David Quirk

Overview

Held at the underground Vault at Q Theatre, Quirk only had a small audience for this show, strange really as this was no questions the highlight of my comedy festival so far.

There is something quite endearing about intelligent, thought-provoking Aussie comedians like Steve Hughes and David Quirk. They are so far removed from the Aussie blokes we have come to know from cricket, NRL, and reality TV. But make no mistake this was no high brow gathering, it was simply a guy telling his story, and telling it bloody well.

Quirk began his show perched on a bar stool reading Slash's autobiography and then as music came on he burst into life with some Guns & Roses air guitar. This would prove to be about as animated as he would get during the show. Guns & Roses were one of the re-occurring themes throughout Quirks set, the other one was his ex-girlfriend Claire.

The audience were completely engrossed in Quirks tales of first meeting Claire, to falling in love with her, and then the gut wrenching pain he felt after getting drunk in Finland and sleeping with someone else. One of the funnier moments came when he  was explaining that confused Finland morning when he walked outside for a cigarette, without realising that he doesn't smoke and never has. Breaking up, making up, making mistakes; These are common occurrences that anyone can relate to, told with a brutal honesty that can't help you from feeling like Quirk is someone you've known for years, one of your best mates letting you in on all his life secrets.

There were a few quirky punch lines, a couple of dick jokes, and also some audience banter when the grey haired gentleman next to me started falling asleep, but the magic in this performance lay in Quirks stories and the uninhibited way in which they were told.  He walks out of the theatre at the end of the show to the tune of Creedance Clearwater Revival's Fortunate Son but I won't go into anymore detail, I wouldn't want to ruin the story.