written for and by women, people of colour and the queer community. The show jumps between satire, parody and absurdism, all the while highlighting minority voices. The show does dwindle in places and could be tightened up, particularly in the final sketch. However, the short and sweet sketches are no less powerful and certainly stand out in audiences’ minds (*cough* the Morrison press conference *cough*).
The comedy troupe consists of six performers, all with a unique stage presence. Jaleesa Maher is our host for the evening and provides a welcoming atmosphere that puts even the most unsure audience members at ease. Maher shines onstage, portraying a token lesbian, a former Prime Minister, and many other characters.
New addition to the troupe, Hassib Kushkhaki, was a joy to watch, particularly in the basketball sketch and as Dr Phil. Ariel Tresham’s appearance in the first sketch is made unforgettable with the line, “I can’t go up there! I’m gay, I’ll be eaten out alive!” Tresham’s impression of Australian icon Sharon Strezlecki was also charming and unexpected.
The ‘token hire’ of the group, Jay Overington, has impeccable comedic timing as a Fleabag-style priest, a Governor Stirling apologist, and the PM himself. Gentle giant Amri Misho has a standout performance in the brown parents sketch, dancing around ‘I love you’ with guilt trips and absurd claims. Patrice Maher has shown herself to be an eclectic and versatile performer, taking on Kim K, a resentful yogi, and Planet Earth.
Whether you’re a person of colour, queer, or a woman (or none of those!), there is something for everyone in this show. The support group for brown parents was a hilarious sketch from start to finish, and truly captured the cultural struggles first-generation immigrants face while raising children in Australia. The brief moments where the show slips into absurdism are where it really shines.
From yoga classes to secret ‘no girls allowed’ clubs, YAAAS KWEEN pokes fun at leftist culture without skimping on some very real (and scary) facts.