Adam Hills – Inflatables

October 8th, 2011

Living here in Britain, you like I, may have been unaware of the true extent of Australian comedian Adam Hills’ career. However, a long and prosperous one it has been, and the upcoming release of his DVD on 31st October will mark his twenty first year in the comedy industry. If you haven’t seen him on his current UK tour, you may recognise him from his UK television appearances on shows such as BBC’s Live at the Apollo and Mock the Week (this week’s episode in fact!). His talent has been acknowledged in his home country as he hosts his own music quiz show Spicks and Specks, and his show is established at several comedy festivals including the Adelaide, Melbourne and Edinburgh Fringe festivals.

Inflatables is an expression of Adam’s view on life, his ability to make people laugh, and his infallible optimism. He compares the effects of being able to ‘inflate’ and ‘deflate’ a person, and by this benchmark, he certainly drives to “inflate” as many people with his comedic talents as possible.

The recorded performance (live at the Athenaeum Theatre in Melbourne) demonstrates the welcoming nature of his show as his crowd interaction is very personal and there is a clear following; one woman in particular attending her eighty third show in three years. Furthermore having pursued his own interests in learning some sign language, he is accompanied on stage by a translator who signs to his speech, in order to accommodate for deaf members of the audience. The accessibility and warmth of Adam’s show creates a close-knit atmosphere which enhances both his interaction with his audience, and the laughs he invokes.

Celebrating his fortieth birthday, he uses his age as a platform to share his thoughts on “old man rants”, to the cheers of half the audience and to the enlightenment of the remainder. However, his delightful insights into the nature of a prostate exam are best explained on the DVD.

He educates the audience about the intricacies of sign language in different cultures, and one incident regarding an aircraft safety video is particularly hilarious. He even manages to persuade one woman to sign him Happy Birthday on behalf of the crowd – due to copyright infringements – demonstrating how comfortable an environment he creates at his live shows. Furthermore, his cross-examination of cultures (polite Dutch audiences to choose but one example) is particularly poignant, and he possesses a knack for impressions.

The degree of his optimism and enthusiasm to perform and make others laugh is no more present than when he openly discusses his disability – having lost the lower half of his right leg. Not to be downbeat, Adam jokes about the times he has been stopped at airport customs when going through the metal detector. He also talks about the amazing experience he had when attending the Paralympic Games in Beijing, 2008. He manages to find ways of creating jokes around the Paralympics that many other comedians would possibly not dare attempt, but his optimistic nature allows him to be incredibly funny with potentially uncomfortable material.

He closes the show by placing focus on the underlying theme of the night: inflatables. He commends all those people who ‘inflate’ others by making them laugh, a feat which he achieves with every performance. Inflatables is an insight into why Adam’s career has been of great length and success. His skilful storytelling and experience to command an audience will make this a hit, and knowing how much I laughed watching this through, I would definitely give it a good recommendation.

For more info, visit:ADAM HILLS

Words > Chris Morris

Tags: Adam Hills, Inflatables, Mock the Week, Spicks and Specks