It was a quiet Wednesday night and opening night of Am I the Drama? Tough conditions for a comedy show - especially for a boy from Melbourne, far from home.

This was of no concern for an on-point Andy Balloch, clad in an outfit he had clearly stolen from one of Kylie’s backup dancers prepping at Perth Arena on the other side of Northbridge. Balloch quickly strapped in the audience for a wild ride through his own life experience.

A life he described as lived through the lens of homosexuality - but also through the lens of an Australian kid surrounded by references familiar to all of us. This was no linear journey, more a tale told like a multi-media collage. It was as if Balloch had crafted his life story from birth until this very moment then passed the remote to his ADHD friend and said “Just go nuts, buddy!”.

He effortlessly slipped in and out of characters — from his real life, inner thoughts, trash tv and social media — in a hilarious roller coaster ride. These characters came and went at a rapid pace, sometimes returning like a fever dream brought on by scrolling too many Insta reels before bedtime.

I am a big fan of comedy, and visceral belly laughs are what draw me to it. That box was well and truly ticked, thanks to Balloch’s sharp-witted take on his own experience and the culture that surrounds him. The show had all the keen observation and timely callbacks of a great stand-up performance, but it wasn’t stand-up comedy as such.

The show was brilliantly crafted and executed comedy, but between the laughs, a powerful personal message emerged. Life wasn’t — and still isn’t — easy for a homosexual man, thanks to the bigotry and judgment of others.

It’s a great shame that those who are bigoted and judgmental will probably never see this show. But tonight, it opened the eyes of one straight, middle-aged guy, in the most entertaining of ways.