What would you do if you realised you were a victim of wage theft? Would you figure out a way to get revenge? Would you become a modern-day Robin Hood and pay yourself back? Or would you simply quit, cut your losses and start again? Comedian Matt Harvey did all of those things and wrote a FRINGEWORLD 2025 show all about it! Deftly weaving in stories from his (multiple) experiences of negative work environments, Harvey entertainingly pokes fun at his unfortunate working life. I don’t think he needs to worry too much about it anymore, though because comedian is the one job he’s incredibly successful at.
Some people’s life stories are just too interesting to keep hidden away. Harvey’s work history and falling victim to robo-debt (thanks Government) are so entertaining that they were always meant to be shared. Matt Harvey is a brilliant comedian. He takes funny stories from his past jobs and gives them a hilarious spin – laying out the story ahead of the audience and grinning with glee when they catch up. Harvey is fast-paced, almost manic in his delivery as he jumps from one part of the story to the next – making fun of his situation but never himself (self-deprication is so last century) and takes you on a true rollercoaster ride of emotion. An intelligent and witty comic, Matt Harvey’s show is an onstage revolution – rallying the audience into a frenzy all the while delivering a sarcastic and passionate address against monetary oppression.
Wage Against The Machine allows Harvey’s passion for workers rights and equality shine through. He cleverly uses humour to highlight inequality and unfair working conditions – Harvey is the union comedian you didn’t know you needed in your corner. From turning on the tills to balance his own books in a job he was woefully underpaid for, to fighting the good fight against corrupt worker’s compensation practices Harvey champions the little guy all with a smile on his face and a joke on his lips. I would let Matt Harvey go in to bat for me anytime – even after learning about his ultimate ‘fake it till you make it’ moment with a heritage rollercoaster!